Saturday, December 16, 2006

Writing through the holidays

It's the time of year when we're stretched in every possible direction. Family, work, friends, acquaintances, characters - yes, even our characters are part of the melee that demands our time right now. But most of us will likely give more time to the post man or paper boy than we will to the characters who bring our stories to life. There simply aren't enough hours in the day to fit everyone and everything in. I've given up a decent night's sleep in the attempt to get it all done but am still way behind. Nine more shopping days. Ha ha h - oops ho ho ho.

To a certain extent, I resent the time away from my writing. The fictional world is part of my coping mechanism for the rest of my life. Right now, in the crazy season of holiday cheer, shopping, eggnog, baking, decorating, whine, visiting and wrapping, I need that world more than ever. The longer I'm away from it, the harder it is to get back into the story and characters that sustain me. Like an elusive dream in the pre-dawn hour, my fictional world lingers on the edge of my consiousness.

Excuse me while I back away from the blog and capture a few moments of bliss in a world where the only demand is that I give it life.

And keep my sanity.

2 comments:

  1. It is so true that the longer you are away the harder it is to get back to your characters.

    The fictional world helps me stay sane too. I hope you are making more time for it than I am.

    Merry Christmas

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  2. You are so right. The last time I returned to my characters after an extended break, I ended up changing their names and assigning them new quirks. Presto, new book entirely. Like I really wanted to start completely over.

    I ended up buying a cheap laptop at a garage sale just so I could work on my WIP on my lunch break at work. At home, apparently me sitting on the couch typing is some magic signal for DH to share every single thought in his head. Not that I'm complaining (overly much). It's just funny seeing him turn into Chatty Cathy.

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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