Tag Archives: Christmas

Autumn – and Christmas! – are Coming

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At the time of the writing and publishing of this post, the official first day of autumn is still a week or so away. But where I live, fall has started: rainy days, chilly nights, and some of the trees are starting to turn their colors. I love the “–ber” months – September, October, November, December. I’m a cold weather lover; and even though I spend more time indoors in the summer (hiding from the sun and the heat), I have trouble focusing on my writing (because of said heat). 

My brain wakes up in the autumn, and so far this month I’ve gotten more writing done that I did all of July and August combined. I’m on the home stretch (for real, finally) on the second book of The Light-Whisperers of Kalevala trilogy. I’m not sure if the book will be published by the end of the year, but I for sure will have at least finished the manuscript and be well into the editing and cover design phase. There will be some interior art (like in the first book); that’s already in process, so stay tuned to this blog and my social media for some sneak peaks sometime soon. 

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Books Make Great Christmas Gifts

Posted in Music, Movies, and other Muses by

Since it’s the season for buying lots of stuff to give to other people, I’m composing a short list in support of buying a book as a gift for your friend, family member, or even co-worker who you don’t really like. You can buy one of my books, or spend your money with other authors for this Christmas. There are so many good books to choose from!

So here’s my list of Christmas shopping tips, and why I think you should spend your money on books:

Books are the gifts that keep on giving. A good story, or even a good non-fiction book, can be enjoyed again and again, and can be enjoyed by multiple people for years after the moment of the giving.

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What to Do When Christmas Takes Over Thanksgiving

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I’m taking a break from my usual writerly fare on this blog with something fun and festive for the holidays. 

Does it seem like, with every passing year, Christmas starts a little earlier each time? It’s actually a fact. A century or two ago, depending on the culture, Christmas didn’t begin till December 24th. A newly-decorated Christmas tree was a gift for the children of the house on Christmas morning. And in some traditions, even today, Christmas isn’t celebrated until January.

But in today’s commercialized culture, Christmas begins before Halloween. Retailers are always at least two months ahead of whatever the current season is. 

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An Imperfect Christmas Tree

Posted in Writings about Writing by

It’s been some time since I’ve blogged, and I’m rather frustrated at myself for that. For several years, I posted a new blog faithfully at least once a week, but this year I’ve become more and more sporadic with my writing and my posting. The reason for it isn’t important. I’ve been busy, I’ve been distracted, etc., etc. Whether my reasons are valid and reasonable, or just lazy excuses, also isn’t important – the upshot is that I’ve fallen behind on my writing goals for the year, and I’m feeling rather lousy about it.

This tree is far more lopsided than this picture shows.

I’m feeling unproductive, feeling like a fraud (I can’t be a writer if I don’t actually write), and generally wondering if even the little bit I have written this year was worth the time and effort. But something that helped me to get it all back into perspective was earlier this month when I put Christmas lights on the little crooked fir tree in my front yard. Continue reading →

Writing Prompt: Celebrate your Character’s Favorite Holiday

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Winter is my favorite season, and Christmas is my favorite holiday, and so at this time of year I invariably find myself wanting to write wintry and Christmas-themed scenarios, even if my current WIP has nothing to do with either one.

I think it’s a valid writing exercise, though. Writing about a holiday that may or may not actually figure into your story is a great way to develop more details about your characters and world. Does your character hate Christmas and everything festive? Does your character celebrate Hanukkah but always wanted to put up a Christmas tree? How does the time period, nationality, and culture of your character affect their winter-time celebrations? Does your character live in a fantasy world with a holiday of your own creation?

Try writing a scene or a vignette about your main character(s) celebrating – or avoiding – their traditional winter holiday. It doesn’t have to fit into your current story – just write a scene and see where it goes! You might learn a lot about your characters and your story’s world!