Writing during the holidays

Finding the time to write can be challenging, especially when lots of other things are going on. A holiday can be even more stressful when trying to juggle everything else that needs to be done. However, I’ve found that blocking out time for my writing helps relieve stress.

I found that sorting out writing in different brackets ranging from demanding to fun helped me focus on the type of writing that was and is right for me during the busy holidays. What I mean by that is writing demands different levels of energy from me depending on where in the process I am. Personally, I find that finetuning any work demands a lot of me in the shape of energy. That’s not to say I find it boring, not at all; it’s just more trying. Early-stage action scenes, however, are fun and, therefore, low-level demanding to me.

By pacing my writing to save or only focus on the low-level demands during the busy holidays, I can keep writing even if there’s a lot to do. More than that, it gives me pause for my brain to do something I think is purely fun. By blocking out a couple of hours or even less to do what I love in writing, I give my brain what it’s really craving from writing at that moment. It helps to remove stress in my case.

But finding out what writing means to you is the first step, and dividing it up like this can help one understand exactly what the personal cost and benefit are for you, which can help when energy is sparse. Does this particular part of writing give you pure fun, or will the demand outweigh it? Find the fun, and be kind to yourself during busy times.