Monday, November 30, 2009

WRITING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS...

What now?

You survived Thanksgiving…cooking the turkey and all the trimmings, hosting the family—including out of town relatives—cleared away all the leftovers and the dirty dishes…and NOW you have twenty-four days left to get ready for Christmas.

How do you manage? How do you find time to write?

Do you pack away your writing tools until the holiday rush is over? Or do you stretch yourself even thinner than usual and try to do it all? Shop till you drop. Trim the largest tree on the block. Shop. Decorate each room in your house with its own tree. Wrap the most intriguing packages your family has ever seen to keep people from guessing the contents. Shop. Bake…cookies for the shut-ins, the out of town relatives that can’t visit again this year, the hubby’s office associates…oh, and the paperboy. Attend rehearsals at church for the Christmas program. Shop. Address all the Christmas cards. Oops! You forgot the mailman…bake more cookies.

When do you squeeze a minute…or the energy to write?

Or do you try to remain sane…pack away the writing tools until the twenty-four day rush is over?

Or…do you start a new story…build on the energy and excitement around you…make the tension work?

Or…do you give in, accept that your last creative urge fell in the last batch of cookie batter and use this time to catch up on your reading? Maybe attack the TBR pile with the same frenzy you use to shop?

How do YOU manage to write during the holidays? Share with us.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

2 comments:

Elisabeth Rose said...

Gosh Carol--I must be the world's laziest Christmas celebrator. Now that our kids have grown up we don't even bother with a tree, although sometimes I fling a bit of tinsel over a potplant LOL
Our Christmas is a family get together at my brother's house where we all bring part of the meal. The children invade for a day or two and then disappear to do various gigs (all are musicians so Christmas /NY is very busy for them) We only do presents for our own children and my aged parents, a decision made years ago when the kids grew up and then started bringing along boyfriends/girlfriends. My husband and I usually get ourselves something we both want--last year it was the Stephanie Alexander cookbook. Our present to us.

Carol Hutchens said...

Hi Elisabeth,

I don't do all those things either. I'm like you. The kids are grown, though they do have some expectations about 'traditions' from the past. LOL

I'm going to take your tip...grow a large potted plant.

Happy Holidays to you and yours.
Carol