Fi Phillips

So it's Christmas Day tomorrow (just in case, perchance, you didn't know) and I'm officially signing off until the new year. May your last week of 2016 treat you and yours well, and safely usher you into 2017. However you spend it, all the best for the 25th.

The big day is almost upon us and around this time in December each year, when my children have finished school and I've mostly prepared for Christmas Day, I like to look back over the past twelve months. Have I made progress? Did I get everything done that I had planned? What changes and surprises were there along the way? January is my birthday month and this year was a special one. This year I turned fifty, that's half a century of 'me'. My husband treated me to a wonderful, romantic weekend in Venice while our children stayed at home with their uncle.  I posted my reading list for the year , shared my thoughts on organising my online presence , told you about my Top 10 Books and shared my hoarding vice . I continued to send out my novel to literary agents and took up the reins on my next novel.  In April, I took on Camp NanoWrimo for the second year running, talked about doubt as a writer , and told you how Shakespeare made a writer of me . Tha...

It's December and, in  case you hadn't noticed, Christmas is speeding towards us. This weekend, my children helped me decorate our tree. The ornaments are a mixture of styles and colours but many hold wonderful memories.  Most of you will have a Christmas tree in your home this month. My December writing exercise is to choose one of your decorations as an inspiration for your writing. The inspiration could come from where you bought your decoration (or perhaps it was a gift), or what the symbol of the ornament stands for itself (be it, an owl, a Santa or a snowflake).  If you don't have a Christmas tree at home (or if you aren't at home this time of year), then choose an ornament on a tree in a shopping centre, or find one online.  Which bauble have you chosen or what has it inspired you to write?

I came across this frosty bench while walking the dog this morning. What do you think? A meeting place hidden away from the rest of the world? A well remembered picnic spot? What would this inspire you to write?

This month I shall be running round like a headless turkey, or rather a stressed out mother trying to remember everything that needs to be done before the twenty fifth of December. There are cards and letters to be written, presents to be bought (half done already thankfully), people to catch up with, schools events to be prepared for and attended, and writing to be done. Note how writing comes last on the list. I 'will' write this month in the way that my family 'will' enjoy the Christmas season. I'm determined (if a tad frazzled and fraught at the thought of it all). Oh darn, I have to put the tree up too. I need the husband home to get it all down from the attic first. I also have to figure out how to puppy-guard the tree. I don't want Christmas Day ruined by a toppled tree or a pile of chewed presents (unless it's a present for the puppy of course). Joy to the world and all that. I think I need a strong coffee and a mince pie.