Navel gazing with visual aids.

[pauraque_bk]

I got so bored at lunch today that I snapped and made a bar graph of how many fics I post by month, using data from the last three years.

											.
				.							.
			.	.							.
			.	.						.	.
.			.	.	.					.	.
.			.	.	.	.		.		.	.
.	.		.	.	.	.		.		.	.
.	.		.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.	.
Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

(I'm hoping most people's friends pages have light-colored event backgrounds.)

Apparently, I post more fic in winter and late spring/early summer. I won't say that's when I write the most, because I just went by number of finished fics (no matter how long), not word count. I probably do write more in warm weather, though, since I like to write outside. I suspect the number of December fics is affected by all the Christmas-y fic challenges I tend to sign up for.

So, when do you write the most? Are you more or less productive depending on the season?

Am I really odd for wondering about this?

---

In case anyone was wondering, I'm planning to start my re-read of Goblet of Fire on September 1st, which should allow plenty of time to finish before the movie comes out. Yeah, I know I never got around to doing OotP... I'm a little scared of starting these two monsters, since writing the posts and answering comments is a non-minor time & effort commitment, and these are not short books. I think I'll be smart this time and invest in some of those wrist brace thingies before I start.

Comments

[wootsauce.livejournal.com]

I'm a lot less productive in warm weather. My house doesn't have air conditioning, so my hands get sweaty, smear things, stick to paper, etc.

[pauraque]

Ah, I can see how that'd be a problem. I like writing when it's hot -- only thing is that I have a really hard time writing something that's supposed to be set in the winter when it's actually 80 degrees outside.

[wootsauce.livejournal.com]

I also tend to be more productive when I should be dong other things. You know what most of what I like about going to school is? Drawing during lecture.

re wrist braces: wearing them while sleeping really reduces my wrist pain, so I would reccomend doing so if you have wrist pain. Carpal tunnel is bad!

[pauraque]

I don't have chronic wrist pain, but if I do a LOT of vigorous typing, I sometimes do hurt them. That happened on the PoA re-read, I think.

[gmth.livejournal.com]

GoF re-read, yay!

[pauraque]

I'll admit I'm a little excited about it, despite the fear. Thirty-seven chapters! o_o

[http://users.livejournal.com/_hannelore/]

You already mentioned it above, but I have a hard time writing out of season. Most of my fic always takes place in the season I'm currently experiencing. I also tend to forget that merry old England probably does not have the kind of sunny days we have over here! Other than that, it's usually what's happening in RL that tends to dictate how prolific I am.

*prepares for the pajama party with glee!*

[pauraque]

Heh, I have that problem too, I tend to write California weather if I'm not thinking about it.

[vulgarweed.livejournal.com]

I find myself often writing counter to the season I'm in. Especially in summer. I truly, madly, deeply loathe hot weather, so I write a lot of stormy, snowy, rainy, wintry, cold fics (yay, British fandoms!) then because I'm longing for it so much. If I do write a hot weather fic in summer it's because I want to revel in how disgusting it is and inflict the misery on my characters in great detail.

I'm in Chicago, where we get all the weather extremes very intensely. I like that. I like experiencing all four seasons very strongly; helps you appreciate them all, and they're all beautiful and inspiring in their ways, though if I had to choose one to ditch it wouldn't be a difficult choice. :D

Late autumn/early winter is my favorite time of year, but I don't know if I actually do more writing then or just think I do.

[maidenjedi]

My big production times have been October-November, and then February-March, then June. It's usually in such a fashion that there is no discernible pattern, though.

[atrata.livejournal.com]

I'm just coming up on my one-year anniversary in fandom, so I don't have enough data. But I suspect my productivity has more to do with my mood than with the weather; I struggle with depression, so that has a pretty serious effect on, well, everything. I'm just not sure what KIND of effect. Hm.

[caesia390.livejournal.com]

I write when I'm depressed.

So the lack of crap from me is bad for readers, but a good indication of my currect state of mind....