Twelve Days Until Christmas: I don't know why… but it still doesn't feel like Christmas to me. Perhaps it is the weather – in the sixties all week long! It is now raining which is supposed to usher in a cold front. Somehow balmy does not equal Christmas to me (unless, of course, I'm surrounded by decorated Palm Trees).
Or perhaps it's because the children are so far away this year. In the past, the girls would come over to help decorate sugar cookies and dip chocolate-covered pretzels. This year, it's just me.
That should change starting this week though.
My youngest and her boyfriend will arrive next Sunday and leave the 28th. She is my baking buddy, and I think the house will begin to smell like Christmas soon.
My granddaughter and her family will travel home on the 26th and stay through January 2nd. We will wait to celebrate gift giving until they arrive – and we will have the traditional Prime Rib Christmas dinner a day late.
End-of-Year Reflections: I am still working my way through The Best Yes and Big Magic and should finish this week. I have thoroughly enjoyed both but decided I need to cut back on non-fiction books and start adding more fiction in my life. That is one of my New Year's Resolutions.
For the third year now, I am working my way through Susannah Conway's Unraveling The Year Ahead workbook. It is a free PDF download that offers about 30 pages of thought-provoking questions. Included in this process is the discovery of the Word of the Year. I have a few ideas percolating, but so far do not feel definitive about any of them.
Have any of you found your word 2016?
Writing and Blogging: After meeting with my writing coach this week, we mutually decided to scrap First Impressionism as it currently stands, and try again. While I was a bit disappointed, I must accept this part of the writing process: try, try, and try again.
Apparently I have three books in one: an art appreciation book – a middle grade travel book – and the hint of a YA historical fiction novel. My writing focus now is to decide which ONE book I want to write – and then begin to flesh it out.
Interestingly enough… after writing my French Friday post this week, I wonder if my story is about a middle-aged woman traveling back in time to discover her inner artist. Hmmmm…. I still have more brainstorming to do.
May these Twelve Days of Christmas be filled with peace and joy. Let's take time out of the holiday busyness to sip a cup of tea by the fire and escape a good book.
It sounds like you've got a lot of interesting possibilities for your novel! Sometimes it's hard to narrow down all the good ideas and find the one that really resonates. Enjoy the process.
It's not feeling all that Christmas-y here either. But I'm not complaining about the warm temps and dry weather!
It's been in the 70s here and I just love it. Christmas has really gotten here fast – with all your family coming in, yours is sure to be special.
Your feelings on Christmas sound so very much like mine! I'll only get both my girls home for one day, or one partial day actually. Except I'm totally diggin' this weather!! No worries about who can travel or if I can get my shopping done.
A writing coach!! Oh geez I'd love one of those! I've been toying with getting a writers group going here at least. But a coach would be awesome!
Your Christmas plans sound lovely–whole family together and all that.
As to the novel, it's usual for new novelists to be writing several plotlines in the same story–have done that myself and more than once. Subplots are one thing, but totally different stories, with different tones, goals, etc, well, that's a problem.
I too read too much nonfiction. In fact, I read it almost exclusively. I keep saying I need to read fiction. In 2016, I need to make myself do it.
Christmas looks different as our children grow up, doesn't it?
I am quite fortunate to have a writing coach nearby – and one who totally inspires me and encourages me to grow as a writer. I hope you can find a writing group soon that can do the same for you.
I'm learning that writing fiction is an entirely different experience than academic writing. I have a LOT to learn, but I do plan to fully enjoy the process.
If I happen to sneak in a few moments by the fire, it is ALWAYS with a basset in my lap, vying for attention.
Let me know if you try the Christmas Prime Rib dinner!
I agree that it's just too warm to be Christmas! I haven't thought about a word for the year yet … nothing is jumping out at me.
I'm so intrigued with Unraveling The Year Ahead… have just downloaded and printed it. Now to find just the right time to begin. Thank you so much for the link, Molly!