![]() If you have writer friends in your neighborhood, set up a buddy system. Block it out, complete with a reminder/notification, and stick to it the way you would a meeting or trip to the dentist. Consider it an appointment or date with yourself. Look at your calendar at the start of each week and pick a time slot for your writing. Next tip: really schedule that time to write. Ask them to honor your commitment to your writing by leaving you alone when you have a scheduled writing session (emergencies aside, of course). There are always people demanding your time and attention, especially during the holidays, so one tip I have is to tell your family and friends that you’re participating in this challenge. So if you’re entertaining or traveling or whatever, and you have a day when you just can’t imagine stealing a few minutes away from everything to write, use one of your free days. Try not to, but this is a nod to the time of year. If necessary, you can take up to two days off.Write whatever you want: Novel in progress, poetry, short stories, nonfiction, one project all month or bits of different things. ![]() No minimum word count, no mandatory amount of time per day (though I recommend you try to squeeze in at least half an hour).Write every day during the month of December.The December Writing Challenge hinges on a few very simple rules. ![]() Future you will definitely thank present you for putting in some desk time over the holidays. Set your goals and dive in, no need to get yourself back up to speed or to flex rusty skills. Whatever you wish to achieve in 2023, you’ll have a head start if you’re already in the habit of writing regularly. The second reason to write through the month of December comes in January, when you’re staring down a brand new year and thinking about your writing goals. A writing challenge offers a little bit of a framework to help. Don’t allow your creative muscles to grow flabby. But whether you’ve been writing all month or just on your normal schedule, keep going. Your brain becomes accustomed to producing words after 30 days of demanding output. And while it’s tempting to take time off after that sort of slog, I say make the most of the momentum you’ve built up. That’s a month-long, very intense attempt to produce 50,000 words. First of all, many writers spend November participating in NaNoWriMo. It might sound insane to try to write with any set schedule in December of all months, but there is a method to my madness. And so I challenge you to keep writing during the craziness of December, no matter where you are in your career, even if you only manage to steal a little time each day. ![]() But a writer is someone who writes, not someone who gets paid to do so. Between the holiday season and year-end wrap ups, it’s very easy to let your writing time slide, especially if you have not yet made the jump to professional writer. Are you ready for the December Writing Challenge? Each year, I challenge writers to make their writing a priority, despite the busy nature of the month. ![]()
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