[From the Archive] Welcome to December (2009)
This is a pre-holiday shout out to the past…
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Welcome to December. For all of you who participated in NaNoMo, congratulations – no matter what your personal outcome. Now we get to face the Holidays, which makes it even harder to find the time to write. But it’s possible to manage it all – Holiday craziness, Real Life, and write – granted it won’t be at the NaNoMo pace, but if you found the time during November to put fifty thousand words down, you can keep up the habit of writing even during the holidays.
The Holidays are always a time of wondering how to get it all done and what to get the loved ones in your life. The “how to get it all done” is almost easier. Getting it done means applying rear to chair – just like many of us did for NaNoMo. It means doing a little less here, or writing while the holiday baking is going on there, or even scheduling in some writing at breaks and lunches at work – which is what I’ll be doing this week as I start a new job during the holidays. However, also realize December is one of the busiest months in life – if you miss a day here or there, let it go and get right back on the horse.
If you’re looking for gifts for family and friends, or even yourself, I’m going suggest buying books – especially from independent presses directly, or independent bookstores. Not only will you get some arguably better books that you can’t find in many bookstores, but you’ll be helping these independent presses continue to bring you great books. Presses like YardDog Press, Dark Star Books, Subterranean Press, Zumaya Books, Sam’s Dot Press, and so many others. That’s not to say you shouldn’t buy books from the major retailers, they need support as well. Just keep an open mind.
Why should you do this? One, writers need to keep reading. And two, writers need to have publishing houses open in order to submit to them. The only way publishers keep publishing is if people buy the books. So this is your holiday exhoratation – keep writing, and buy more books.