A Holiday Survival Guide for Screenwriters
The end of December can be a weird few weeks for screenwriters. On one hand, Hollywood “shuts down” which can be a great opportunity to recharge, connect with your friends and family, and re-evaluate your goals and priorities for the year ahead. On the other hand it can leave you climbing the walls because that producer who finally said she would read your script won’t get to it till the new year, you have anxiety about heading home with not as much ‘Hollywood success’ as you would like, or you’re stressed over holiday parties and family gatherings where everyone keeps asking you, ‘What do you do?’ or ‘What are you working on?’ and you’re not sure how to answer.
The holidays can be frustrating, maybe a source of self-doubt, and leave you heading into January feeling more stressed than before. But, if you approach the holidays with the right attitude and a bit of planning they can be a great time to take care of yourself, be creative, and get ready to start the new year with focus and enthusiasm.
Here are 5 tips I’ve come up with to help you navigate awkward conversations, overbooked schedules, and make the most of the holiday season:
1. Remember you’re Allowed to have a Holiday
The thing about being a screenwriter is you can technically ‘work’ from anywhere at any time. Which leaves a lot of folks beating themselves up for not writing 365 days a year. All you overachievers with that inner drive to keep generating new material is great, but remember, screenwriters deserve a holiday just like everyone else. In fact, a bit of a work break will do wonders for you. So allow yourself room to breathe, time to reflect on the past year and on your current projects, and recharge your creative batteries - even if its just for an hour of self care. And of course, there’s always binging on your favorite shows that you haven’t made the time to watch until now. Last year I started the tradition of closing my office the last two weeks of the year (not even checking emails) and just chilling. It was wonderful! I read, I cooked, I saw friends. And I started the New Year rejuvenated. I can’t recommend it enough.
2. Be Ready for the Questions
If you’re going home for the holidays chances are you’re going to be met with a lot of questions from family and friends. Everyone wants to know how your Hollywood screenwriting career is going and if you’ve “made it yet?” Questions that can leave you feeling misunderstood, less than, or like you’re disappointing people. It can be useful to anticipate these kinds of questions coming your way and prepare a few responses (or deflections) like, ‘I just had a great breakthrough on the script I’m writing’ or ‘I’ve joined this really amazing writers group’ (you don’t have to lie if things aren’t going perfectly in your career, but you can be positive in a general way). Also, try to remember most of the time friends or family are not asking those questions to make you feel like a loser, they’re asking because they don’t understand the business, they genuinely care about what’s going on with you, or maybe they’re envious that you were brave enough to follow your dreams. In any case, try and take it all with a grain of salt and have compassion for yourself… and it never hurts to practice some answers to these kinds of questions before you get to the gathering.
3. Remind yourself of your Accomplishments
The holidays are a natural time of reflection: time slows down and it’s easy to start comparing and contrasting where you are this year compared to last. Try not to get overwhelmed or disheartened if you didn’t meet all of your 2019 goals (most people don’t achieve every goal they set for themselves). Rather than focusing on everything you didn’t do, maybe make a list of all the things you did do. Let it include things that might not seem like obvious achievements - like finding an extra hour each day to write or following through on your commitment not to go down the social media rabbit hole until you get your daily pages done. These small actions definitely count as accomplishments and get you one step closer to success.
4. Inspiration is Everywhere
Though I do think the holidays can be a great time to take a break from writing, they can also be a terrific source of inspiration - keep your eyes and ears open and your notepad ready. You might be going back to your childhood home, or seeing family and friends you haven’t seen in years – there will be old stories told, nostalgic moments (and probably a few embarrassing ones too) and hopefully plenty of laughs. Keep a notebook handy (or take notes on your phone) of all the observations, strange characters, and interesting moments among the festivities - you never know what might spark a new idea, or what dialogue will find its way into your next screenplay.
5. Stay healthy
It may sound obvious, but it’s really easy to not take care of ourselves over the holidays. Which, when paired with an onslaught of commitments with family and friends, can equal a lot of stress, anxiety, and even depression. I know I sound like a Jewish mother – probably because I am one – but even if you have a busy social calendar, try to fit in activities to help you de-stress and stay emotionally and physically healthy: Maybe try a daily journaling practice (writing ‘ten things you’re grateful for’, or ‘three things that went well today’ can help you maintain perspective and stay positive), exercise (go for a walk or run, do ‘Yoga with Adriene’, or even just take a minute for a few deep breaths), and get enough sleep (you can’t be on your A-Game come January if you’re burned out from the holidays). So give yourself a break and enjoy some time off!
What do you do to stay sane during the holidays? Let me know @CaroleKirsch!