Thursday, December 22, 2011

A Few Writerly Thoughts for the Holiday Season


Source

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one."

-Mark Twain
 
 
If you've set yourself writing goals for the holiday season, try not to mental out looking for perfection in a first draft. Just write. A few sentences become a paragraph. Several paragraphs become a scene. Before you know it, you're further ahead than you thought. Let your Christmas present to yourself be permission to follow your heart and write with abandon.
 
 
 
 
"Like many things in life, nothing worthwhile comes easily. But if you have a great idea and are persistent, you will eventually succeed."
 
-Michael Hyatt (Chairman, Thomas Nelson Publishers)
 
 
Consider spending some time over the vacation away from the keyboard and in your own head. Goals are great, but sometimes the end-result takes longer than we want it to. What can you do today to find satisfaction and fulfillment in this part of the process?  Next month? Next summer? Sometimes recognizing the things that give us joy and pursuing them alongside publishing goals can ease the burden of waiting for that elusive moment of "success".
 
 
 
"Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness."
 
-James Thurber


In my opinion, the best writers are those that live - then recount their understanding of the human condition inside the parameters of a fictional world. So if you don't have time or compunction to write these holidays, that's okay. Be a thief of life. Enjoy the people you love - or enjoy your solitude. Experience something and consider it. Learn from life and look for what is important. When you are at the keyboard again, these will be tools in your box.
 
 
Those are the thoughts in my head as 2011 draws to a close. I want you to know how grateful I am to you all for sticking with me this year. Your comments and emails and tweets have continued to make me smile and laugh and think. I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us all.
 
Until then, I pray this holiday season will be a refreshing, enjoyable and fulfilling time for us all!
 
Your Turn: Do you have writing goals for the holiday season, or will you put your computer / notebook aside? What are you hoping to see in 2012 and how can Seeking the Write Life help you do it?

8 comments:

  1. I'm hoping to spend the holidays relaxing and being with my family. Yes, I am writing some, but I'm not pushing and shoving my way through a draft. I'm actually . . . enjoying it. :)

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  2. I had planned to have my second novel re-drafted by the end of the year, but so far I've managed to edit all of one scene. I've accepted that I won't get it done by January, so I'm just going to enjoy the holidays, do what I can as I can, and look forward to finishing the edits in the new year and starting my third book.

    Merry Christmas!

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  3. 'sticking with you'?!
    Holy Cow, thank YOU for a great blog. 'Sticking with you' ain't got nothing to do with it :)

    Have a great weekend.

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  4. *Blushes* Aw, shucks. Thanks Huntress :)

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  5. Paul - best of luck with that! Keep in touch and let me know how it goes. Especially if there's blog material in it - ha!

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  6. Anne - What a novel idea. (And would you believe, that pun came out before I realized it was one... *sigh* It must be the end of the year).

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  7. Yet another insightful post. Sometimes we can become so ambitious with our writing goals we forget to live, and if we don't experience life, what do we possibly have to draw from in our writing?

    I've got family events for the next couple of days and then am going camping until the New Year, so I don't imagine I'll make much progress on my book, and that's totally fine by me. Relaxing and enjoying the company of family and friends has to be the priority sometimes, right? :-)

    Looking forward to sharing our writing and life experiences in 2012!

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  8. Really useful again... decided I could possibly sketch whilst surrounded by people. In the end I couldnt but still want to do my chapter sketches by the fire rather than write this week. Thanks.

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