December 2, 2009

While I was pleased with the 50,000 words produced during NaNoWriMo last month, I was NOT pleased with the six pounds I gained. (Much more sitting and typing equalled much less biking and running.)

I was lamenting the sad state of affairs to my friend who runs a weight loss group, and she gave me a book she’s using with her group right now. It’s a six-week study on making it through the holidays, enjoying them and yet maintaining healthy exercise and weight control plans.

Planning Ahead

“The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can be very busy with many social events, shopping expeditions and church activities that make it difficult to remain faithful to your commitment to living healthy,” the author said in the introduction. It struck me how true that statement is about writing as well! With all the decorating and Christmas card writing and school programs and parties, keeping to a writing schedule is much more difficult during the holidays.

So, like the women in my friend’s group, you need to plan ahead. In the beginning of the book, there was an exercise where you listed your goals for the holiday season (spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical). After that, you listed “strategies for reaching those goals” in each of the four sections. Those strategies are your individual plan for success. This exercise could easily be adapted to your writing life.

Flex Plans

Before you throw up your hands and just assume that you won’t get any writing done in December, I’d urge you to make your own “goals for December” in each of those four areas. (I listed my writing goals in the mental section.) After you write down your December goals, map out a strategy for meeting them. (Search this blog for practical tips if you’re stuck for ideas.)

You may need to be more flexible this month, writing in the car on the way to Grandma’s house or while sitting in the back pew and waiting for your kids to finish their program practice. If you have company, you may need to get up early and write before everyone stirs. For workable strategies, you’ll have to think outside the box for December–but it can be done!

What Works For You?

What kind of writing challenges do YOU expect this year? Will you be having company or traveling a lot? Will you be working a part-time holiday job? Or directing the Christmas pageant this year? What strategies can you implement now and throughout the holidays that will enable you to still write, even if it’s not your usual amount?

Let’s pool our ideas!

7 Comments »

1. 

   I typically don’t write between Thanksgiving and Christmas ever. My primary goal at this time of year is staying sane and keeping focused on the reason for the season. This allows me to be guilt-free about not writing and allows me to revel in faith, family, friends, and fun. After Christmas, nose to the grindstone!

   Comment by Jane Healy — December 2, 2009 @ 2:54 pm

2. 

   Boy, do I hear you. I also noticed that it was just too easy to snack away my time at the computer while completing Nanowrimo this year, so I did put on a tiny bit of extra weight. I even strategically set up some cashews by my husband during the write-in at our house with hopes that it would slow him down so I could beat him, but I ended up snacking on them myself instead!

   What works best for me year round is to write down everything that I eat and the calories that they hold. Because I tend to absent-mindedly snack, this corrects this issue. By doing it, I’m able to hold steady. Then I also increase my exercise so that I can eat a little extra during the holidays.

   Comment by Beth Mac — December 3, 2009 @ 10:25 am

3. 

   Holidays and vacations typically mean that my “productive” writing is virtually nil. I have my part-time teaching at ICL and that takes priority, as well as spending time with my family.

   What works for me is to write in my notebook in 10-15 min. chunks, whether it’s to ground me or a scene from the novel or a new idea. Whatever. I keep it handy. If I have the energy late at night, I’ll type up some stuff into the computer (the novel bits).

   I realize that there is a season for everything. My kids are going to be 8 and 10 only once … so I want to savor my time with them. The writing can wait.

   Comment by Vijaya — December 3, 2009 @ 12:02 pm

4. 

   Hi, Kristi:
   Your post came at an interesting time for me. I am coming at December with a slightly different twist, partly because my Jewish life pressures me at different times of the year, and partly because I am coming off six weeks of death-in-the-family-related work that eliminated writing (and even reading!) time almost completely. So if I can use that time as a frame of reference, I’d say that the thing that kept me going was gently talking to myself about the importance of being in the present with what I was living through, jotting down notes and lots of ideas for blog posts as I went through the days, and - perhaps above all - continuing to think of myself as a writer. I was, temporarily, simply a writer who needed to focus energy elsewhere. It felt self-nurturing and kept me from the panicky, “time-is-passing” stirring that can happen when I’m not working on the writing I love.

   Comment by Carol Coven Grannick — December 3, 2009 @ 3:40 pm

5. 

   I don’t know what I’m going to do when school’s out for the holidays. Stay up way too late at night, I guess. That’s ok - I’m sure the indigestion from eating too many Christmas goodies will keep me up anyway.

   Comment by Yvette — December 3, 2009 @ 10:53 pm

6. 

   Jane, that certainly sounds heavenly. I’ve never tried that before. Is it hard for you to pick up on a project when you take a whole month off? I’m afraid I would forget what was happening in my novel. Still, a month off sounds great!

   Beth, I’m glad I’m not the only one who gained during NaNo! I am attacking it now before Christmas and New Year’s. Yes, I write things down when I’m being disciplined, and it really does help!

   Vijaya, you’ve got your priorities straight when your kids are small. When mine were little, I took off both June and December from writing. (I wrote a book in Jan-May and another one from July-November.) But during Christmas month and June (swimming lessons and Bible school) it was too crazy. And you’re right—they’re only young once and it doesn’t last long. Maybe I could try a similar schedule now!

   Carol, I loved your line about thinking of yourself as a writer who temporarily had to put her energy elsewhere. As long as we can think of the events life throws at us as temporary and not the “new normal,” we do much better. And writing snippets in a notebook as they occur to you was very wise as well. We forget so quickly if we don’t write things down!

   Yvette, I think what will get you through the holidays is your sense of humor!

   Comment by Kristi Holl — December 4, 2009 @ 10:39 am

7. 

   Hello all,
   What great ideas, I’m going to have to borrow some to get through December. Right now my little guy (2.5) is just coming alive for Christmas. I think he understands more about what it’s all about, at least the presents part. I put my tree up this past weekend and every morning & night he keeps going over to see if there’s anything new under the tree.
   My plan is to journal more (plots & ideas) and write less into my laptop. I also plan to lose my extra NaNo weight before Christmas by walking to Daycare after work & doing more yoga (I have my husband committed to getting dinner ready & watching munchkin so I can unwind with yoga).
   So far I’ve been able to keep my Good NaNo habit of writing daily.
   Cheers

   Comment by Ally M — December 7, 2009 @ 10:31 am

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