Sunday, December 19, 2010

Over the Holidays, I'd Like What Every Other Writer Would Like

No, Not Another Lump of Coal...


This year, all I want for Christmas is to be able to write for one week straight without having to deal with the rest of the world.  That includes working for a living, of course.  Bills.  Holiday colds.  That sort of thing.

I admit it, when someone says the word Holiday, I usually think of even less time to write.  It's not that I'm not grateful for friends and family and parties, I'd just like for the rest of the world to reconsider.  To think that there should be a holiday from holidays.  At least for writers.

Or bring back patronage.  It worked for artists a ways back.  It could work for writers.

And with the publishing houses investing less in marketing and promotion and expecting more and more of writers including conventions, blogging, Facebook and, yes, the dreaded twittering- when do we get time to write?  Are any of the rest of you social networked to death?  I just learned about LinkedIn.  Or something like that.  Very helpful to writers, I was told.  I admit, I covered my ears while the informant was talking.

So next year, we have to have a new holiday for writers, where all we have to do is write.  No cards to send out- just time to write.

What a present that would be!


MySpace Tracker

28 comments:

G. B. Miller said...

Time to write without interruptions from the real world?

What a novel concept (no pun intended).

I definitely can see patronage working for me. Might actually get me motivated to work on something original for a change.

the walking man said...

I have been on linkdin for a couple of years. I have ignored it for a coule of years. and now that I think of it Rick I have ignored all the holidays for far longer than that. Yes including my birthday.

Rick said...

G- Any politician that wants my vote next election has to include patronage on his "to do" list.

Rick said...

That would make you ageless, walking man! Not a bad age for a writer.

Charles Gramlich said...

That patronage idea is the one I want to see. Too bad I don't hae a rich family member who wants to support me. add in the time for promoting and the writing time dissipates like water on a hot griddle.

Angie said...

I ignore LinkedIn too. I noticed in a Google search that I supposedly have a LinkedIn page -- apparently they just sort of pop up by themselves -- but I haven't done anything with it and don't plan to. I don't have a Facebook page either; even if I were ready to take on yet another link in my social network, they've had way too many privacy and security issues for way too many years, and don't seem to have learned anything from any of them.

I don't Twitter either, although I'll admit I've been tempted once or twice. It seems like a great forum for grassroots activism. We'll see.

But yeah, the time sucked up by being an online presence in various forums could definitely produce an extra novel or so each year.

Angie

Rick said...

Can we start a political party, Charles, with a patronage platform? There are enough starving writers that we just might carry the vote.

Rick said...

Angie, I'm beginning to think I might be related to you!

Kathryn Magendie said...

Gawd - let me tell you -I about burned myself out on SN and all the rest -- I've decided the writing must be done because 1) I like it; 2) I have deadlines *laugh*

But yeah -I know ...

Rick said...

Oh, sure, bring up deadlines!

Travis Cody said...

I have asked for ideas this year rather than time. I seem to have enough time, but no thoughts to string together into a story. No poems either.

Dangit.

Rick said...

Travis- I checked and you're not scheduled for even a half day of writer's block until 2032. If you don't start writing, you're taking up someone else's writer's block time, and that could throw off the whole schedule. Besides, you were born with talent. Even when you think you've run out of ideas, you haven't. You're just getting ready to write something important.

If you don't mind my telling you this, I believe you have important things to share with the rest of us. You've watched a lot of life go by and when I read your work, I know everything you've done so far has just been warming up.

Steve Buchheit said...

Second that motion. Was hoping to have this in between semesters. And then the day job went all Hoover on my ass. Add in the night thing decided to go crazy as well and the home life getting a little more complex (albeit temporarily).

Well, I've been saying I was developing the writing as my retirement career. That's when I finally may get to do it.

Rick said...

We need to win the lottery, Steve!

Middle Ditch said...

Plenty of time to write here but no energy. Does that count?

Have a lovely Christmas Rick. We are trying to without heat (well hardly any) since we ran out of oil and no delivery until 14 January. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. AND it's freezing! Weirdest Xmas ever! XX

Travis Cody said...

Thank you. That really meant a lot.

Rick said...

Oh no, Monique- that is absolutely awful! Do you have electric heat or anything? January 14th is a long way away....

I'll bet your fingers are too frozen to type!!

Rick said...

Meant every word of it, Travis. You have a lot of work ahead of you. Make Steinbeck proud. I mean that.

Vesper said...

I'm all with you, Rick.
I hope you can find your holiday within the holidays...
Merry Christmas, Rick, and all the best to you and your loved ones.

Nevine Sultan said...

Hi Rick,

Just wanted to stop in and wish you a lovely holiday season filled with everything you desire. And what an ironic moment this was... for me to read what you have written. So, then. Let me wish you a holiday season filled with writing moments... or hours... and nothing else... if that is at all possible!

Happy Holidays to you and yours! :-)

Nevine

Lana Gramlich said...

There still IS patronage (in a sense) in the art world. High powered art dealers sometimes support a handful of artists. Unfortunately what they consider "art" is questionable & once you reach that stage, you don't make your own art anymore, anyway. Others are paid to do it for you (they'll even sign your name for you.) I guess I'd take that, too, but such status is reserved for .0000001% of the population. :(

Lana Gramlich said...

BTW, LinkedIn may be overrated. I've had some opportunities through my contacts there, but none of it ever resulted in dollars going in my pocket.

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Yes - I slow down considerably from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day. I just don't have the time to invest in writing, blogging, workshops, readings, et al.

I vote for a writer's holiday.

Rick said...

Hello Vesper! Sorry to be so long in responding, but I've been on the road. I'm so glad you stopped by and Happy Holidays to you and yours as well.

Rick said...

Nevine, my apologies for this late response, but I wish the same to you and yours and I have much to tell you in the New Year.

Rick said...

I'm so jealous that artists can still find patronage, Lana. Wait, where do I vote for you?

Rick said...

K, we can call Hallmark today about getting a Writer's Holiday. They're in charge, right?

And Happy Holidays to you and your loved ones.

Noelle Dunn.... A Poet in Progress said...

yes, yes...so much less time to write!! Writers holiday needed indeed! Happy New Year!