Christmas is a good time for getting a great deal of writing done

For me Christmas and New Year is a great time to crack on with the writing. It's a quiet time of year both in terms of e mails and dealing with work related matters, plus there are no talks or media interviews scheduled.  Not having any children or a large family I can spend it quietly indulging in the two Ws - writing and walking!  The walking will help to burn off the extra calories taken on board over the festive season and it will get me away from the computer keyboard for a while, thereby helping to rejuvenate the eyes after all that screen staring, rest the fingers from pounding the keyboard and let the little grey cells relax a little.

I have a deadline of the end of March 2011 to finish the Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel I'm currently writing (number seven in the series) and it's coming along well. I'm on second revisions and barring any last minute mishaps and unknowns I am on target to reach my deadline and you never know might even beat it.  I usually write every day for at least two hours, over the Christmas holiday period this will stretch into four/five maybe even six hours a day.

Before that though there are friends and family to catch up with, drinks parties to attend, some presents to buy, two talks to give: one to the Women's Institute in Salisbury and the other at a writers prize giving ceremony on the Isle of Wight. And there are some events scheduled for the New Year which I need to prepare for. Other than that it's on with the writing!