Holiday stories make for some of the best selling books. Those authors have tapped into a goldmine. Everyone can relate to the myriad of emotions, the stress, the tug of family, the loneliness of having no one, the temptation to overindulge, the wonder in the eyes of children. We can easily get caught up in the whirlwind of activities that threaten to swamp us all. It’s an easy time to let good habits slip, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here are five ideas to help you stay on track during this busy season.
1. Find fifteen-minute breaks and write as many words as you can in that amount of time. You may find yourself surprised by how much you can get done this way. Or write during commercial breaks while watching television. The words will add up quickly.
2. Consider dictating parts of your story while running errands. I’ve been known to dictate a long text message that I never send. I simply leave the words unsent until I am somewhere that allows me to copy and paste them into the draft of a novel or short story. No special software required. No ideas forgotten.
3. Use the holiday decorating frenzy to fill your creative well. Take pictures of the great ideas you see. Some of them may serve as fodder when your muse seems to be visiting relatives in la-la land.
4. Have crazy relatives? Instead of letting them get to you, write down their antics and you’ll only have to make minor changes to have new and interesting characters for upcoming stories.
5. If you travel, take note of the changing scenery. Do the clouds look different? Describe them in words. Are there unfamiliar smells? Try to capture the essence for later recall. New foods? Describing taste is a great exercise. Feeling weary from waiting in an airport for a delayed flight? People watching will fill a journal quickly.
The gist of it is to use your time and experiences during the holidays to bolster your writing career. You will be presented with myriad opportunities. Keep your eyes and ears open for them. You may find obstacles falling away to be replaced by ideas that boost your energy level.
However you spend the time, I wish you a happy and productive holiday season.
Thanks, Shirley