Why Writers Should Use Christmas Break to Recharge

This is the time of year things start to slow down in the publishing world.

There’s good reason for that.

Editors and industry professionals like to spend time with their families and loved ones, too.

So while writers and authors rush to finish a project or honor a deadline, it’s with the knowledge that Christmas break is on the horizon.

I, for one, am happy about that. I’m ready for some R & R!

Don’t misunderstand.

For those of us in “wait mode,” the downtime can be a mixed blessing—patience is difficult! It would certainly be the icing on our Christmas cookie if we received a yes about now.

But waiting is a familiar word in a writer’s vocabulary. I wish it weren’t. However, as I’ve said before—the wheels in this process grind ever so slowly.

To make the wait a little more palatable, what’s a writer to do?

Well…

Here’s my plan.

I’m going to savor the holiday! Celebrate Jesus, spend quality time with family, play games, watch movies, work puzzles, and eat a few Christmas goodies.

Take a much-needed blog break. Yes—I will miss you, but blogging is tough three days a week. I enjoy it, but I work very hard at it and I need time off to rest. My (tentative) Christmas blog break will be December 24th through January 5th.

I’ll regroup. Set writing goals for next year and organize my work calendar. I’m also considering a new blog schedule for 2015, but that’s another post for a future date.

Continue forward with my work-in-progress. Without blogging constraints , I actually tend to write more over the Christmas holidays than other times. The creative juices flow!

I’ll take a mini-research trip. Of course that plan is weather-dependent, but I hope to visit several little towns in our immediate area to gather some pertinent story details.

When I give myself permission to step away from daily obligations for a time, my perspective changes.

I can then ring in the new year with fresh focus and determination!

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What holiday plans do you have?

Any work-related goals over Christmas break?