IWSG December 7 question – It’s holiday time! Are the holidays a time to catch up or fall behind on writer goals?
There are a lot of holidays in November and December! Dia de Los Muertes (Day of the Dead), Diwali, Solstice, Armistice (or Remembrance or Veteran’s) Day, Hannukah—and of course, for Americans and Christians, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I don’t usually have paid holidays with my jobs (the hospital never closes & the other pharmacy is closed but doesn’t pay you unless you work). So, I don’t get extra time off to write. I usually spend the holiday with my sister and her grown son, but I always take my laptop and get a little writing in while they watch their favorite horror movies (I’m a sci-fi/fantasy/mystery lover, not a horror buff).
I’m doing NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Monty) again this year, too, so November is earmarked for writing every day, no matter what. I’ve managed to slog right along, 1,667 words a day (or thereabouts), so I don’t anticipate any loss of time Thanksgiving Day. I got a little ahead last night, as we had an in-person write-in session at the local bookstore/coffeeshop, so even if I don’t get as many words as I want, I won’t be behind.
Now, if I had to spend the day cooking, I’d be behind on my writing goals for sure! Thank goodness for prepared foods you just have to slide into the oven for a few minutes. For Thanksgiving, I’ve got a turkey breast, dressing, bottled turkey gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and a pumpkin pie, so we will have a big feast. We usually switch it up on Christmas and eat something totally different—I think this year the sister is making homemade lasagna. Again, I don’t have to slave away in the kitchen, so I should be fine on the word count.
How do you usually spend your holidays?
