Maintain a Writing Practice Through the Holidays with These Simple Writing Exercises
Once October rolls around, it can be hard for some of us to stick to a writing routine. Halloween comes knocking; then Thanksgiving quickly follows, if you live in the U.S.; and right after that, we have several holiday celebrations that come in right as the year begins to close.
Between shopping, baking, and wrapping gifts, among other chores, our writing practice can get pushed to the back burner. It’s easy to let it slip away, and often we can end up feeling guilty for allowing it to fall behind. The truth is, it’s perfectly okay to indulge in some holiday festivities, and we should do so without added pressure.
But if keeping up with writing is something that’s truly important for you, I’ve compiled 5 exercises below that are quick, simple, and can be done when you have a moment to yourself. This way you can say you kept up with your writing practice and still enjoy the rest of your celebrations without any added guilt!
These are so simple you can do them on one of those spare notebooks you’ve been collecting in a closet somewhere (I know you, and you know you, and if you’re anything like me, you know what I’m talking about). Otherwise, feel free to pull out a trusted journal, or even give them a try on your phone’s note app!
Exercise #1: Single-Sentence Descriptions
Choose one item in your surroundings and describe it in one vivid sentence. For example, “The mug was chipped at the edge, a lightning bolt-shaped fissure stretching from the top rim to the bottom.”
With this exercise, you’ll be practicing your observational skills. What do you notice? How can you liken what you see to something else? How can you paint a picture with a few words?
Exercise #2: Dialogue-Only Scene
Write a short scene using only dialogue. Avoid dialogue tags or narration, and focus on conveying emotion, conflict, and character through what’s said (and unsaid).
Newer writers tend to lean toward making the dialogue in their stories uber-realistic. While this isn’t a wrong tactic, dialogue is so much richer when our characters say less and when we use subtext. With this exercise, you can practice how to deliver important and poignant information through dialogue by saying it without saying it. How can you keep a pivotal conversation between characters emotive but also short and sweet?
Exercise #3: Character Quirks
Pick a character you’re working on or invent a new one. Write 5 unusual quirks or habits they have and briefly explain how each reflects their personality.
The thing about greatly written characters is that there’s so much information about them that never even makes it onto the page. The writers of these characters have a deep and well-rounded idea of who their characters are, and this helps to relay that more efficiently on the page. So think about 5 quirks that reveal who they are even if these don’t ever make it into the story.
Exercise #4: Three-Minute Freewrite
Set a timer for 3 minutes. Write nonstop about anything on your mind, whether it’s related to a story or just your day. Don’t stop to edit or overthink.
Freewriting is one of my favorite writing exercises. I love the thought-dump essence of it, the emptying out of all that feels heavy and cluttered inside my mind. This exercise will help loosen you up, and it’s great to try it right before you sit down to write. So even if you’re not planning to sit down and work on your WIP during the holidays, you can find that its destressing quality is a great fringe benefit.
Exercise #5: Character’s Favorite Memory
Write a quick paragraph about your character’s happiest or most meaningful memory. Include sensory details to make it vivid.
One of the most important things a writer can do is create an emotional connection between character and reader. A great way to do this is by developing some of your character’s more significant memories. The memories that made them, that broke them in places, are the ones that will best dictate how your character’s personality will come across on the page. This exercise will help with character development and understanding what makes them relatable to your readers.
I hope these exercises are helpful to you. However, it’s also good to remember that the end of the year tends to be a hectic time regardless, and taking time away from our beloved WIPs can sometimes even work out for the greater good. I hope that you enjoy these days of celebration in whatever way brings you most peace and joy. January is sure to come bounding right around the corner just in time to whip us all right back into gear, and we’ll be back to pursuing our dreams of writing and publishing.
If you’re looking to get your manuscript edited in 2025, do reach out, and let’s talk about how I can best assist you on your journey to published!