‘Cause a little bit of summer is what the whole year is about. —John Mayer
I have an affinity for water — the sound of it, the sight of it, the feel of it on my ankles and knees and hips, and most especially the memories of summers spent in it. Summer means different things to different people. For some it’s corn sweat, the 4-H Fair, and rides on the Midway. For others it’s steamy sidewalks, popsicles from the freezer, and pick up games on a crowded basketball court until the sun has set. Maybe it’s one too many kids in the back of the car, baked beans from the crockpot in the bathroom of a cheap hotel for dinner, and the annual family road trip to someplace new. If you’re like me, it’s sand between your toes, ice-cold Coke-Colas in a cooler, and falling asleep with the smell of the beach still on your skin.
What does summer mean to you? What memory most epitomizes it for you?
Summer is a time for exploration and adventure: How did your character spend their summers? What was the best vacation they had? The worst? What is their idea of a perfect vacation now?
Did your character ever have a summer job? What did they do? Did they love it? Hate it? Did anything ever go wrong? Perhaps horribly wrong?
Nothing says summer- like a bit of romance. Did your character ever have a summer fling?