Use Your Relatives for Future Stories

Just finished up another Christmas holiday. With my family that means three days of dinners, present exchanges, and LOTS of relatives. With lots of relatives come some unavoidable tension.

This year I decided instead of getting frustrated, I'd pick up a pen. I collected some interesting character sketches and scenes that I tucked away for future stories. Here are a few:

• My aunt brought her two large dogs into a crowded house, even though she's been asked to leave them home. Tension built as the dogs jumped on people, tried to eat off the table, growled at the family dog, and left my brother, who has dog allergies, wheezing and barely able to talk. The aunt seemed to think this was all as it should be. The rest of us will forever call this The Christmas of the Dogs.

• Took a walk on my folks farm to feed a calf. It was dusk and the fog had rolled in, so I didn't realize my parents had gotten a new bull until I was face to face with it. Luckily, the bull was seriously interested in one of the cows, and hardly noticed a woman running across the field, screaming like a banshee.

• Got a very interesting gift — a huge bat house. It will house over 300 bats. It's not the house that has me thinking of future scenes, but the idea of 300 bats come to roost. (Do bats roost?)

These are just a few of the story ideas/scenes I collected over the holiday. How about you? Any good ones you want to share?

di

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How to Carve out Writing Moments During the Holidays

Is the holiday season crazy busy or what?

I just checked my calendar and I have three days between now and Christmas day that don't include a social event — and that doesn't take into account time needed to buy presents, mail christmas cards, decorate . . . watch Christmas movies. When is a person supposed to find time to write?

It's tempting to say, "I'll get back to it in January." Just like it's tempting to eat those extra Christmas cookies. But we have to be strong. And creative. If we don't have the time, we have to make it.

Here are a few of my tricks for carving out time. If you have any others, please share.

1. Get there early. I try to show up at lunches or dinners at least a half hour early. I use that time to peacefully sit at the table with a cup of coffee working on my manuscript. Yesterday it worked out GREAT! I got there early, and the person I was meeting was late, and I had over an hour to write.

2. Make a writing date. Find another writer and set up writing dates during the season. This can be as simple as meeting at the library with laptops. However, it's important to get these on the calendar as soon as possible.

3. Waiting in line. I spent 20 minutes waiting in line at the post office yesterday. Thankfully, I had my notebook with me so I could work on my story. It also made the wait less boring.

4. Plan writing into shopping. Take your writing with you to the mall. After you've been shopping for a couple hours, head to a coffee shop and take a break and write for an hour before going back at it. You'll give your feet a break, and you'll get some words on the page as well as gifts in your bags.

5. Get up a little earlier. If you're not too sleep deprived already, you might want to set your alarm clock for a hour earlier during the holiday season. Write when you're fresh and before you're wiped out by all the activities.

Hopefully these are a little help during the season. Keep writing!

ho, ho, ho

di