September 15, 2015 
Amy Bishop 
There is much rejoicing on Twitter and the general social media parade: fall is (almost) here. It is almost time for scarves and boots, the pumpkin spice takeover, a breath of relief at cooler temperatures, and the crispness in the air that seems to perk up everyone’s steps. The ushering in of fall also means a renewed flurry of activity in publishing as everyone shakes off the residual sand and rays of sun from their vacations and gets back to work. Fall (and spring) seem to be the busy seasons: something in the air is conducive to productivity and bursts of energy.
As lovely as these busy seasons are, as a writer myself, it’s been hard to find time to sit down and write (much less read) with all the new activity at hand. By the time I get home, it’s time to make dinner, say hello to the other humans in my house, prep for the next day, and go to bed. Making a literary life for oneself proves much more difficult outside of the academic setting. Many writers also hold full time jobs, have active families or a significant other, and are engaged in the process of going about the business of the everyday world. So I suppose I ask: how do you find the time in your day to find the mental space to write or engage in creative work? How do you set aside time to unwind and pull a book off your ever-growing “to-read” stack?
And, on a more fun note, with all these new books to curl up with as the days get shorter: What books does everyone have in their fall queue? What are the best things about fall in your opinion?
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Dear Amy,
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Transitioning from being a student to a professional is difficult, so lower the bar. Tell yourself one great sentence a day is great. Give yourself 15 minutes at lunch, or early in the morning if you’re tired at night.
I made every excuse in my 20s for not making time for my writing. I read for a living, but nonfiction, and my saving grace came with free fiction our news station received as review copies. It’s only when I became a SAHM that I wrote with any sincerity or discipline. Now my kids are in school and I get several quiet hours a day to string words together and I love it. Wish I would have started earlier!
To answer your question, the fall awakens me like no alarm ever could. My brain seems to come online with the air conditioned outdoors. It could be that summers around here are quite hot – with humidity, we top 100 regurally. But no matter the reason, tackling my long list of reading for research seems possible.
The Art of Falling – Kathryn Craft
All the Difference – Leah Ferguson
Middle of Somewhere – Sonja Yoerg
The House of Hawthorne – Erika Robuck
Becoming Josephine – Heather Webb
Then there is reading for fun which includes Jilie Murphy’s Dumplin and reading with my daughter, Little Women, and with my son, TBA.
And don’t forget non-fiction. I want to read more about gardening, and cooking, and maybe sewing, although I never intend to be great at any of these things 😉
May the words come to you!
Thank you for your words! BECOMING JOSEPHINE was on my fall list as well! Happy reading!
My father used to say, “If you want a job done, give it to a busy man.” In past years, I’ve found that I wrote the most (and, sometimes, best) when I was also dealing with holidays, visitors, Scouts, illnesses, and school plays, and I did the least work when I was home alone for weeks at a time.
Go figure.