Halloween is in the distant past (as is summer), Thanksgiving is behind us, and the Christmas season is in full swing. This is traditionally the time when the publishing business slows down, folks go on vacation, the holidays consume us, and not a lot gets done until after the new year.

I’m not sure if that still holds true or not. In this age of instant communication, maybe it’s just as easy to accept or reject a manuscript at home, on the train or bus, or even in the car (in the passenger seat, of course) as it is in the office. Needless to say, every publishing house, editor, agent, and writer does it differently. Many writers self-publish these days and can work around their holiday festivities with no worries about publishing houses slowing down during the last month of the year.

Aside from wondering if this holds true, I also want to mention how easy it is to put our writing on the back burner and take it easy for a while. If that works for you, and you don’t feel guilt or pressure, I say go for it. If, though, you’re like me and would rather know you’re on top of things in your little corner of this profession, you’ll continue doing what you always do.

You’ll people-watch. Malls are great places to watch others as they run from store to store, lugging around their latest purchases and cursing themselves for not leaving their winter coats in the car. You’ll see exasperated parents, cranky toddlers, whiny teenagers, bored middle-schoolers, frantic retail employees. You’ll see men and women who truly want to be there shopping their hearts out, and you’ll see others who gladly would give you a kidney on the spot if you would just get them out of there.

You’ll eavesdrop. Everyday conversations are interesting enough, but add in the stress and hustle-bustle of mall-shopping, and you’ve struck dialogue gold. Shopping is tough from the get-go; add in a heavy coat, bags of purchases whose handles, whether twine or plastic, are threatening to cut off the circulation to your hands at any moment, the food court and its horde of hungry humans, and the lines–let’s not forget the long lines–and you’ve got some juicy dialogue to steal.

You’ll take notes. Neither of the above activities will be worth a hill of beans if you don’t take notes. Dictate what you hear and see into your phone (and you’ll have the added advantage of looking like a spy), so all those gestures, words, and whining you’ve culled from your day of snooping won’t be forgotten.

You’ll continue journaling, writing devotionals, free-writing, or whatever you do with your computer when you’re not actually writing or editing (and Free Cell doesn’t count) your latest work-in-progress, if for no other reason than to keep your work fresh and in the forefront of your mind.

You’ll keep up with your blog posts, or at least warn your readers that you’ll be back in a couple of weeks. While I don’t personally have as much time to read blog posts during the holidays as I do during the rest of the year, I do look forward to a few of them and would wonder where they went if I wasn’t told in advance. It’s just common courtesy. You might also want to write some blog posts, tweets, etc., ahead of time and schedule them with Edgar or some other site that will do that for you. That allows you the freedom of not having to worry about missing important obligations.

And finally, I sincerely hope you’ll remember what this season is really all about and enjoy yourself, your family, the food, fun, and parties, the meaningful church activities, and all the traditions that surround you and your loved ones. No, we can’t forget we’re writers and losing a month out of the twelve we get each year will no doubt cause you to do some catching up come January. But a little forethought and a few minutes each day devoted to what you do best will go a long way in keeping those January blues at bay.

Maintaining an orderly work life is important, but that pales in comparison to the memories you’ll make with your family and loved ones. A little bit of planning will go a long way in giving yourself the freedom to truly enjoy the holidays and all they entail.

Source: authorculture.blogspot.com

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