I don’t even try to write in December. I don’t even make excuses for it, either: life is too busy during the holiday season, and attempting to write would be a frustration and a battle that I know I wouldn’t win. Perhaps someday in retirement it will be possible, but for now trying to write from now until Christmas would be kicking against the goads, and it’s easier for me to accept and accommodate it.
That’s a truth I accepted and embraced a long time ago. In fact, I often look forward to this break, and this year especially. It’s been a successful and productive year for my writing, so it’s pleasant to take some time off to rest the muse and restore the creative well. I’m going to need it to rewrite Broken Time and move Recurrence (the Thanksgiving novelette) forward.
There is another truth I’ve recently come to accept, and I’m not sure what to do about it. Short stories have turned out to be a crap shoot for me, and I’m frustrated and have no idea about how to tackle this thorny issue. It seems that writing stronger stories has been a mission and a struggle for me the entire almost 22 years I’ve been writing. I’ve improved, but still get more rejections than acceptance so I obviously haven’t improved enough to make the shorter works as much a part of my writing as I’d like them to be. Then again, the form itself may be the problem. Short stories means I write more of them than novels, novellas, and novelettes, hence the crapshoot. Perhaps what I’m really grappling with is the nature of the beast. Short stories are still part of the “traditional” mold, which means they will be subject to competition and rejection-heavy. Having broken free of that with self-publishing my novels, I have to ask myself how much of that punishment I want to go back to in this area. Or maybe I need to thicken my skin again and keep trying. Which is probably what I’ll do. Because I know me, and I don’t give up.
For now, I’ll enjoy a writing break to simply live and enjoy the Christmas season. I wish you happy holidays as well. Enjoy it, and don’t let stress get to you. Take time out to relax, do what you can, say ‘no’ to what you can’t, and be authentic. Take care of yourself and watch out for your health and safety. We often let our guard down this time of year, but the threats are more prevalent than ever in this busy season. Check out the Conure Corner blog for more safety tips for the holiday season.
That’s all today. Have a happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
That’s a truth I accepted and embraced a long time ago. In fact, I often look forward to this break, and this year especially. It’s been a successful and productive year for my writing, so it’s pleasant to take some time off to rest the muse and restore the creative well. I’m going to need it to rewrite Broken Time and move Recurrence (the Thanksgiving novelette) forward.
There is another truth I’ve recently come to accept, and I’m not sure what to do about it. Short stories have turned out to be a crap shoot for me, and I’m frustrated and have no idea about how to tackle this thorny issue. It seems that writing stronger stories has been a mission and a struggle for me the entire almost 22 years I’ve been writing. I’ve improved, but still get more rejections than acceptance so I obviously haven’t improved enough to make the shorter works as much a part of my writing as I’d like them to be. Then again, the form itself may be the problem. Short stories means I write more of them than novels, novellas, and novelettes, hence the crapshoot. Perhaps what I’m really grappling with is the nature of the beast. Short stories are still part of the “traditional” mold, which means they will be subject to competition and rejection-heavy. Having broken free of that with self-publishing my novels, I have to ask myself how much of that punishment I want to go back to in this area. Or maybe I need to thicken my skin again and keep trying. Which is probably what I’ll do. Because I know me, and I don’t give up.
For now, I’ll enjoy a writing break to simply live and enjoy the Christmas season. I wish you happy holidays as well. Enjoy it, and don’t let stress get to you. Take time out to relax, do what you can, say ‘no’ to what you can’t, and be authentic. Take care of yourself and watch out for your health and safety. We often let our guard down this time of year, but the threats are more prevalent than ever in this busy season. Check out the Conure Corner blog for more safety tips for the holiday season.
That’s all today. Have a happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.
Bye!
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