6 Ways to Beat the End of Summer Blues (and Stay Inspired)

Back-to-school ads everywhere are bumming me out. My kids are grown and out of school, but it doesn’t matter–that old feeling lingers and I still find myself needing ways to beat the end of summer blues (and stay inspired to write)! Impact-Site-Verification: 368994093

You, too?

That’s what I thought. It’s also why I’ve brainstormed a few ways to cheer us both up 😃

Here are 6 Ways to Beat the End of Summer Blues (and find some writing inspiration along the way)

1. Buy a new scarf – Scarves and writers are a match made in literary heaven … at least in my head. Very artsy, and oh-so chic, a soft scarf tossed over one’s shoulder creates the allure of a creative being (like you) strolling the Champs–Élysées in search of inspiration. I still wear one that I bought years ago from an artist selling her wares on a corner in San Francisco, and I’m currently in love with this cozy cashmere-ish scarf found on Amazon.

2. Take a staycation – If going on a fall vacation is out of the question, take off for a day and enjoy a local site, such as a park, museum, gallery, beach, etc. It’s easy to forget what we have in our own backyards. Hot Tip: If you’re a member of AAA (AAA.com), they offer all kinds of deals for local attractions and restaurants.

3. Meet an old friend (or new one) for coffee every week– As an introvert, this one challenges me. I’m quite happy with my stories and characters to keep me occupied. But once I step out and make a human connection, I usually find myself uniquely inspired by some good conversation–and realize how much I’ve been missing!

4. Curl up with a new book (or old favorite)– Consider one of mine here 😃 or search for a new story by a favorite writer.

5. Switch up your music play list – I recently discovered the Italian Cooking playlist on Pandora. Soooo serendipitous! I see lotsa pasta in our future! Buon appetito!

6. Finally, get productive. If you’ve been thinking about writing a novel, prepare for NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month), which comes up later in the fall. (I wrote Mocha Sunrise during NaNoWriMo years ago.) If you’re a blogger, set aside time to master SEO to grow your blog more. Or invest in your nest … paint a room, move art around your home, deep clean the pantry, etc. Crossing something BIG off of your to-do list will give you a lift!

Do these ideas help? Which ones will you be taking to heart? Feel free to add more in the comments section.

If your fall season includes writing a book, you can pick up a printable publishing checklist by signing up in the box below. Enjoy! ~ Julie