How to Control Your Writing Schedule During the Holidays

Everyone’s busy during the holidays – There’s always something distracting us, taking up time, and interrupting our routines. Here are a few quick ideas to maintain control over your writing schedule during the holidays:

First of all, where possible, work ahead.

If you can add on time spent writing in the weeks before things get busy, you won’t feel like you’re running behind. Write for an extra hour on the weekends, or if you normally give yourself a day off each week, use that day to write even if it’s only briefly spent working.

Secondly, limit your holiday activities.

Only go to one party per week, or whatever you think is necessary. You have a great excuse – you’re working! If you need to prepare a holiday meal, divide the meal between the guests – someone brings a salad, someone else brings a dessert, and so on. Or do what I do and find a restaurant that caters – you can get a great catered meal for a reasonable price from Boston Market for example!

Finally, be gentle on yourself – you also deserve a present and some time off might be perfect.

If you’re not able to maintain the level of writing you’d like, it’s all right. The holidays don’t last forever and if you’re a week or two behind schedule, you’ll be able to catch up in January.

What about you? Do you work at the same pace during the holidays? How do you control your schedule when there are so many outside demands put on it?

Please write to me here or at http://www.jexbo.com/ and let me know!



I meet people all the time who tell me they have a great idea for a book, but don’t know where to get started. Here are a few ideas I have for where to get help writing your book:



A great place to start is to join a writing group. These are people just like you who want to write and share their ideas. You can look for groups at your local library or community center, but if you don’t find one, start one yourself! Just post a notice asking other writers if they’re free to meet on a regular basis, usually once a month.



You could also do online searches for how to get started. Search “how to write a book” and you’ll find plenty of sites that give tips on how to get started.



Something you might do is talk to friends. Even if your friends aren’t writers, they might have a good idea for you to get started. You might use them as a sounding board about your book idea, or they might read through what you’ve written and give you thoughtful feedback.



Don’t forget that it helps to read well-written books. You can get a feeling for what works and what doesn’t. You might also try writing a paragraph or two of your book in the style of different writers. Not only is imitation the sincerest form of flattery, it’s also good practice!



Good luck with your writing, and let me know what worked for you to get help with your book!