HOW TO FIND TIME TO WRITE IN THIS CHRISTMAS MADNESS

I know how hard it is to find time to write during the holidays!

16 hours of straight rare blood runs for over 400 miles yesterday 

left me too wiped but to collapse and sleep for 16 hours on my precious day off!

But holiday writing can be done.

Today, I helped McCord and Meilori end the Civil War ... alternate history is so much fun ...

But not so much for Sherman and Jefferson Davis

 (did you know his personal slave, William Jackson, slipped secrets of the Confederacy to the North?)

Sometimes the truth is more fantastic than fiction.

But I digress ...


1.) FORGET THE GOAL OF OTHER MONTHS

Any words written now should be considered a victory.  Reward yourself for them.

 By removing the pressure of trying to beat the clock, you’ll free yourself to see your productivity in a new way. 

Also, give yourself a little slack this time of year.


2.)  BE A YOGA WRITER

Be flexible.  

Take an inventory of any free time:

 your lunch hour,

the time you spend waiting for your children during holiday pageant rehearsals,

 sitting in an airport waiting for your flight—you get the idea. 

Use this downtime to write. 

And since this “found” time doesn’t take away from any other holiday tasks you need to accomplish, 

you’ll be less likely to feel guilty about working on your writing projects.


3.)  TO YODA LISTEN -- A CREATURE OF HABIT YOU MUST NOT BE

Think you can only write at your favorite desk?

Unthink.

Bring a laptop, a tablet, or a pen and paper with you as you run your holiday errands. 

When you find you’ve arrived somewhere early,

 use those few extra minutes to jot down ideas or to continue working on an ongoing writing project.

You can also decide to wake up earlier (or stay up later) than usual to ensure 

that you spend some time at your favorite desk, with your favorite hot cocoa, and no interruptions.


4.) HANDS FULL -- MOUTH OPEN

 You’ve got five bags of holiday gifts in one hand and a platter of holiday goodies in the other hand. 

How are you supposed to type or hold a pen to write?

 With a dictation program for your computer or app for your cell phone, writing can be virtually hands-free!


5.) WRITE LIKE A SHUTTLE LAUNCH ... IN STAGES

 Look at marathon runners: they don’t begin their training by trying to run 26.2 miles. 

Instead, they run many shorter distances to build stamina, and slowly increase the mileage as they get stronger. 

Why would you start writing a book by trying to write the entire book?

Writing in 15 minute stages in the morning, then in the afternoon, and finally in the evening hours can get a lot of writing done per day.