Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Writing through the Holidays

So, I'm wondering what most people get done in December. People with deadlines. People sans deadlines. People who will take any excuse to procrastinate. People who are super disciplined. All of you. Do you keep up your schedule? Slow it? Stop it? Speed it up? (Gasp.)

I know in past years December has never been a big writing month for me. Looking back, I think part of it's been timing. Although I've never officially done Nanowrimo -- in that I've never started a book fresh on November 1st -- I have used that month and the collective enthusiasm of the masses to push through huge chunks of writing in November. So, I'm often switching gears in December, anyway...

But all this is just excuses. This year, in particular, I feel like I have no real reason not to try to keep working through the holidays. Sure, I've got lots to do to get ready. Sure, there are a gazillion relatives showing up to distract me. But on the same token... there are a gazillion relatives I'll need to escape from occasionally and if I'm going to have some alone time, why not spend it writing?

Any words of wisdom out there? Do you write through the holidays?

10 comments:

Margaret Moore said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Margaret Moore said...

Margaret Moore has been working too hard cleaning her office, which was a disaster, so wasn't clear in her original comment, but now offers this revised post. :-)

I've worked over the holidays because I've had no choice, due to deadlines for revisions. The worst was the year I had to work even on Christmas Day, although we were having company for dinner that night *and* the next.

This year, I have revisions again, but they're minor and I should have them done next week. Then I'm taking the next week completely off.

That's the thing about being self-employed -- I don't "get" holidays, I have to "take" them.

Maureen McGowan said...

That's so true about not "getting" holidays, Margaret.

I can't claim to be that busy since I've been a so-called self-employed writer (does it count as "employed" if I haven't been paid yet?) but I do feel like it's hard to take a guilt-free day off.

Even when I think about going somewhere on holiday, I think: Oh, I could write a lot there.

Anonymous said...

I'm going to try. Probably not on the main holidays, like Christmas Eve and Day, but hopefully the days around them I'll get work done.

We'll see...

I may just nap..

Maureen McGowan said...

You've earned a few naps, Sinead. But I'm going to try to write all but maybe the 24th-26th, too.

Kimber Chin said...

I only write during the summer
but now I have to edit year round
(it is an adjustment switching to someone else's writing timelines, rather than my own).
I have to force myself to do it.
The only other choice is missing deadlines.
I HATE missing deadlines.

I can't imagine writing fresh this time of year (my creativity is zapped).
The folks that do have my admiration.

Kimber Chin said...

Oh, question to all those that are writing through...
do you find your writing changes over the holidays?
i.e. seasonal writing disorder

I've found that with my blogging.
My posts are more hopeful during New Years (that brand new year, everything is possible thing).

Bonnie Staring said...

I'll be working through. Oh, the freelancing life has its rewards...time off during the holidays is not one of them though. LOL

This year I've been blessed (?) with article deadlines in early January, which makes me grumble now but I'll appreciate it when the cheques arrive. ;)

Sometimes I find the writing easier during the holidays because there are so many inspiring things going on -- like those hopeful blog posts Kimber mentioned.

Molly O'Keefe said...

It's Christmas? You've got to be kidding me....

Leah Braemel said...

I've surprised myself this year - my father had a stroke last month so I've been spending at least 3 hours on the phone every day keeping my mother calm, talking to the Alzheimers' people, the hospital's community care people, visiting nursing homes, etc. as we arrange to get Dad into a proper care facility. And yet I've still managed to finish a story, polish it and submit it ahead of the January 1st deadline the publisher set. Thank goodness hubby is helping with the Christmas shopping - but he's always been good that way. Now I have to start looking at cleaning up the bomb that went off in my kitchen.

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