Category: Writer’s Christmas Calendar

What is more appropriate for the final image than one of Eight Tiny Reindogs?!?!?

I hope you enjoy these photos of Dasher and his neighbors, relatives-by-adoption, and friends, all dressed up with antlers with varying amounts of holiday glee.

Sing it!:

You know Finn & Jimmy,
And Patches & Merlin,
Dasher & Gabbi,
And Rory & Rowdy,

But do you recall
the shortest-legged reindog of all?

Henri, the short-legged reindog…!

May your holiday be Merry, and Bright.

Woof.

This seems like another good day for a story. Something sweet, and hopeful, yet not cloying. Something a little bit like this one. I hope you enjoy it.

As we head into these dark days of the year, I thought perhaps some flowers would be nice. Here’s the first blossom from my camellia bush, from just a couple days ago.
May it brighten your day, and your spirits.

If you’re looking for a breakthrough on writing your novel, or your next novel, don’t despair. Consider this online class as a very worthy investment, especially if, like me, you didn’t think you liked/could-write-to an outline. It hasn’t been available for a while,
but now the next session is starting January 10th. Best present ever, right?

How to Write a Novel: Structure & Outline

Tonight is Winter Solstice,
the longest night of the year.

Breathe deep as you look up to the darkened sky.
Feel your connection to this time & place,
to the earth underfoot, & the stars overhead.

Let the peace and calm of Winter’s beginning
fill your soul & light the coming year.

Feeling like it’s time for a good laugh about now…

(you might want to play this in full-screen mode!)

“One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle
will strike you as the most beautiful.”

–Sigmund Freud

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Oftentimes, the biggest thing we need is hope. Today’s window offering addresses that:

What is it about writers and self-doubt? One minute we’re on top of the world–someone in  our crit group liked our story, or a story acceptance came! Wheeee! But the next minute, we’re in the dumps. Well, that person was the only one who liked it, and they like anything with “x,” or that market just needed something really fast and my story didn’t totally suck, so they pinched their noses and took it. And we’re moping around for a day or three, wondering if we should just give up “this writing thing” for good.

I’m not the only one like this, and neither are you. Here’s a great essay over on the SFWA site on the topic: Overcoming Self-Doubt as a Writer, by Matthew Kressel.