I hope this blog helps you have a happy (and productive) holiday season. We all know that the holidays (any kind of holidays) can put us off our game, our writing game, that is. So I’ve developed a few hints to keep you in the swing of it.
ONE: The number one thing – whether you’re published or soon-to-be-published – you have to remember is to give yourself a break. If you miss a writing day or don’t make your targets for word or page count, don’t beat yourself up over it. Take a deep breath and forgive yourself. This season is meant to be joyous.
TWO: Whether you’re published or not and you haven’t figured this out already, don’t put December or January deadlines in your contract or your schedule unless you absolutely have to. Something always comes up to make these deadlines difficult, if not impossible. You want to enjoy the season and your writing and you won’t be able to do either if you’ve got a deadline in the midst of the excitement.
THREE: Try and do what absolutely has to be done ahead of time. There are some things I have to do no matter how busy I am with dinners and shopping and evenings out with friends. I know that sometime between now I have a bunch of things (website updates, newsletters, blogs) that have to be done. If I’m doing them at the last minute, I’m not going to enjoy any of them nor any of the fun things I want to be doing for the holidays. Plus, if I’m doing them in a hurry, there is no way I’m doing my best work. So I try and set out my schedule (something I hate doing with a passion – I’m a spontaneous kind of person) on paper and do one thing every couple of days. That way, I can enjoy the process and also enjoy the season.
FOUR: Writing is not only an art, it’s a job. You’re allowed, encouraged, in fact, to take a holiday. If this is the best time of the year for you to take a holiday, book it just the way you would book time off from a nine to five job. Planning to take the time off allows you to enjoy yourself and not feel guilty about it.
FIVE: But, if you’re the kind of writer who loses her way if she takes too long away from the manuscript in process, plan to write for half an hour every day. That won’t take anything away from your holiday enjoyment, but will allow you to keep the story in your head and make you feel good about yourself at the same time.
SIX: Remember that these holidays aren’t just for you, but also for your family and friends. You help them enjoy their holidays by being relaxed and available to spend time with them. You’re as important to them as they are to you so your joyous celebration of the holidays adds to their celebration.
SEVEN: Guilt gets you nowhere. If you take a day or two or even a whole week off, don’t feel guilty about it. Enjoy those moments and come back refreshed and relaxed and ready to start 2010 with a great attitude.
Kate
Kate Austin
http://www.kateaustin.ca
http://www.witchychicks.blogspot.com
Kate writes women’s fiction, magic realism, paranormal and erotica. She writes short fiction, poetry and novels. She’s had dozens of stories and poems published over the years and her eighth book for Harlequin’s women’s fiction line, NEXT – Seeing is Believing – about a woman who sees death in photographs – was published in October 2007. Kate blames her mother and her two grandmothers for her reading and writing obsession – all of them were avid readers and they passed the books and the obsession on to her.
Kate, great advice! This week has been distracting — multiple trips to the store for xmas shopping, putting together contest entries, a cat who needs constant petting, nd so forth. If I write at least a half hour a day, I’ll be happy In 2010, I’ll be back to normal. Maybe better than normal.
Edie, that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking – half an hour it is.
Kate
Kate, excellent advice. I really wanted to goof off yesterday and use the time I had to read, not write. I ended up with time for neither. I’m thinking an hour a day to write , but I won’t beat myself up if its only 1/2 hour.
Thanks for the reminder Kate – I’ve been flogging the chicks in the basement to come up with a new plot, and they’re giving me the finger…
Maybe if I just relax and give them a couple of weeks off, they’ll like me better and throw me a bone.