Fi Phillips

Advent calendars are eagerly opened each morning, the tree is up in all it's tinsel-ly grandeur, and Christmas cards are written and ready to post. December has arrived. After the house move in November, we're well on the way to unpacking all the boxes and bags we brought with us. The new place finally feels like home. December will be a month of winding down after all the hard work of settling in here, preparing for the festive break, and looking ahead to all the new beginnings that January will bring. Writing-wise, I'm determined to carve out some time during the Christmas holiday to return to my novel (armed with advice from my recent meeting with literary agent Lucy Morris ). Work-wise, Murdering the Text has never closed its online doors during or since the move. Blog posts have been written and newsletters have continued to fly out. We'll be winding down for Christmas on 22nd December though, opening up again on 3rd January. Family-wise, the present ...

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.

Just a quick post to wish you all the best for Christmas. May the day bring you all that you wish for, and if that isn't possible (I doubt I'll get that unicorn this year - darn) then I hope you have the kind of day that you need.  Corny I know, but this is from the soundtrack of  one of my favourite Christmas films.

Have you made a Christmas list this year or are you just hoping that your family know you well enough to buy the right gifts for you? I've probably left this list a little late to be of any use to my family but just in case... Firstly, I'd like a peaceful Christmas Day. Not peaceful as in alone, or with the family tied to their beds, but peaceful in that there are no cross words or bad feelings, towards anyone, just good cheer and lots of laughter. Secondly, for my family to remember that when I'm tidying away the torn-off wrapping paper and fussing over some aspect of the food, I'm not being a kill-joy. I'm simply attempting to quieten my anxiety and keep on top of things. I'm enjoying myself, really I am, even if I'm frowning. Thirdly, wouldn't it be wonderful to have a day without war, or murder, or cruelty? This is a long shot, and incredibly naive. Still, fingers crossed for that one. I'd like a day without pain. I'm still sufferin...

Have you seen this Christmas advert yet? An elderly gentleman finds that the only way to bring his family together at Christmas is to fake his own death. This German advert has reduced most people I know to tears, including me. Many families only come together to celebrate weddings or commiserate the loss of a loved one. For me, Christmas was the main time each year when my own family gathered in one place - aunts, uncles, cousins, friends who meant as much to us as family too - and it was these gatherings that often created the stories my family would tell and re-tell. What Christmas tales did your family create from the yearly gatherings? Happy? Sad? Comical? All of those together?  Let me know.

Christmas trees are going up in people's homes (they've been up in the shops since the beginning of November). Black Friday and Cyber Monday saw a record spend by the British public. Bets are being placed on whether we'll have snow on the big day. In the run up to Christmas, I think we all go a bit doolally in our quest for the perfect festive celebration. That isn't necessarily a bad thing but it can certainly cause as many arguments as it does rewards. When I first started writing the 7 Ways articles, I posted one on how to survive the run up to Christmas. I think that 7 ways to keep your sanity in the festive season is still as pertinent today as it was back then. Go on, slap a snowman. A major part of the preparations in the run up to Christmas is buying presents. Throughout the year, I make a note of all the things that my children mention they would like so I have a shopping list by the time I get to November. My husband is more difficult. This year I tol...

Yes, you did read that right. Festive Reapings is the third of the customer commissioned murder mystery plays that I wrote this year. With a cast of three men and five women, this murder mystery has a Christmas theme. Things aren't going well in the Grotto at Fairman's department store. The fairy has been sacked, Santa is drunk in the gents toilet, and to top it all, there are hardly any customers. What else could go wrong? Festive Reapings had its first outing in November this year and you can find more photos of the Purley Players' production  here . Find more details about this murder mystery on the Murdering the Text website .

And I just wanted to say 'Merry Christmas' to you all. Thank you for visiting my blog this year and leaving all your lovely comments. Wherever you are and whoever you spend it with, have a wonderful time. May the festive break bring you peace, joy and just what you need.

I thought I'd leave this one until last because it's the best one of all. It's also free. You don't need to spend any money to buy this gift for your writerly friend. As writers, what we often need is someone to listen, not necessarily to our work (although on occasion we would love to read aloud to you) but rather to have someone to throw ideas around with. Your opinion as a reader is incredibly valuable but your outlook on life can also be a lifesaver. Will this storyline work? Is this a good place to start? Would jelly actually do that in zero gravity? Writing is mainly a solitary business. We writers can become blinkered to life out there in the real world and whether the words we're planting on the page actually work. We need outside input and interaction. So next time you see your writerly friend, or speak to them on the phone, why not ask if there's anything you can do to help? It could be as simple as a cup of tea to chat. Whatever it is, it'...

