Our Top 4 Tips for Writing During the Holidays

Thanksgiving is next week, which means the holiday season is officially upon us. It's a busy time of year, and many writers get sidetracked. We get it. But when writing goals are missed and deadlines still loom, the holidays can become stressful. It doesn't have to be that way. 

First of all, let's look at why it's important to keep writing over the holidays. If you want to publish a book next year, writing in November and December enables you to stay on track for a spring launch (before the summer slowdown). If you wait too long, it could be another year before your book launches. This means you can't start enjoying all the benefits of authorship for a long time. 

So, how can you stay true to your writing discipline and still make time to enjoy holiday festivities? Here are our four top tips to ring in the season AND keep writing:

1. Schedule Your Writing Time. Big plans in the afternoon on a holiday weekend? Schedule your writing time in the morning before the event begins. If a time block is on your calendar, you are much more inclined to actually sit down and write for a couple of hours. When writing time isn't scheduled, you're much more likely to forget or intentionally skip. Additionally, for many people, the holidays afford a few extra precious days off. If you maximize these days with longer writing blocks that don't interfere with scheduled events, you'll stay true to your goals without missing any holiday fun. 

2. Give Yourself Permission to Celebrate. Just because you keep writing during the holiday months, doesn't mean you have to do it at the same pace. The key is to maintain your writing discipline and keep moving your manuscript forward without becoming resentful because you missed out on all the seasonal fun. It's all about finding balance. Look at your calendar and give yourself permission to scale back your writing schedule when needed. It's okay to take days off, just not months. 

3. Envision Your Finished Book. At Bublish, we encourage authors to create their covers and book blurbs before the writing is done. This can be highly motivating. You get to see what your published book will look like, and how it will be described to readers. One bonus with this approach is that it gives you two important marketing assets. So, you can start telling the world your book is coming soon. This approach also holds you accountable. When you've made news of your forthcoming book public, it compels you to finish. We have seen exciting things happen with this approach, so you might want to give it a try this holiday season. 

4. Reward Yourself with Holiday Cheer. Don't be a Scrooge! Celebrate your writing milestones over the holidays with seasonal rewards. Met your writing goal for the day? Awesome! Plan an festive outing with friends or bake your favorite batch of Christmas cookies. Broke through a writing block? Congratulations! Listen to some holiday music and decorate the house. They key is to work hard and celebrate your progress. A little bit of cheer goes a long way.

Writing during the holidays is part discipline, part organization, and part positive mindset. And let’s be honest, you’re always busy, right? It's not just the holidays; it's life in the modern world. So don’t let the holidays become an excuse. If you continue to make writing your book a priority, you will find the time. You’ll thank yourself later when you are enjoying the many benefits of authorship. So give yourself the perfect gift this season: Let the holidays motivate, rather than hinder, your writing efforts. Finishing 2025 strong will provide a solid foundation for a fabulous new year! Happy holidays!