Staying Productive During the Holiday Season

In my household, the holiday season began this past Sunday on the 1st Advent, the first of the four Sundays leading up to Christmas. I still have to make my Adventskranz (Advent wreath), fill the Adventskalendar (Advent calendar) with chocolates and other sweets, and decorate my home. Cookies need to be baked, gifts need to be bought and wrapped, and Christmas cards need to be mailed. My anxiety level is steadily rising as I realize how little time I will have to devote to my writing.

I love Christmas, I really do. However, the additional social engagements and to-do lists are crowding my already full days, and I feel I have to make a plan in order to maintain a semblance of productivity. Here are my tips:

Write 10 Minutes Daily: I keep a cookie jar full of writing prompts next to my computer. Each day, I pull a prompt out of the jar and write for a full ten minutes. If I have the time and the ideas, I keep writing beyond the ten minutes. If not, I file the prompt and writing away. (Sidenote: Do not throw your prompts and writing away, even if you don’t like what you have written. You never know what gems are hidden in your short pieces.

Write a Creative Nonfiction Christmas Letter: I’m sure several of you have received a Christmas letter detailing the firsts little Georgie has accomplished since he was born a few months ago or the wonderful wedding and honeymoon your third cousin enjoyed this past summer. Write your own Christmas letter that you can send to friends and family. Even if nonfiction is not your genre, it is a great way to expand your writing horizons and to chronicle your family’s life.

Read Magazines: Magazines and articles are piled high on my coffee table. Throughout the year, I tackle larger projects. More than likely you won’t have time to write a novel or read Atlas Shrugged during the holidays. Focus on the shorter readings that are accumulating on your coffee table instead.

Listen to Audio Books: You may be spending a considerable amount of time in the car driving to relatives or sitting on the living room floor wrapping Christmas gifts. Upload an audio book to your IPod and expand your literary mind while completing some of the more monotonous tasks of the holiday season.

Set an Attainable Goal Weekly: This week I plan on rewriting a short story. I have to change the point of view from second to third person. My characters, description, and plot are written, so a few hours this Saturday and Sunday devoted to rewriting will allow me to achieve my goal. Don’t set a goal too daunting. More than likely you will not even attempt to begin your writing because you will feel you don’t have enough time to tackle the project since your sister-in-law will be showing up in two hours with three children in tow.

The last tip I have is something I abide by all year long: Always Carry a Small Notebook with You. Jot down any funny family occurrences or loving moments you witness this holiday season. You never know what great stories can be developed from these snippets of events!

I hope these tips assist you in staying productive this holiday season. So now it’s your turn readers. What are your tips for staying on top of your reading and writing this holiday season? 

Introducing Christina

            At 27, I am still unsure of exactly who I am or what I want to be. I do know that I am not a simple person. I am not a person that is easily categorized nor do I fit into a neat box.

            I am half German, half American. As a child and adolescent, I spent the majority of my time with my grandparents in Germany. Even when we lived in the States, I was counting the days to the next summer vacation or Christmas break when I was able to go back to Germany.

            I used to be an Army brat. Then I turned into an Army girlfriend. Soon I will be a National Guard Army wife. As much as I want to and have tried to fight it, the Army is in my blood. No matter where I have lived, I always knew I could walk into the commissary and know, for the most part, where I could find the milk. I’ve found comfort in knowing where the milk is.

            I am an avid reader and collector of books. As a child, you would find me in a tree or in the bathtub with a book. As long as I wasn’t disturbed, it didn’t matter where I read since books transported me away from life anyhow. My books are the only things that have accompanied me on moves across oceans and continents. I still strive to one day own the library from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

            I am a writer of short stories. My stories are character-driven, often discussing and evaluating the human condition. I am currently submitting my short stories in hopes of having it published in a literary magazine. I have never attempted a novel. It is on my bucket list.

            These are the few things that I know about myself. There is much left to discover about who I am and what I will become. I invite you to follow my blog as I write about who I was, who I am, and who I will become, collectively.