By the time you get to read this post, you will probably have eaten your own body weight in turkey (or spinach pasta if you are vegetarian), drunk enough mulled wine to refloat the Mary Rose (unless like me you are teetotal) and watched enough repeats of It's A Wonderful Life to want them to bring back hanging.
Yes, folks, IT'S CHRISTMAS!!! Actually it's Boxing Day but that still counts as Christmas (doesn't it?) and when you work at night as I do, you get a Christmas Day that starts at midnight on 24th December and finishes about 9am on 26th December which, trust me, is a very long day.
Anyway, I've had various thoughts about what to write for my Christmas Day/Night post in between finishing making my handmade Christmas cards (remind me to start in July, not November next year!) and lying awake listening to next door's dog barking for its Christmas dinner.
I was going to write a witty ditty parodying the 12 Days of Christmas from a writer's point of view or come up with an equally erudite list of things I'd buy for my "writing" now that it is the love of my life again (see previous post) but I'm too tired to do either. (Blame the dog.) In fact any minute now I am going to try that exercise for getting your muse flowing by writing with your eyes shut.
So instead I'm going to pose the question "What is your writing treat?" After all, if we can't treat ourselves at Christmas, then when can we? By treat I probably also mean "guilty pleasure" but if you make your treat something you allow yourself to only do when you have finished a day or a week's work, for instance, then you should feel less guilty about doing it.
My writing treat is looking at writing related websites and blogs, particularly those of other writers. I keep a record of interesting sounding ones in a notebook and when I feel it is OK to treat myself, usually at the end of the working week, I have a trawl through and see what I can discover.
Yes, it is a "time-waster" but I've come across some really useful sites, with excellent information as well as inspiration, while I've been "treating" myself and if it makes me feel better about my writing, which it does, then that has to be a good thing. Also, because I know it is a "treat" and not something I do every day, I don't waste quite as much time on the internet as I probably would otherwise.
If you don't already have a writing "treat", then why not make 2012 the year you start giving yourself one and let me know what it is? I'd love to hear from you.
Meanwhile, it only remains for me to wish all my readers a very Happy Christmas (what's left of it!) and a peaceful and prosperous New Year with lots of writing success.
Yes, folks, IT'S CHRISTMAS!!! Actually it's Boxing Day but that still counts as Christmas (doesn't it?) and when you work at night as I do, you get a Christmas Day that starts at midnight on 24th December and finishes about 9am on 26th December which, trust me, is a very long day.
Anyway, I've had various thoughts about what to write for my Christmas Day/Night post in between finishing making my handmade Christmas cards (remind me to start in July, not November next year!) and lying awake listening to next door's dog barking for its Christmas dinner.
I was going to write a witty ditty parodying the 12 Days of Christmas from a writer's point of view or come up with an equally erudite list of things I'd buy for my "writing" now that it is the love of my life again (see previous post) but I'm too tired to do either. (Blame the dog.) In fact any minute now I am going to try that exercise for getting your muse flowing by writing with your eyes shut.
So instead I'm going to pose the question "What is your writing treat?" After all, if we can't treat ourselves at Christmas, then when can we? By treat I probably also mean "guilty pleasure" but if you make your treat something you allow yourself to only do when you have finished a day or a week's work, for instance, then you should feel less guilty about doing it.
My writing treat is looking at writing related websites and blogs, particularly those of other writers. I keep a record of interesting sounding ones in a notebook and when I feel it is OK to treat myself, usually at the end of the working week, I have a trawl through and see what I can discover.
Yes, it is a "time-waster" but I've come across some really useful sites, with excellent information as well as inspiration, while I've been "treating" myself and if it makes me feel better about my writing, which it does, then that has to be a good thing. Also, because I know it is a "treat" and not something I do every day, I don't waste quite as much time on the internet as I probably would otherwise.
If you don't already have a writing "treat", then why not make 2012 the year you start giving yourself one and let me know what it is? I'd love to hear from you.
Meanwhile, it only remains for me to wish all my readers a very Happy Christmas (what's left of it!) and a peaceful and prosperous New Year with lots of writing success.
Happy New Year, Melissa.
ReplyDeleteI probably spend too much time reading blogs etc about writing... but you are right, they can give you that helpful bit of encouragement when you are down. Your policy sounds a very sensible one.
Happy New Year, Melissa, and every success w your writing. Have hurt right hand & can only type w left! A bit restricting but a challenge to start 2012 with. My writing treat is to read more of others' work which always gives lots of ideas. And I'll have plenty of opportunity while I'm so slow at typing!
ReplyDeleteHi Rosalie and a Happy New Year to you too. I think it must be a writerly trait as we all seem to like doing it! Have a great 2012.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Vanessa and every good wish for 2012. So sorry to hear about your hand and sincerely hope that "normal service resumes" asap. That sounds like a very sensible writing treat to have!