Has your writing time taken a hit amid all the holiday hubub? Don’t get frustrated, come at it from another angle and let your mind wander.
“The best time for planning a book is while you’re doing the dishes.” –Agatha Christie
With the holidays upon us and more demands on our time – even joyful demands – this quote is a wonderful reminder that we can make the most of the time we have.
If you’re baking, or doing dishes, or wrapping gifts, let your mind wander though your storyline or writing project. Just remember to keep your phone or a pen and paper handy to record or write down notes to yourself. That way your ideas or thoughts or ah-ha moments will be right there at your fingertips when you do have a few minutes to add words to your writing project.
Going on a road trip to Grandma’s house? I’ve found car rides to be invaluable for brainstorming sessions, even a fifteen minute trek has been known to fix plot holes or character motivation issues.
Relax your standards. The last thing your writing needs is more pressure – so stop piling on! If you have a daily minimum word count, ease up a little. Being realisitic about what you can accomplish will keep you in a positive mindset, which will benefit your writing time.
If you absolutely need to feel like you ‘finished’ something this holiday season, don’t be afraid to shift your focus to a short story or brief articles.
So go ahead and volunteer for dish duty this holiday season. Your family will thank you and they never have to know you were using it for some invaluable me-time.
Write well and live the adventure!
22Nov2017
