Is there anything nicer at this time of year than curling up with a laptop, ready for some festive writing? I don't think so! Christmas has to be the coziest time to be a writer and right now I'm sitting by the pretty Christmas tree with fairy-lights twinkling, dancing flames in the fireplace and the scent of Frankincense and Myrrh filling the room from my fairy oil-burner. I have gingerbread hot chocolate in my gingerbread-man Christmas mug and a tub of Cadbury's Roses chocolates next to me - it's all so festive!
Writing over the festive period brings me great joy - it's probably one of my favourite times of year to write and I am always more productive during the dark season. I find that summer drains me, but by the time the nights start drawing in, I begin to thrive once more. I just love winter and being a writer during the winter season is a way for me to connect with all those writers who have gone before.
It's impossible for me to write, while sitting beside the Christmas tree and not think of Charles Dickens dashing off A Christmas Carol in order to stave off bankruptcy. Yes, our most loved Christmas novel was written when the author was in financial trouble and you could say that it wasn't just Scrooge who was saved by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come! Dickens needed them too and they helped to save his career, as portrayed in the fantastic film The Man Who Invented Christmas, which I highly recommend if you've never seen it.
It's also impossible for me to sit up in my study, writing at my escritoire desk without thinking of Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and Jo March scribbling way at her dreams in the cold, candlelit garret with a pet rat for company. I haven't seen the new film yet, but I'm looking forward to it. For me personally though, Josephine March will always be Winona Ryder. She played the part to perfection and I'm not convinced that she can be topped.
Likewise, it is impossible for me to enjoy a glass of eggnog without thinking of Jane Austen writing her wonderful Christmas ball scene in Emma and Mr Elton's infamously misplaced festive proposal!
"A party is a party - but a party on a Chriiistmas Eeeve...!" and then, "Who can think of Miss Smith, when Miss Woodhouse is near?!"
Another Christmas novel I love is Angel by Elizabeth Taylor (not that Elizabeth Taylor! This one is a contemporary of Daphne du Maurier), in which the heroin Angel fakes illness so that she doesn't have to go back to school after the Christmas holidays, because she wants to stay at home and write a novel instead! I can totally relate to that and I may or may not have been guilty of the exact same thing in my own childhood!
So you see, Christmas isn't just about my writing, or your writing, it's about all writing - past, present and yet to come. Just like Scrooge's Ghosts. It's a time when people generally have more freedom to sit and create something, be that a story, a poem, a song or an essay. It's a time of magic and wonder so of course it lends itself to the art of writing, which is a wonderful way to express yourself and feel the magic of inspiration. It's a time to think about prepping your diary for next year, writing in your goals and ambitions - maybe even your writing goals and ambitions.
So while we won't all write something as memorable as A Christmas Carol or Little Women, we can all tap into the creativity of the festive season and the inspiration of the writers who helped to illustrate this magical time of year, through their novels.
And for those of us who write professionally, there are still deadlines to meet even in the midst of the festive season, so I'd better crack on as my deadlines are January 4th,13th and 25th!
Happy Christmas Writing!
BB Marie x
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