My how time flies during the holidays. It seems like only yesterday it was Thanksgiving, and now it’s only a couple of weeks until Christmas.  Most of the writing I’ve done lately has been for Womens Focus and Active Aging magazines and of course Christmas cards, but other than that my time has been filled with shopping, decorating, cooking, reading, and watching my favorite holiday movies. I can’t help it, I watch them every year and remember Christmas’ when I was little or my son was small.  It’s fun to travel to the past and you never know what will trigger a memory.  Smells.  Sounds.  Events.  People.  Places.  Things.

When you’re writing this season use those memories and senses to enrich your story.  And don’t forget to dredge up the tough stuff, too.  Holidays and families are always a mixed blessing, it’s wonderful to be with those we love, but tempers can flair or old hurts can come up and the tension mounts. Tension is important to a story, it’s one of the elements that make it real and exciting for the reader.  So, don’t forget to mine the past, present and imagined future to make your fiction great.  And have a Happy Holiday!

BD