Is your office air-conditioned? Mine neither. I’d rather be running through the sprinkler or the Water Wiggle we had as kids. The heat waves gripping much of America right now must be influencing writers’ productivity. It’s hard to keep BIC (Butt In Chair) when your eyeballs have melted. If you soldier on, cranking out your 10,000 words a day in sweltering, egg-frying, stifling heat, you’re a better writer than I am. Here are some suggestions for the rest of us softies:
Writing Tip for Today:

• The obvious answer is to limit writing time to early mornings or late nights. If that isn’t possible, get a room air-conditioner or fan. I’ve used a small clip-on fan that directs air right on my face. I do not set the fan to oscillate–it makes me think bugs are crawling on me, when it whips my hair or tickles my neck.
• Go to where the cool is. If you can’t write comfortably at home, take your laptop to McDonald’s or use a cyber cafe or the library’s computers. Remember to bring a thumb drive if you use a public computer.
• Keep the liquids coming. Keep a chilled water bottle next to your station and stay hydrated. Your writing will thank you. Said water may be dumped over your head only if you are away from the keyboard.
• Some days are just too hot. Unless you’re on a deadline (lucky duck!) you may decide to take a break for the day. Get a good book and read, write in your journal or do some plotting or characterization sketches. Or go run through the sprinkler, or better yet, the Water Wiggle. You know you want to.