The end of the exam season is soon to be upon us. Many of us are counting down the days until our summer break and we can’t wait to lie down, stress free, and simply do nothing. That will feel great for a few days, but it will soon become quite boring. Even if you work 40 hours each week, you’ll find yourself searching for something to do with all your free time.
Well, search no further! This summer you could join a sports team, take up painting, go on a trip, et cetera, but I find writing a book to be the most joyous of all.
You may be reading this and coming up with a million excuses as to why you can’t write a book this summer, but I am here to give you six reasons why you can, and should, and hopefully you’ll feel the same joy I do when I write books during my semesters away from school.
It’s on your bucket list, and you have time now
No matter how busy we think we are, during our semesters off we are actually at one of the least-busy times in our lives. Just think – as you get older, you’ll have more and more responsibilities and less and less time to cross this off your bucket list.
It’s cheap to do and doesn’t take much time out of your day
You likely already have a laptop or access to paper, and you definitely already have an imagination. You may also think that writing a book takes too long, but you have four months. To write a 100,000 word novel, you only have to write 834 words per day. And it’s not like writing an essay; believe me, the words will flow out of you and onto the page.
You have a story to tell
You can draw inspiration from everything you see throughout the day. I wrote a book based on a dream I had one night. We all know interesting people – the kind of people we can draw from to create intriguing characters. You do have a story. You just have to commit to telling it.
You want to improve your skills
Writing a novel requires the mastery of skills, such as written communication, creativity, researching, planning, editing, organization, time management, and more. To be able to do such a seemingly impossible task gives you proof of the skills you’ve been claiming on your resume for so long.
You get to hold something that is truly yours, and yours alone
The first time I held a bound copy of my first book, a few tears escaped. I was holding something that was mine, and all mine – something physical that I had created. I truly have never been able to replicate that feeling anywhere else.
You want to prove that you can do it
Prove it to yourself, and to others. Writing a novel is difficult, I’m not going to lie. There will be days when your word count is far below your goal, and it will seem senseless to continue. Use that as motivation. If you don’t give up, and if you cross this item off your bucket list (something not many people are able to do), you will prove to yourself and others that you can do it, and that you have done it. Then keeping doing it many times after that.
Writing books is not for everyone though, and should only be done if you are really interested in some of the reasons above. Writing is meant to be relaxing, not taxing, so if you truly don’t have the time or your heart isn’t in it, there are many other activities you could try this summer. Find something that you are passionate about, and go for it!