As we all settle back for a well-deserved 48-hour respite1 from slaving at our respective grindstones, it’s as well to remember to keep your writerly radar pinging throughout the festive season.
What with the trapping over-excited children, confused elderly relatives, stressed-out parents and chefs on the rampage in one confined space, mixed up with a drop of misunderstanding and too much booze, Christmas and New Year can be a real goldmine for writers.
That’s not to say everyone wants to see the inner workings of one another’s families, but it’s the interaction, the banter, the (often forced) joviality that combine to offer up little moments of genius that, if you’re paying enough attention2, you’ll find cropping up in your work in the year(s) to come.
So raise a glass, kick back, chill out and enjoy the goodwill of all mankind, but remember to keep your writer wits about you – you never know when you might strike paydirt.
Merry Christmas to one and all and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!