It's the first Wednesday of the month and so it’s time for another Insecure Writer’s Support Group (IWSG) post! In an IWSG post, we writers bring our writing challenges and problems out into the open to share with each other and try to offer solutions. 

When the brink of the Holiday season comes around which is, at least for me, just after Thanksgiving I never feel ready for it. Time flies by so fast that it seems like when one Christmas goes by another comes within only a week rather than a year. So, it’s from around Thanksgiving up to about the second (full) week of December that I always wonder how I’m going to handle both my regular year-round duties and the holidays. And those year-round duties include my writing. So, that brings me to the IWSG optional question of the month: Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals? 

For me the holidays are a time to inevitably fall behind in my writing. This means that I don’t intend to fall behind but it just happens that way. However, I don’t like to look at the season as a time of falling behind. I take the holiday season seriously and so make it a priority. But I will admit that I particularly fall behind in my fiction writing since during this time of year I’m usually extra busy with other types of writing such as holiday promotions of my books and making the holiday editions of my blog posts and newsletter.  

So, realistically, I do get behind in my fiction writing goals. However, it's expected. That’s because, for me, the holidays are a time to celebrate a presence bigger than ourselves. Some of you may call that presence God, some may call it something else, others of you may just acknowledge it as a feeling of love and connectedness with one’s fellow human beings. But I treat this time of year as sacred and so I don’t feel like I’m wasting time being busy with it. 

In fact, the holiday season helps me to become a better writer. It does this by rejuvenating me and in doing so motivates me to come up with even more writer goals, ones that are more focused, more feasible and more efficient. Many of these goals turn into new year resolutions. 

Even when holiday activities such as gift shopping, decorating and planning for family gatherings take up time that I would otherwise be using to write, these give me a break from the challenges of writing projects that I face during other parts of the year. Such a break helps me rest, spend time with family as well as take time to help out with community and to ease off my writing projects a bit. These things make me feel rejuvenated and energized to return to the routine of my art and do better in it. 

I hope none of you will wear yourselves out over the holidays and can still hang onto some writing time as well as holiday spirit. Even if you have to reduce your writing time by as much as three quarters each day during the season, it will still help you stay on track.

Holiday Newsletter

Like I said, during this time of year, I’m busy with my holiday newsletter which I’m trying to make better than last year. If you haven’t done so yet, you can subscribe to my newsletter for free here. If you do so as of this writing, you won’t miss the holiday edition! In issues of the newsletter, "Night Creatures' Call", I go over the progress and behind-the-scenes of my latest fiction; I also offer exclusive discounts on books and cover other sci fi/fantasy news, info and details on events, such as the Smashwords book sale, not covered here at A Far Out Fantastic Site.

Do you get behind on your writer goals during the holiday season? If so, how do you handle it?

Today’s IWSG is brought to you by these super co-hosts: Joylene Nowell Butler, Chemist Ken, Natalie Aguirre, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine! IWSG was founded by awesome author Alex Cavanaugh, writer of the Cassa Series of novels!  

Everyone have a Happy Holiday Season, and . . .

Until next time . . .