The Silly Season

Welcome to the silly season of ThanksChrisHaunaKwanzaGivingMasakah and all the added stresses, chores and assorted family and social insanity that comes with it. For writers, especially those of us who struggle to find the time to write during the other ten months of the year,  these eight weeks are a very deep guilt-filled black hole indeed.

Here’s an idea…this year, when the kids or your spouse or others ask you what you want for the holiday, instead of demurring,  and saying, “oh, I don’t  really need anything”, ask them to give you what every writer needs…the time and space to write. It doesn’t have to be a month long retreat on a tropical island, how about an hour a week that you can call your own to do nothing but work on your writing. No phone calls, no “Mom, take me to the mall”, no “Honey, where’s the…”. An hour a week where you’re free to go to the library for research, to lock yourself in a room with your lap top or yellow pad and pencil or even take a long walk to stimulate your creativity.

It may sound weird to your family at first, but if it’s what you really want and need, point out the upsides to them. It doesn’t need to be wrapped, it’s one less charge on the credit card and it will make you really, really happy. And we all know a happy wife, husband, Mom, daughter, son, family member, is priceless.