Sonia M. Rompoti, MSc, bsc

Welcome to the December Circus (You Are the Performing Act)

Every December, the entire world seems to agree on one thing:
Let’s all collectively lose our minds.

Everyone else is running around buying gifts, baking cookies, and pretending they’re having a magical time. Meanwhile, indie authors are over here whispering into their keyboards:

“If I don’t finish this draft by New Year’s, I will spontaneously combust.”

December is charming, beautiful, glittery, and aggressively overwhelming. It’s the month where you might feel like you’re doing everything wrong:

• You’re not writing enough.
• You’re not promoting enough.
• You’re not resting enough.
• You’re not being festive enough.

And somehow, you’re supposed to handle all of this while also maintaining the sacred indie-author equation: creativity + exhaustion + caffeine = survival.

If you’re feeling this, breathe. You’re not failing. You’re in December.

Let’s walk through this, hand in hand…

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Why December Burnout Hits Authors Twice as Hard

There’s a psychological double-whammy happening:

Creative burnout meets holiday burnout.

You’ve spent the year writing, editing, building an audience, learning platforms, creating funnels, redesigning covers, fighting with Amazon categories, and trying to understand TikTok… again.

By the time December arrives, your brain already resembles the inside of an overbaked gingerbread house: fragile walls, questionable structure, sugar-glue emotions.

Then:
December piles expectations on top of you like a fallen stack of TBR books.

• Family events.
• School events.
• Social obligations.
• Emotional nostalgia you didn’t ask for.
• The pressure to “end the year strong.”

Your nervous system is basically drafted into the holiday army without consent.

This is why you’ll find yourself staring at your manuscript thinking:
Please write yourself.

And honestly? Fair.

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The Silent Guilt: “Everyone Else Is Writing More Than Me”

Let’s address the dark little December thought that creeps in around the 12th:

“Look at that author. She’s releasing a novella on the 20th. I can’t even finish an Instagram caption.”

Deep breath.

Social media in December is a performance. Most of the people who look put-together are also weeping over their laptops at 1 a.m. while eating festive chocolate coins because dinner was too much effort.

Your worth is not measured by how fast you write in the most chaotic month of the year.

Here’s the truth:
Most indie authors slow down in December. Some stop completely.
And the ones who don’t… probably should.

You are not behind. You’re human.

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Writing in December Without Losing Your Soul

This is where I grab you by the metaphorical shoulders and tell you something liberating:

Your December writing does not have to be productive. It has to be sustainable.

Forget speed. Forget word count. Forget whatever your favorite Instagram writer said about “finishing strong.”

We focus on creative upkeep, not creative perfection.

A sustainable December looks like:

• Writing small but consistently.
Not 3,000 words. Maybe 300. Maybe a single paragraph. Maybe editing one page. It counts.

• Letting December energy shape your writing instead of fighting it.
If your brain is soft and emotional right now… lean in. Holiday scenes. Warm memories. Soft edits. Gentle brainstorming.

• Choosing warm creative tasks.
Author newsletters. Canva images. Pin descriptions. Aesthetic boards. Low-pressure storytelling.

• Protecting your emotional energy.
This includes saying no to holiday things that feel like a trap.

Creativity doesn’t die in December.

It just hides under a blanket.

Let it be cozy instead of forced.

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The December Brain: A Real Psychological Thing

Here’s a little inside-baseball from the mental-health angle you carry into your author brand:

December hits the emotional centers differently. Nostalgia, memory, seasonal pressure, unresolved grief, and sensory overwhelm all spike during this month.

Your creativity isn’t broken.
Your brain is simply navigating:

• shorter daylight
• heavier emotional load
• increased social expectations
• shifts in routine
• family triggers
• year-end reflections

Once you understand that, your inner critic becomes a lot quieter.

It’s not that you “can’t write.”
Your cognitive load is literally maxed out.

This is why we soften, not push.

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Micro-Rituals That Actually Help You Write in December

Not a list, just… little rituals sprinkled into your day like cinnamon on top of your sanity.

• Light a candle before you write.
Not for the aesthetic (okay maybe a little), but because scent cues help your brain switch modes faster.

• Five-minute free-writing sessions.
Set a timer. Dump thoughts. No pressure.
Half the time, this turns into ten or twenty minutes without noticing.

• Change your writing location.
Couch. Bed. A coffee shop full of people loudly living their lives.
A tiny shift often wakes up imagination.

• Let December be part of your story world.
Even if your book isn’t set in winter, you can borrow the feeling.
Softness. Reflection. Closeness.
The atmosphere you’re in is a gift—use it.

• Drink something warm while you write.
Again, a sensory cue. Brains love consistency.

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Your Author Business Still Exists, But You Don’t Have to Break Yourself Over It

December often feels like the month where authors try to juggle:

• sales
• promos
• newsletters
• TikTok content
• book swaps
• reader magnets
• aesthetic updates
• product creation
• prepping for next year
• deadlines from last year they forgot

Stop.

You can’t build an empire while fighting a Christmas tree.

Focus on one thing:
Connection.

Readers love December warmth. They respond to authenticity, softness, humor, vulnerability. You know this. Your brand thrives on it.

A simple “How are you handling December?” post does more than a perfectly crafted promo.

Your business is not built in a month.
But your relationship with your readers?
That can grow beautifully right now.

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What to Do When You Want to Quit Writing Until January

If you’re at the “burn it all down and become a goat farmer” stage, you’re normal.

This feeling hits every indie author in December.

Here’s what helps:

• Re-read a chapter you’re proud of.
• Revisit a scene that reminds you why you love the story.
• Let yourself write messy.
• Take a complete break for 24 hours with no guilt.
• Talk to another writer and share the pain.

You don’t have to be brilliant right now.
You just have to stay connected to the part of you that writes because it feels like home.

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A Gentle December Permission Slip

You are allowed to:

• Write slowly
• Write badly
• Not write today
• Change your plans
• Release the book next month
• Cancel a promo
• Lower your word count
• Choose rest over performance

You are not failing.
You are a writer in December.
There’s a difference.

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Your Call to Action (Warm, Human, and Actually Helpful)

This month isn’t about speed. It’s about survival, intuition, connection, and soft creativity.

If you want company through the chaos, join my newsletter and let’s finish this year side by side.
I send bookish advice, writing confessions, indie author truths, and the occasional unhinged December survival tip.