Advent Amnesty: Writing During the Holidays

“Let’s get one thing clear right now, shall we? There is no Idea Dump, no Story Central, no Island of the Buried Bestsellers; good story ideas seem to come quite literally from nowhere, sailing at you right out of the empty sky: two previously unrelated ideas come together and make something new under the sun. Your job isn’t to find these ideas but to recognize them when they show up.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

In December, there’s always going to be something that’s going to want to nudge you off your writing ledge, an event or a family commitment, or the frenzy of our society cramming most of its joy (and commerce) into a 30 day sprint after we make the last turkey sandwich with leftovers.

My guidance is to accept most of these interruptions to your work, to let the seasonal “Wu Wei” do its work and let the flooding river take you where it may.

But don’t forget your book either. Ask yourself, how does my book relate to this party or family gathering or shopping expedition?

Keep a little notebook handy; take notes and endure the puzzled looks from family members and colleagues and mall security cops.

Remember, you have a book in you. Over the last several months (or weeks), you have been surfacing this book in pieces, in stops and starts, in lava flows that pour right down the hillside into the sea.

If you have no time to write, at least carve out 20 minutes to think about your book. Revisit the Why (Simon Sinek), and don’t worry so much about the How and the What.

Is your book turning out how you’d like to be?

Are you happy with it?

Is there any down time between Christmas and New Years when you can revisit it in full force?

Don’t worry, because January through Tax Day brings with it huge dollops of Boring and Blank Calendar Days.

You’ll be fine. Please pass the Egg Nog.