I don't know about you, but as much as I appreciate festive foods, family visits, goodwill toward all, holiday carols, and a stocking full of fun, I dread this time of the year. It's not because I'm a Grinch or a Scrooge either. My desire to stay focused as a writer has much more to do with it.
The best way for me to deal with the holiday slump is to continue meeting for critiques with other willing and able writers. A deadline is a deadline and I will lose sleep to meet it. If I'm not able to find that quiet space in my head to write new material then I go to revising, which often gives me new ideas about what's happening in a story. And last, if revising isn't the ticket, I read, read, read (even if it's only in ten minute snatches). It's a great time to research whatever novel you're involved in or the one on the back burner of your brain. If you can't concentrate on the reading either, go for online agent research or just keeping up on your favorite blog. Scale back on your expectations a bit and you'll be able to spread yourself further. But more than anything else, don't lose hope or give up, the New Year is nearly here and I'm ready for it!
Does your writing take a big punch to the gut at this time of the year? How do you stay on track with your projects?
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3 comments:
I agree about the deadlines. That is what I love about my crit groups--I always get the work done because I know they'll be reading. It's a great motivator.
Happy holidays and get some writing time!
I got quite a few character sketches out of this holiday, so I didn't mind too much the rumpus of so many people in my house, or going to someone else's house. My music, though, has taken a big hit for the past six days... right when I'd finally broken the ice and started several new songs.
The socializing definitely makes a dent in productivity, but carving out a little creative time is worth the effort. Getting a breath of fresh air is always inspiring too. I have to remind myself often that progress is a rollercoaster, not a simple steady hillclimb.
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