I just wanted to wish you all the very best for the holiday.
Thank you for all your support, patience and kind words over 2020.
Here’s to a better, kinder new year.
Before it all gets too busy…
A Little Festive Magic
Christmas may be the big star of the month but today is one of my favourite days of the year – the Winter Solstice.
You might know it as Yule, or Yuletide. It’s the day towards the end of the year in the Northern Hemisphere when the daylight hours are at their shortest. It marks the beginning of Winter when the darkness is greatest, and when light of any kind is to be cherished and celebrated.
Where Christmas is a nod to Christian values, the Winter Solstice is a quieter, less materialistic festival that looks back to the old ways.
My dad came from a mixed background when it came to religion and faith. His mother was a devout Episcopalian Christian and she held her faith dear to her heart. My grandfather had a more casual link to Christianity. He joined my grandmother’s church simply to please her, but he was much closer to the land, to nature, and to the old ways.
My dad had much the same attitude as his father to the church, while my mum saw attending services, having her child – me – christened, and being wed in church as the right thing to do. Where my dad would see Christmas Eve as a time for family to spend some quiet time together, my mum preferred to attend the midnight church service.
Even in the depths of winter, my dad would be found in the garden, not necessarily tending to the plants but just taking time to think, breathe, and appreciate his life. He found a peaceful happiness in watching the land change with the seasons.
I’m a lot like my dad. Some of my best moments are those spent amongst nature – walking the dog on a morning or going on a park-trek with my family.
On the Winter Solstice, when nature appears to recede and pause, I take the day to do the same. I put aside all the preparation and busy thoughts of Christmas to just be.
I think of the magic of this point in time, and all the threads that have led me here:
- the colour of Christmas Day as a child, with my mum clattering around the kitchen making lunch while my dad kept me amused with toys and books,
- the wonderful mistakes I’ve made in my life that put me on the path to meet my husband,
- and the people I’ve met along the way who have added sparkle to my life.
In a few days’ time, I’ll be in the noisy, joyous midst of Christmas Day with its own vibrant magic. Today, I’ll enjoy the more subtle magic of the beginning of winter.
All the best for a peaceful Winter Solstice.
What to give Writers for Christmas?
First question: Do you have friends and family who are writers? It doesn’t matter if they’re published or not. If they write, they’re writers.
Second question: Do you know what to get them for Christmas and how to help them enjoy the festive season?
If the answer to the first question is ‘yes’ but you’re veering towards a ‘no’ for the second, I may be able to help.
Stationery
No, no, it isn’t boring. Most writers are stationery addicts – pens, pencils, notepads, journals, post-it notes, erasers, pencil sharpeners, pencil cases, rulers… The list is endless.
Delight a writer by gifting them a stationery bundle. It doesn’t have to be fancy stuff but if you want to make it extra special, customise a notepad or a pen or a pencil case with their name or some writerly term like, well, ‘writer’.
Books and Magazines on Writing
There are so many wonderful books out there by writers for writers. A personal favourite is Stephen King’s On Writing, but your writerly friend might also like:
- The Authentic Swing and Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield
- Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks
- Writer Mama by Christina Katz
- Meditations for Writers by Susan Shaughnessy
- A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf
The Writers and Artists’ Yearbook is my personal bible, providing up to date information on publishers, agents and excellent advice from the industry.
There are various writing related magazines. A good choice for all writers is the aptly named Writing Magazine which incorporates Writers News. A similar publication is Writers Forum. For women writers, there’s also Mslexia.
You could even buy a subscription to one of the writing magazines for your writerly loved one.
Writerly Accessories and House Goods
What do I mean by house-goods? Well, it could be something as small as a fridge magnet, or as luxurious as a cushion.
Nothing makes a writer happier than supping their coffee from a writer-themed mug or donning their writing-gloves.
Space Online
What I mean by this is a blog. Now, I know what you’re thinking – I don’t have that kind of money to spend – but not every online presence has to cost a fortune.
Blogger provides a free blog service with a variety of designs that you can personalise to your loved one’s taste. There’s Tumblr too.
Why not set up a blog for them to share their writing?
Buy Their Books and Post a Review
If your writerly loved one has a book, or books, out there in the big, wide world and you haven’t yet purchased a copy, why not show your support by buying one and then posting a lovely review on Amazon or GoodReads?
After all, one of the best ways to support a writer is to not only buy their books but also shout out to the world just how wonderful their writing is.
Time
Any writer’s internal editor offers more than enough excuses to put off their writing. Add that to the daily grind and it can often seem that there just isn’t enough time in the day to get any writing done.
If your partner is a writer, then giving them an hour a day when you won’t disturb them or expect them to do anything but write can be a wonderful gift.
If your writer friend is a parent, why not offer to take their children to the park or soft-play for an hour so they can get on with some writing.
Time can be difficult for any of us to find but is the most special of gifts for a writer.
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So there you have it – some lovely ways to give to your writerly friends in the festive season, ranging from as much money as you want to spend to simply your time, love and patience.