by Lynn Blackburn @LYNNHBLACKBURN

Ah, December.

That glorious time of year when children try to be on their very best behavior, parents try to find the perfect gift that their child didn’t decide was the perfect gift until December 23^rd, and writers wonder how many times they have to tell their significant other that all they really want is three days alone to write.

[tweet_box design=”default” float=”none” inject=”#Writing #Writinglife #BRMCWC”]A Writer’s Christmas Wishlist by @LYNNHBLACKBURN on @BRMCWC[/tweet_box]

When it comes to Christmas wishes, my motto is “Go big or don’t bother,” so here are a few things I think most writers would love to find under the tree this year.

1. A notebook that is beautiful AND makes you WANT to write in it. I can’t be the only one with a stash of notebooks that I simply can’t bring myself to sully with ink! #unicornnotebook

2. A writing spot where no one texts, calls, or comes to “check to see if you’re alive” — except for when you *want* them to bring food or coffee. #yesIamalive #noIdonotneedtoseethefunnymemeonyourphone

3. A muse that shows up during daylight hours. Or, really, at any time other than thirty seconds after you go to bed or ten minutes after your available writing time. Mine has been a bit overactive around midnight lately. #dobetter

4. A revision Brownie. No, not that kind of brownie. I’m talking about the mythical kind of Brownies that come in, clean up the mess, and can never be spoken of. Of course, an actual brownie to eat while doing revisions would be great, too. But a revision Brownie? Come on! Why can’t these be real? #revisionsmakemecry

5. A perfect plot twist—the kind that makes readers tell all their friends that they have to read your book. Now. To be clear, we don’t want this plot twist to come to us through any negative real-life experiences. We want to make our characters suffer, but we don’t want to suffer! #toomuchtoask?

6. A first draft that flows without any hiccups. As opposed to the normal kind. You know, the kind that leaves writers curled in the fetal position while questioning all their life choices, crying in the shower, and/or looking up employment opportunities in the Caribbean. #IhearArubaisnice

Okay, so I know that if this is my wish list, I’ll be disappointed on Christmas morning, but it’s fun to dream a little, right?

I’ll leave us with one final, far more realistic Christmas prayer for all of us.

I pray we find pockets of creativity in the chaos of the season—whether it’s scribbling a sentence between holiday parties or dreaming up plots while untangling lights. And may the new year bring us stories that fire our imagination, inspiration to fuel our craft, and just enough typos to remind us that perfection is, indeed, overrated.

Grace, peace, and merriest of Christmases to you all!

Lynn