Finding Time to Write During the Holidays

From Kate’s Writing Crate…

          As I have previously mentioned, I’m a procrastinator except for meeting publishing deadlines. I take my writing career seriously so I’m organized and set early deadlines so I don’t miss the actual deadlines.

          When the holiday season nears, I also set early deadlines—really early. I shop year round for Christmas gifts to complete my list by October 1st. Then I put on Christmas music for a day or two sometime during October so I have a festive time getting everything wrapped before Halloween.

          This may sound crazy, but since I edit monthly magazines I start working on the December issues in October so Christmas music fits right in. This makes work and holiday preparations easier as well as fun. In fact, I get to enjoy Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas much more since there is a lot less pressure on me.

         The tricky days are when there are a lot of visitors. Knowing I won’t get much writing done on those days, I write To-Do Lists for blog posts, facebook thoughts, and Viewpoint columns for the magazines then I write them in advance. I write well under pressure so adding a little more writing work to my days isn’t a big deal.

It also helps that I keep a running list of blog post ideas going out three or more months. I can grab an idea and free write for a few minutes or an hour. Whatever time I have, I put to use. The FB and magazines columns are seasonal so also easy to write in advance.

And like all people who write To-Do Lists, I love to cross things off. Every time I complete a writing assignment, I get the satisfaction of marking it done.

Santa may have a Naughty or Nice List, but I have a Completed Assignments So I Can Relax List. It’s a great way to enjoy the season with good cheer!