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The wassail is nearly done, the decorations need to be taken down, the partying is over and worse, the Yule 
Log has burned down to ashes. . . for Twelfth Night has arrived. Yes, we have reached the end of the twelve days of the Christmas season and it’s time to go back to the regular schedule.
Traditionally, January 6th marked the day when the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to visit the newborn Jesus, hence bringing the news of the Messiah to the Gentile world. The other name for this religious feast day is the Epiphany…meaning to be revealed or to be shown.
In medieval and Tudor/Elizabethan times, this day was the focus of much merriment and feasting AKA PARTY!!! Heck, even that obscure playwright fellow Shakespeare wrote a play for it and titled Twelfth Night. It was a special time and a special day. But now, most of us have already taken down our Christmas trees, lights, decorations and spirit. Most of us head back to the real world on January 2nd and left behind the good feelings of the season.
So, how am I celebrating Twelfth Night? Well, the decorations are still up, the lights are still on and I don’t have a Yule log…because I’m heading into a deadline-binge of writing. My book is due next week (just as I step out the door and head for a business meeting in Disney World….um, yes, I said business meeting at Disney World….) and so everything else, including packing, is on hold until I type “THE END”.
But….I did experience an epiphany yesterday..a moment of revelation for my story.
You see, I am a seat-of-the-pants writer and usually only know the beginning and end of my story when I begin writing. Until I get the first 100-120 pages written, I really don’t know my characters well enough to know what they’re going to do. So, the first 100-120 pages are pretty much writing blind for me – nothing makes sense because I can’t see where any of it is going. Then, after much gnashing of teeth and wailing and page 120, I finally know the characters and understand their journey!! It is a veritable Ah-hah! moment and the writing after that comes at a faster and somewhat easier rate.
I had that moment as I was driving into the parking lot at work yesterday morning and then so many things in my story became clear to me — why the hero and heroine can’t be together, the love triangle that I never knew about and several other core elements that I really need to tell my story. (yes, the one that needs to be written in a week!) Since yesterday, the story has clarified itself to me and I can see the possibilities ahead.
So, let us say HUZZAH for Twelfth Night and epiphanies, too!
Are you done with Christmas? Are your decorations down? Has the Christmas Spirit been packed away until next year? Post a comment about one of the best things that happened to you during the Holiday Season and I’ll pick two and send out a couple of prizes and books to those people. (BTW — the prizes won’t be mailed out until THE END is typed either! )
Terri is also still celebrating the release of her first BRAVA romance — A Storm of Passion! Please visit her website and enter her “O Lord! Save Us from the Northmen!” contest by January 15th. And to check out the gorgeous cover for her April Harlequin Historical anthology PLEASURABLY UNDONE….and lots of other good things too! www.terribrisbin.com
Filed in: Jaunty Post
Jan 6th
2010
7:04 am
Tonya Kappes Said:
Yes, my lights are still on as well. They will come down over the weekend.
I am a panster as well until the first 100 pages. I know the beginning and most of the end, it’s all the middle gunk that gets me. Ha!!
I am editing my MS now and it was all ‘rosey’ so I needed to shake something up. Over the break I killed a main character off in order to make the story stronger and the other character true to herself. I actually like it and sends a great message. The message I was going for.
Have a great meeting! Good luck with ‘The End.’
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Jan 6th
2010
7:09 am
kristan higgins Said:
You’re a brave woman, Terri, pantsing like that…but whatever works!
Today the decorations come home. My children are protesting. They, of course, want to keep the tree up till Valentine’s Day…
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Jan 6th
2010
8:07 am
Margo Maguire Said:
Terri – I envy your ability to binge-write the way you do. I’d be a nervous wreck! Good luck next week, and hey… Have fun at Disney.
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Jan 6th
2010
9:13 am
eap Said:
THe best thing that happened was i got to see my nephew.
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Jan 6th
2010
9:50 am
Rebekah E. Said:
The best thing the happened was that we got snowed in and was able to spend a couple of days together as a family without interuptions. It was fun to watch the kids play in the snow.
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Jan 6th
2010
10:10 am
Shana Said:
Don’t feel bad–my Christmas decorations are still up too. I am slowly making a pile of them and then I can start putting them in their boxes. The best thing that happened? I got two nights of uninterrupted sleep!