I generally have a cup of coffee to hand when I write but on occasion, a cup of tea is better. I found this set of Novel Teas on the Writers Gifts website . It contains twenty five tea bags, each one bearing a tag with a literary quote from writers such as C S Lewis and Alice Hoffman. Writers Gifts is a British website but I found an American website called Bag Ladies Tea that sells this item too. It also comes in a smaller pouch size. If your writerly friend is a tea drinker, this one could be an ideal gift.

There was a time when I filled cupboards and shelves with my writing - pads filled with scribbles, folders overflowing with sheets of paper. Nowadays, the majority of my writing is stored on my laptop which is all fine and good if my laptop is healthy. My current laptop is quite new but in the past, laptops have died on me, to quite devastating effect. I learned my lesson though and I now have a memory stick or two, and our household has a couple of separate hard drives too (for all of our computers). I back up religiously, saving my latest writing as often as I write to ensure I never again have to suffer the loss of my creative workings. Why not help your writerly friend to safeguard their own creations by buying them a memory stick or a separate hard drive. It could be a life saver.

LastKiss - Etsy I hate doing the food shop. My children get bored going round the supermarket and start to fight. My husband takes too long to peruse all the offers. We always seem to encounter the shoppers who have no idea how to drive a trolley without injuring someone. The list of complaints I have around doing a food shop is rather long. What always brightens the event is using a shopping bag that a friend had made for me years ago for my business Murdering The Text . Why not do the same for your writerly friends? Cheer up their shopping trips with writer and book inspired bags. NinivzCreations - Etsy LAMarler - Etsy TheWritersStop - Zazzle sadbunny - Zazzle

I've mentioned already how I suffer from bad circulation in my hands so when I came across these writer's gloves, I did a little happy dance. Available in Pride and Prejudice (above), The Secret Garden, A Tale of  Two Cities, Jane Eyre, Romans 12, Wuthering Heights and Little Women, each pair features quotes from your chosen novel or piece of writing. You can buy them from Etsy store, Storiarts .

Writers can become so focused on one thing that we forget about everything else. Give them a helping hand  by buying them a wall calendar. A month to a page calendar provides a writer with the chance to record deadlines and reminders. My calendar hangs close to my desk in a place that I can't miss when entering or leaving the room. I check it at least once a day and as soon as I have a deadline or appointment of any kind, I scribble it down on my calendar.

Similar to the writerly jewellery I posted a few days ago , but a lot less subtle, is a writerly t-shirt. I love the one pictured above ( find it here  on Zazzle) but there's a massive choice available all over the internet. Out of Print Clothing The Shirt Dudes Zazzle Glamfoxx - Supermarket

Aqua Notes - www.myaquanotes.com I don't know about you but the moment I turn on the shower or lie down in the bath, my muse comes knocking, well, splashing or poking, you know what I mean. Of course, I don't have anything to take notes on when I'm in this situation. My children long since outgrew bath letters. I do my best to keep the ideas in my brain but often I forget some details. Aqua notes must surely be the answer. They're waterproof, to the point that you can use them underwater, and recyclable too.

Literary Gift Company Why not buy your writer friend a writerly magnetic kit for their fridge? They can use it to kill a few minutes while the kettle is boiling, or if they're a tad stumped creatively and need a moment out? You can find quite a varied selection at the Literary Gift Company .

There's nothing better than taking a little writerly touch along on an evening out - even if no one notices it apart from me. Why not buy your writerly friend a piece of writing related jewellery or cufflinks. The Literary Gift Company The Literary Gift Company DoonyAndMoony - Etsy JezebelCharms - Etsy charmphilosophy - Etsy Custom Made

I've already mentioned the writer's love for pens but along with that goes a writer's giddiness over a well-formed writing pad. Be it A5 or A4, lined or blank, ringbound or punched, a lovely, fresh pad will make any writer smile. As with the pens, they don't have to be expensive and they're widely available in stationers, gift shops or supermarkets.  Here's a selection that I came across. Pink Blossom Blue Sky Gifts, Zazzle Strangemoo, Zazzle W H Smith Tesco Paperchase