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!

Three Reasons to Write During the Holidays

From Cheryl's Writing Crate

As I approach my 50^th birthday (May will be here soon enough) I’ve found myself really studying my routines and habits.  I’d like to think I’m a disciplined person who values taking care of my health, certainly my family and home, as well as someone who makes time to give back to areas in my community where I know I can make a small difference. 

If you’ve never taken the time to stop and analyze how your hours and days are spent on a regular basis, I think you’ll find as I did that you might not be spending it the way you think you’re spending it.   It can be a definite eye opener as well as a wonderful vehicle with which to get excited about making some positive changes.

For example, I learned that the majority of my “free” time has been spent mingling and such on social media sites.  While I find my three favorite spots—facebook, Pinterest and Twitter to be invaluable resources as a writer and a cutting edge way to stay connected to friends and family I’ll be the first to admit I often get carried away and fritter too many of my precious hours per week away doing so.  I also noticed I’m not half as rigid about keeping our home as tidy as in years past.  (That’s actually a good thing—believe it or not, I used to be “one of those” people who organized her pantry and spice cabinet alphabetically!)  I’m still spending the majority of my days caring for my family and working my day jobs, so not much has changed in that respect.

What this self-evaluation did provide me with was valuable insight as to where I’m missing the boat with my schedule and as always, for me, that’s creating more time to write.  I’ve gone stretches where I write each and every day and when I do so, I notice that my craft is definitely benefiting because the words flow, my ideas make better sense, and I’m always in my “happy place” because of this daily routine.

And then—life happens.  It might be a sick child, a work assignment that takes more time and energy than I anticipated, recently—a death in the family--and now the holidays are here!  When these setbacks arrive, the first thing to go is my sacred writing time, and I have no real good explanation for why this is what I cut back on first.

What I do know is that I am thankful to always get back on track, usually within days or weeks, so with the holidays coming down the pike I’m going to remind myself of these three things when I feel like writing should be the thing I cut back on due to time constraints. 

Here are three reasons I will make time to write daily during the holidays:

1. The Hustle and Bustle of the Holidays Provide Story Ideas

During the holidays, we spend more time around people than any other season. What better time is there to study people’s desires, histories, and actions?  I’m going to take this busy time of year to ask people about their traditions and goals for the New Year. I’ll pay close attention to the details of their responses and embrace their passion and or concerns about this time of year.   Being in tune to others during the holidays could definitely inspire dozens of new stories.

2. Holidays are Transformational.

Christmas and Chanukah are periods of liminality.  Liminal space is called the space betwixt and between, which means that it is not normal time. It is special time, and most importantly, it is the period when all transformation occurs.  I know I personally love to read about people who change, and during this holiday season, I’m going to embrace personal transformation as well as sincerely look for ways to write about how it affects myself and others.

3. Holidays Beckon us to pay Attention to Detail

On my way home from my morning walk today, I saw a deer eating from a fir tree beside my house. She was graceful and poised.  I stood and stared at her for several minutes and then took a picture.  She looked at me and then went back to eating.  I didn’t intimidate her at all.  It was as though we had a mutual understanding that we both have special places in this world and admired that about one another.  I went inside for breakfast and smiled for minutes.   The holidays are not about buying and exchanging gifts, they’re about counting our blessings and noticing the rich details that surround us every day.  I’m looking forward to capturing these types of moments in my morning page journals and I’m even going to give poetry a try this holiday season, a form of writing I usually shy away from.

How will you let the holidays inspire your muse this year?