Holiday Writing

Posted by Jennifer Jensen Dec 14, 2007

If your Christmas (or Hanukkah or Kwanzaa) season is anything like mine, keeping to your writing schedule is impossible. I’ve already simplified what I can, but I still have gifts to mail and cookies to bake, not to mention the fact that the tree has been up for a week and still isn’t decorated.

Write, you say? When? And with whose brain?

With my thoughts running in multiple directions at once, it seems impossible to focus on a story idea. There’s no time to let it simmer, to ponder possibilities in the shower, to explore different what-ifs.

But there is time for some freewriting. I can grab a few moments sometime during the day, curl up with a mug of cocoa and my trusty notepad, and write for my own enjoyment. I can play with new words to an old song or try to describe the sound of sleet hitting my windows. I can vent about the furnace breaking down (last Saturday) or reminisce about my teenager’s kindergarten ornaments.

Without the pressure of deadlines or goals, this writing time becomes time for me. Time to let go of my to-do list, time to relax, time to have fun with words and thoughts. I stay connected with my muse and return to real life rejuvenated. It’s worth every stolen minute.