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Jan 6th
2010
10:38 am
Soleil Said:
My Christmas decorations are down and packed away. The house is a little darker without all the lights, but I guess if we kept them up all year round they wouldn’t be so special anymore! I had a best/worst experience this Christmas season. It was my first Christmas out of my parent’s house and it was fun, weird feeling, and sad. I saw my parents on Christmas Day, but it was weird not having the whole extended holiday experience with them — you know the Christmas music playing every night, the baking of delicious things, and the general spending a lot of time together. But on the other side, I got to start my own traditions, and I really loved decorating my own tree!
Aren’t those ah-ha moments the best? Good luck with your deadline Terri!
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Jan 6th
2010
10:50 am
Crystal B. Said:
I found out I am going to have a new nephew in July and I got a ebook reader.
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Jan 6th
2010
11:42 am
Quilt Lady Said:
Part of my decorations is still up, the lights outside! Everything else is put away! The tempts here are in the 20′s and below and its just been to cold to get out and put them away. We have snow coming tonight, not looking forward to this.
Best thing that happened is my son is home form college, goes back this weekend!
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Jan 6th
2010
11:43 am
ruth Said:
I spent time with my sister who lost her husband and never travels. It was meaningful and lovely.
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Jan 6th
2010
11:51 am
Kathryn Said:
My decorations are still up… I’ll take a stab at getting the tree down this weekend… I hate, hate, hate that job. I find taking down the decorations is like unpacking… it means the end of a good time and is a chore.
Best thing about this Christmas? I had all four kids at home for Christmas Eve and the better part of Christmas Day — getting harder to achieve each year as they all have part-time jobs (mostly in retail) and are starting to have boyfriend/girlfriends with whom we have to share the holidays.
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Jan 6th
2010
12:34 pm
Janette Kenny Said:
My outside decorations are up. Like quilt lady it’s too cold to take them down. And we’re getting more snow so they may be out until Valentines Day!
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Jan 6th
2010
2:29 pm
pjpuppymom Said:
Hi Terri! Good luck with the book and have a great time at Disney.
My decorations are down and the tree was put away last night but the Christmas spirit pretty much stays with me all year. It’s my favorite holiday. The best thing that happened over the holidays is that, after three years of waiting, my sister-in-law’s younger brother, Chris got a kidney transplant. Their mother died of the kidney disease that he was diagnosed with about five years ago (it’s passed from mother to son). It’s the best gift our family could have received and we’re all very grateful to the generous family whose loved one signed up to be an organ donor. Coincidentally, Terri, Chris is a longtime employee of Disney World and I can’t say enough about how wonderful they have been throughout this entire ordeal over the past five years. Yay, Disney!
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Jan 6th
2010
6:18 pm
Jessica C Said:
Hi Terri!
Terri, you write just like I did in college…. Ha, suspense seems to bring the best out of me.
Your last book, Conqueror’s Lady, is sold out at eHQ, so I rushed to buy it at Amazon. Got it!
The best part about the Holidays was spending time with most of our family members, and realizing that Mom’s cancer is only what it is, and she is beautiful! (She has the most flawless shaved head, no bumps, creases or dimples!)
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Jan 6th
2010
10:24 pm
ladydawgfan Said:
Our Christmas Decorations are still up, tree and all. The outside decorations will most likely stay up until Easter due to the 32″ of snow that we got last weekend!
That said, the thing that I hate most about taking Christmas decorations down is that once they are put away, all you have left is WINTER!
Months and months and months of it . . .
The best thing that happened this Christmas? I got my Julia Child cookbook, so I can experiment like crazy in the kitchen!!
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Jan 8th
2010
6:37 am
Fran Said:
Good luck, Terri!
We have this tradition also, where we take down all the decorations on January the 6th. So I did all the cleaning on that day, only Christmas decorations that were allowed to stay were window decorations – I make those every year by myself so I want to enjoy them a little bit more.
The best thing about Christmas for me is to have family over for a lunch and having two days off just to enjoy the winter and free time
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Jan 8th
2010
6:43 pm
Fedora Said:
So funny you should ask, Terri–just got the tree and decorations put away this morning. *whew*!!! Best things that happened during the holidays–a lot of excellent family time, and some very fun time with friends we don’t get to see too often. SO very precious! Hope you’re having a good start to the new year!
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Jan 8th
2010
8:48 pm
Terri Brisbin Said:
It is so interesting but not surprising that most of our responses about the holiday season involve being with the ones we love! I remember that was the whole point of the movie LOVE ACTUALLY….
I’ll be picking a winner shortly – feel free to keep posting!
Terri
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