Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, get-to-know-us question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.
QUESTION: This weekend is a long, holiday weekend. Will you get a chance to write, or will you be busy celebrating?
Diane MacKinnon: I’ll be away this weekend with extended family in Maine. I’m going to bring my journal and my computer, but I doubt I’ll get any serious writing done. I’ll definitely get a chance to do some journaling, either sitting by the campfire in the evening, or sitting on the beach at dawn. I’m fantasizing about taking off for a few hours for some concentrated writing time, but now that my son doesn’t nap anymore, I’m much more likely to go along with whatever activity is going on, even if it’s just cooking with my sisters while the kids play around us. Have a happy and safe holiday, everyone!
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Lisa J. Jackson: I think this holiday weekend I’ll get quite a bit of writing and reading done. I don’t have any big plans or business deadlines to hit, so I’ll be doing 15 or so volunteer hours between time with my Little Sis and talking with people at the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in my role as NH Granite State Ambassador. Other than that, the 3-day weekend is mine, all mine! This weekend and Thanksgiving are the two most common long weekends that give me ‘free’ time and it’s great for writing. Since I’m in planning mode for the rest of this year and 2014, the weekend will be my reward for getting a handle on what’s coming up. Have to love that.
Julie Hennrikus: Labor Day is my new year–time to rethink, renew, and energize. And my “new year” goal is a commitment to write fiction every day. How much will I get done? It depends on the weather. 😉 Seriously, I think I will get a lot done. I am working on the plotting stage of a new novel (I am a plotter), and I need to get the scenes mapped out so I can begin writing full tilt.
Jamie Wallace: Though I do sometimes take advantage of clients being off for the holiday (translation: they won’t be calling or emailing me) to get some of “my” writing done, this coming Labor Day weekend will not be one of those opportunities. Nope. This holiday weekend is chock full of friends and family. Today I’ll be out on the (hopefully not too high) seas with my daughter, beau, and parents looking for the last of the season’s whales off the Gloucester shore. Saturday, my beau and I will be attending the wedding of a friend’s daughter up in York. Maine. And on Sunday I’ll be experiencing the equine-inspired, Cirque du Soleil-esque show, Cavalia OdyesseO with my daughter, beau, and parents. The only shot I’ll have at any writing will be on Monday, though it’s more likely that I’ll be trying to get a jump on the week’s deadlines than enjoying any personal writing. Still, Monday may find me and my daughter down at our favorite coffee shop, enjoying the ambiance of the last day of summer before school.
I imagine that once my daughter is older, there will be more holiday time that I can spend in the pursuit of solo writing adventures, but for now I am loving the chance to share these days and experiences with her and the rest of my family. I may not be writing, but I’m inviting inspiration through participation and creating memories that will last a lifetime.
Deborah Lee Luskin: When I had kids at home and a job outside it, I grabbed any “free” time I could – and often I resented that that’s what I had to do to squeeze my writing in. Now, I’m writing full time, and that means that I’ve also learned the value of “time off.” So, I’m off to bike and hike and visit over the long weekend. And I know that Ellen, the title character of my current project, will come along too. I may take notes at the end of a pedal; I may write a scene when I get off the trail; I may draft an entire radio commentary – or at least the first line, which gives me a topic, a tone, and my way in, so I can sit down and write the essay when I return to my desk. I think time away is crucial, and I’m looking at this long weekend as preparation for a week-long vacation I have coming up later in the month. Besides, my husband and I picked and canned thirteen quarts of peaches after dinner last night. Now that’s hard work!
Live to Write - Write to Live 
i will do both )
Sounds like the perfect solution. 🙂
I expect to get a bunch of writing done, and looking forward to it!
Wonderful! Enjoy your writing time!
Your different responses are interesting and of course typical given your different personal and professional commitments. My subconscious never stops working wherever I find myself, but when I’m caring for young grandchildren it most definitely and necessarily takes a back seat. Very young children claim your full attention (they know when you’re zoning out and call your bluff) every instant of the day.
You’re so right, Mary. when my daughter was younger, I had to put all my writing aside for a while because being mom was THAT all-consuming. Now that she’s older (and a bit more independent) the tide is shifting, but I hear that when she enters the teen years, I’d better be prepared for all hands on deck (again). Parenting – always an adventure!
Well, I’m supposed to be writing right now so weekends are apparently not great for me. We’ve got a wide-range of plans for this weekend though –birthday parties, farmer’s markets, a few quiet nights at our cabin in the woods — so, while I may not be getting much writing done, I will be harvesting plenty of writing material.
Happy weekend everyone!
“… harvesting plenty of writing material.”
I love that. That’s exactly what I often feel I’m doing when I’m away or even just enjoying some down time. Each experience is an asset. You never know when a setting or anecdote or snippet of dialog will reemerge onto your page. It’s all good!
Saturday mornings are quickly becoming my prime writing time (holiday or not). I think it is because I wake up excited that I’m not tied to an alarm clock and the weekends always feel so full of possibilites.
I actually love my “weekend work time.” As a self-employed person, my Saturdays often turn into work days (at least for a few hours), but I don’t usually mind. Work feels different on the weekend – there’s no rush, as you said, and I know no one is going to email or call me with crises. I can slow my work pace down. It’s a great feeling.
Extended weekends are awesome! I can spend a day lounging and then start writing the next day, refreshed.
You’re right. It’s kind of like having the best of both worlds – a day of play and a day of writing. Perfect! 🙂