It’s that busy Christmas time of year. As writers, we often take a break to enjoy the season—as we should! But we may find it hard to feel reinspired in January.
During busy seasons, just writing a little something can keep the creativity flowing. When things calm down again, and we have more time to write, we won’t feel creatively sluggish.
A simple way to practice writing in a busy season is by responding to a writing prompt. A writing prompt is a word, phrase, image, sound, smell, or any prompt that inspires you to write freely, usually for about 10 minutes. No formal structure or goals. Just writing whatever comes to mind, inspired by that prompt.
A writing prompt is just for creative practice, to stay warmed up. It might spark an idea for your bigger project, but it doesn’t have to. No pressure; just the enjoyment of writing.
A writing prompt can be anything you want. But this season, a Christmas prompt may inspire creativity. Just set your timer for 10 minutes and enjoy free writing about a Christmas scene.
It could be something you remember about Christmas. You can look at a Christmas photo and describe the scene. Remember those December images we talked about collecting? You can write about one of those.
Put on some Christmas music and write about what you hear. Write about an old Christmas ornament that has a special meaning. Or select a phrase to prompt your writing: “One of my favorite Christmas treats was …”
The main thing is to write. Freely. Creatively. Enjoying the process of putting words on paper. Sentences don’t need to flow together. You can start one place and end up somewhere else. Just write something about Christmas for 10 minutes and have fun.
You’ll get a creative boost that will carry you into January. You might come up with new ideas to write about later. (Make a note!) And you’ll have a refreshing, 10-minute break from the hustle and hurry of a busy season.
This week, try to enjoy 10 minutes of Christmas writing. It’s a great way to celebrate the season.
Janet Eriksson 