Hello fellow writerly friends and happy August long weekend!

In honour of the long weekend I bring you Rosemary’s activities for writers hit list. Looking to relax after meeting your pre-long weekend deadlines? Well you’ve come to the right place. This list is an alternative hit list of sorts, for writers looking to productively refresh and recharge their brain to keep those ideas flowing, for the week ahead. I’m sure you’ve got your own ideas so please note that everything that I’ve included in the list below are suggestions instead of things that you “ought to” do.

1. Get Outside:

The writerly lifestyle often involves spending hours and hours staring, and typing at a computer screen so why not use this weekend as an opportunity to make up for lost time, spent not absorbing Vitamin D? It’s important to make an excuse to go outside, even if it’s for something small like an errand, or grocery shopping.

2. Go For a nice leisurely walk:

Sometimes deadlines and people’s expectations get stressful so taking the time, when you can take the time, to walk at a leisurely pace, and explore is a great way to recharge, and who knows: perhaps it might even lead to the next big idea. Bring either a smartphone to record ideas, or a good old fashioned pen and paper just in case because all that alone time and relaxation will do a lot of good for the creative process.

3. Talk To People: 

Writing is a solitary pursuit so you need to get out there, and catch up with friends or family, or at least whip out your phone and see how friends and loved ones are doing. Because it’s so solitary it can get lonely so it’s really, really important to keep on talking to people. When my social stimuli levels hit zero I can’t focus for long periods of time on my work, and even just texting a friend, or phoning someone i care about to say hello, even if it only lasts a second, puts my focus back to normal.

4. Read!

I’m one of many writers that believes reading is the best form of education on how to write. Read as much as you possibly can because learning by omission is the best way to master writing. Unfortunately it’s sometimes easier to find time to write than time to read, especially once writing becomes a profession instead of a hobby. That’s not an excuse though: no matter what kind of writer you are, and how experienced you are at writing there’s a lot you can learn from both writers who do the same kind of writing, and writers that do writing that’s the complete opposite of the kind of writing you do. Take the time to read something, and read as much as you possibly can, because it will make you a better writer. and honestly if you don’t like reading I’m not really sure why you’re writing!

First and foremost: take some time to have fun, kick back, and relax, because nobody wants to end up like Jack Nicholson’s character in The Shining!