[From the Archive] Holidays and Writers
Sorry I’ve let this slip for a couple of weeks. I think there aren’t that many more of these. This is from December 2009…
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Happy Holidays! As we approach Christmas and New Years, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by everything falling on our shoulders at once. So, how does a writer try to get everything done without becoming even more insane?
• Solution #1 – Time Manage. Whether it means guarding your writing by squeezing it in either on lunch or other breaks at your day job, or while your holiday treats are baking/cooking, you can – if you’re good at multi-tasking – get your writing in. Writing can be like the new exercise studies – even if you only get small spurts in, those spurts are cumulative. I DO NOT recommend less sleep – EVER. Proper sleep will help you maintain your health – you can’t write if you’re sick.
• Solution #2 – DON’T DO IT. Don’t try to do it all. If your work and family obligations make it so that adding – or keeping – one more thing will make your life beyond busy, then take a break. Drop SOMETHING, even if it’s writing. I know that sounds blasphemous, but it’s true. If you’re actually looking at writing a JOB, then it’s time for a vacation. Every job needs a break. As long as it’s a limited amount of time, and you get right back to it, taking a break can help you refresh and see your writing with fresh eyes. BUT YOU HAVE TO COME BACK!!! If you don’t feel comfortable taking a vacation from writing, consider it like this… when everyone else in your family thinks you “don’t work†because you work at home, remind them of this… it’s not that you don’t work, it’s that you NEVER LEAVE work. You’re on the job and AT the job 24/7. That makes a vacation even more valuable.
So, as the holidays scream towards us, take stock of what you want to accomplish in 2010. Next week is the dreaded “resolution†time. However, I think we should use it as goal-setting time, but that’s still another week away. For now, enjoy Christmas. And, truly, it’s okay to go on a writing vacation – though if you’re on a serious deadline, then all bets are off.