It's That Time of Year ... by DL Larson

It's that time of year when so many are thinking about buying or making gifts for another, attending holiday parties, school and church pageants, and spending time with family and friends. Writing schedules become harder to keep and that's okay! Everyone needs a break now and then. So instead of feeling guilty or upset, take a deep breath, and enjoy this Christmas season.

We've been talking about Christmas books this week at Acme Authors, so why not use this time to explore and dream about what your Holiday book could be. Take a few notes, visit a place you haven't in awhile. Take in a new play or an old favorite. Think about characters, ordinary people with a life to live, problems to solve and how it all might make for an intriguing plot.

The other day some friends and I walked to Daley Plaza on Washington Street in Chicago. We visited the German American Holiday Market. It's been there every year for fifteen years, yet I had never been. What a delight, what wonderful smells, and I enjoyed talking with many of the friendly merchants, many with heavy accents and ready smiles. I imagined several holiday plots as I sauntered along. We met up with a friend who mentioned she was returning to one of the stores to purchase the ornament that looked like a diamond ring set in a heart-shaped box. Her son had just gotten engaged and it would make a wonderful gift for him and his fiancee. Romantic ideas surged through my head. What if ...

Each year our local library pulls holiday books out for display. Favorites are read and reread, new ones are always sought after as well. There will always be a market for a good Christmas story. Folks may be busy, but they also find time to read. I've had moms tell me they may be exhausted, but they will stay up late to read, even during the Christmas season; especially during the Christmas season. I think the stories recharge them somehow and it helps keep the holiday in perspective. Not many want to rush through the hoilidays without feeling and caring and wanting to give of ourselves. Good stories fill that need.

Perhaps next year at this time some of us will have written our own Christmas story or have one started. Now is the perfect time to jot down ideas as we pass through the days, taking in the scenes of Christmas, the anxiety, the excitement, the overwhelming feelings we have. Now is always the perfect time for research.

Enjoy this Advent Season!

Til next time ~

DL Larson