Christmas in July
Since March , I’ve written a Christmas novella , a Thanksgiving novella and I’m now working on a Christmas mystery (Dec 2013). The days grew longer, the plants sent out new shoots, the snow melted, and I was still enjoying the holidays in my office. School let out, graduation came and went, the pool was cleaned and opened. And I was deep in bleak midwinter.
Well not so bleak. I was having a ball following my characters through the snow, tackling their problems as they prepared turkeys, decorated trees and learned the true meaning of the holidays. I was totally engaged.
Then one day I caught myself going to the closet to get my coat to go to the gym. It was 80 degrees outside.
Talk about being lost in a book.
So last week I took a break and went down the shore with friends. We went mid week so the beach wouldn’t be so crowded, the traffic wouldn’t be so gnarled.
At least not so crowded and gnarled as the weekend would be. It was still pretty busy. And hot, oh boy was it hot. And muggy.
Never fear, what time we didn’t spend on the beach, we spent in air conditioning, playing dominos and drinking some excellent wine made by friends. They have over two hundred bottles in their basement. They get as involved in wine making as I do in my characters and their stories.
One thing that I did notice. It’s hard to relax, even when you’re relaxing. Even the folks lying out in the sun, seemed to be tanning with a vengeance. All loaded down with coolers and chairs, and books, and e-readers and boom boxes, and ipods. Phones are constantly in use though the glare of the sun really cuts down on efficient texting.
Still, a good time was had by all. We came home on Friday. I was still in ninety degree beach mode. In domino victory mode. Still thinking about drinks with little umbrellas in them.
But it was time to get back to work. So I booted up the computer, back to my Christmas mystery.
Merry MidSummer
And stuck. I noodled around. Tried to pick up where I left off. Couldn’t get a rhythm going. So I took a break. Made some dinner. Turned on the television, promised to get an early start the next day.
Channel surfed for a bit and landed on the Hallmark Channel. And guess what they were showing. Hallmark Christmas Movie Weekend. In July. Several hours later I was back in the snowy, festive days of December.
Cape May Christmas
Evidently I’m not the only one who needs a little good cheer in July.
And as far as inspiration goes , I’m back in the swing of all things mystery and holiday. And I realize that it helps sometimes to have a little distance on what you’re writing about. Christmas seen from the summer.
What do you think? Do you write or read “in season” or does it matter? Do you find yourself listening to the Beach Boys in December or the Vienna Boys choir on the Fourth of July?
Shelley,
I too am in the middle of a holiday book and yes, I listen to Christmas music : )
Fa la la la la to that!
I loved your story about going to the closet for a coat! I have the central air on, and thanks to menopause it’s always cold in the house. My husband says I freeze him out at night
It does help me to set a stage, so to speak, by getting in the mood with music and the coolness of the house instead of stepping out into the 90′s. Bah Humbug! (I’ve never been a summer lovin person : ) I prefer it cooler.
Kudos to you for writing multi holiday pieces. Good luck on the rest of your Christmas pieces!
All my best,
Cathy Tully—who is wearing a sweatsuit in her office while it’s 97 degrees
outside : )
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, Available now, Astraea Press
MARRYING MR. RIGHT, Coming soon, The Wild Rose Press
http://www.cathytully.com
MY kids and I like to sleep under a comforter all year round. Maybe they caught that from me. But being from Georgia I’m happy with air conditioning instead of hot muggy nights with no breeze—only mosquitoes.
I love writing holiday stories, they lend themselves to so much description and food and other fun things.
Hi, Shelley! Loved Beach Colors!
lol Yes, I’ve played Jimmy Buffett in the dead of winter while writing a hot July scene for Clear As Day and Christmas music while sweltering here at my computer trying to envision tons of snow. Luckily, my current project’s weather is in sync with the season. The fun our stories puts us through!
Seems like I’m always half a year off. I guess that’s a good way to enjoy both seasons all year round.
I write a lot of short fiction and have to write at off times of the year too. Like Valentines in the fall. Somehow, it all works out. LOL
It does. right now I’m looking at victorian houses all lit up for the holiday season surrounded by beautiful white snow and it’s 90 degrees outside.
Righj now I’m working on a Christmas story, a Thanksgiving story and a beach story. All due with in the next 6 weeks.
I do find I write more in the spring, summer, and fall. But I edit more in the winter months. I seem to have an issue with switching from creative mode to edit more during the same time period. I’m trying to overcome this. I can do it with short stories but not with novellas for novels. I wonder if this has anything to do with being a NaNoWriMo, NaNoEdMo addict?
Interesting. I seem to write and edit equally. I read more in the winter. I don’t know why. I used to get edits around the holidays all the time, now they’re spread out over the year. so I”m constantly going back and forth between writing and editing.
(math question nearly got me…can’t do math)
Keep Christmas in your heart…no, you aren’t Scrooge!
After all these years, you ought to be able to slip away to any time or place. I know you can.
I’m going to blog about The Sheik…desert time. The only time I’ve ever seen sand dunes was down the shore. I guess I’ll have to fake away the ocean. : )
Actually I’m up for holidays any time of the year. There is something to be said for writing out of season, you get to pull up those fun memories that are buried under all the stuff that has happened since then. And do some Google research and maybe listen to a little music.
I’ve been to the desert. Turn the ocean into more sand and you’ll have an idea.