The holidays can be brutal on writing. Places to go, people to see, money to waste spend. I over-eat, watch too much football, etc., etc. It seems that from late November to New Year’s Day, I have less and less time for writing. And once I get out of my daily routine, my work output starts to drop.
To justify my sloth, I say that I’m engaged in “character study” during the holidays, checking out the interesting/odd/regular folks I come across at parties and events. Still, I know that unless I actually fire up the computer and actually put those characters into a story, I can’t say I’m a writer. But since that’s who I am, I have to put words on a hard drive to create and perpetuate my identity.
I create both fiction and my own reality. While rigid, to make sure I become who I am, I make a schedule, a date with myself to write. This last week, keeping that date has allowed me to finish up a manuscript that languished the last couple of weeks of the year.
What are some of the ways you combat sloth and keep yourself on track?
Coffee. Lots of Coffee. And getting a whole lot of everything else done before sitting my butt in the writer’s chair.