There are holidays in which writing is not a problem: Memorial Day, 4th of July, Veterans’ Day and even Valentine’s Day but, writing during Thanksgiving and Christmas is a challenge. If you have a full time job, in a relationship and it is the holiday season a decision has to be made: To write or not to write; it is National Novel Writing Month day 19, clearly the decision to write for this month has been made. Am I up for the challenge? No.
It is not just the holidays and family that are distracting but my plans for 2023. It is times like this that reveal the level of dedication a person has to the task at hand. What is more important Christmas shopping or writing deadlines? For me it is all about financial planning.
I do not make money from writing, the holidays are a time in which I spend money, my plans for 2023 will require a lot of money therefore, my focus is on managing the money I have while anticipating future income. Writing is not a priority.
The challenge is not writing fifty thousand words in thirty days but writing them with so many distractions and a holiday. Holidays bring many emotions they can be a stressful and they can be sad, particularly if a loved one has graduated from earth to eternity recently or during that particular time. Learning to use distractions to your advantage requires discipline and determination with a little bit of creativity.
The loss of a loved one can bring about both sad and happy memories it takes time and to focus on the happy memories. Faith is important for many of us in accepting the death of a loved one; I choose to believe that my loved ones (my son, grandmother and mother who died within a 30 day period) are at peace, though their life was shorter than I would have liked their memory will remain always. Holidays are a time of celebration and I chose to celebrate the happy times I spent with each of my loved ones who are no longer physically with me. I don’t ignore the memories BUT I do not let it stop me from remembering the reason for the seasons: thankfulness and love.
Bills we will have always at this point, November and December, the goal should be to not spend any more money and create more debt. Having plans for 2023 gives a person hope but it should not be time consuming. Create a spending plan and stick to it. I have found great bargains shopping on-line and because I am not in a brick and mortar store I don’t impulse shop. Sticking to a budget will help avoid unnecessary debt and assist in future plans that involve money.
Adapting a strategy to get through the holidays and write is important even if you are not participating in NaNoWriMo. Life happens year-round, it is important to have a plan to deal with unexpected events as well as holidays. The only way to become a writer who makes money writing is to write.

I am an active participant of National Novel Writing Month- these entries are unedited on purpose- Marsha L Floyd
*Scripture quoted is from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise stated
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