Most people don’t know this about me, but Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Why? Because Thanksgiving is GREAT. My love for this holiday started when I was a kid. My Grandma Knupp is the best cook ever, and I remember us road tripping to Ohio every year, getting together with my mom’s side of the family, and eating amazing food at Grandma’s house. Her homemade pumpkin pie was something I waited all year long to eat.
When I got older and my family moved across the country, our Thanksgiving traditions changed, but they were still fantastic. My parents started hosting Thanksgiving, and my dad started injecting our turkey with Cajun spices and deep frying it in peanut oil. And if you’re wondering how unhealthy that is, then you’re seriously missing the point of a fried turkey. That bird is TO DIE FOR. Delicious. We also started making Alton Brown’s garlic mashed potatoes and our legendary marshmallow-covered sweet potato soufflé. Various family and friends would drop in to feast with us each year, and after dinner we’d watch great movies all day long.
So Yeah, I Love Thanksgiving
The combination of nostalgia, warmth, fond memories, and amazing food just hits the spot for me. I know there are those of you who hate Thanksgiving passionately. Maybe it’s because your crazy family fights over politics every single year. Or maybe it’s because you hate to cook. Or feel the pressure of hosting weird relatives, or just despise the pile of after-dinner dishes. I can respect all of that. Perhaps one day when I’m in charge of hosting Thanksgiving, I too will feel less excited about this holiday.
But I stand by one opinion: Thanksgiving is absolutely made for writers. Allow me to explain.
7 Reasons Why Thanksgiving is Great for Writing—or Anything Creative Really
Reason #1: Thanksgiving Is a Feast for the Senses
If there’s one thing that makes writers better at their craft, it’s rich sensory experiences. Amazing writing captures all five senses. I’m not advocating for purple prose or anything, but I am saying that one or two sharp, observant details will make your writing come to life. Thanksgiving is a time to truly soak in sensory detail. The buttery flakiness of a fresh-from-the-oven roll. The warmth of nutmeg and baking pumpkin in the air. Crisp winter chill combined with the savor of a frying turkey on your back patio. An itchy 100% wool sweater or the twinkle of Christmas lights through falling snow. Wherever you happen to be spending Thanksgiving, jotting down these little details or just pausing to soak it all in is something every writer can benefit from. Thanksgiving is great for noticing the details.
Reason #2: Baby, It’s Cold Outside
I’ve written before about all the benefits of deep winter, and most of them apply to Thanksgiving. When it’s cold and snowy outside, there’s no better time to grab a fluffy blanket, some hot chocolate, and your laptop to get quality writing done. Most people get time off work for this holiday, and when it’s too cold to go out, you have the perfect excuse to stay home and write. Even better when there’s great food nearby, your kids have cousins to play with, and your uncles and husband are busy all day watching football. Seize this moment to write, my friend.
Reason #3: November is NaNoWriMo
Never heard of National Novel Writing Month? Basically it’s when writers all over the world accept the challenge of writing 50,000 words of a new novel every November. This challenge is in full swing every year at Thanksgiving time, so why not join in? It’s a wildly rewarding experience to have an intense, drop-all-excuses writing sprint. I highly recommend trying it at least once. If nothing else, you can experience what it’s like to track your progress on the official website and be part of a community of tens of thousands of writers all producing at the same time. It’s pretty cool.
Reason #4: This Is a Time to Swap Stories
I don’t know about your family, but mine has always swapped stories over Thanksgiving dinner. It’s a holiday for reminiscing, exchanging friendly jibes, and catching up with people you haven’t seen a while. Now is the perfect time to relive old experiences, learn things you didn’t know about your relatives until now, and have new experiences. All of this is great inspiration for your writing. And if your family isn’t the storytelling type, Thanksgiving is great for catching the latest blockbuster at the movie theater or finding a good movie on TV to enjoy. Movies are great storytelling inspiration too.
Reason #5: This is Also a Time for Character Inspiration
Yes, Thanksgiving may be infamous for forcing you to interact with bizarre family members you’d rather not see ever. But this is also an opportunity for character inspiration. What details and quirks make certain relatives of yours particularly funny, weird, or vile? What singular skills do they have that you can ask about or observe? As a writer, the world is your laboratory, and people-watching is your lecture hall. And if you’re one of those rare people who claims not to have any weird relatives on your family tree . . . unfortunately the weird relative on that tree is probably you. Sorry to break it to you.
Reason #6: Black Friday = Deals on Everything Writers Like
I’m more of a Cyber Monday girl than a Black Friday one personally. I have a tradition of putting up Christmas decorations on Black Friday rather than shopping, but Thanksgiving is great for finding sales on all the gifts that writers adore. Books, fancy journals, cozy sweatshirts, sophisticated paper products, and ergonomic office upgrades are all discounted this time of year. And just in time for Christmas too. So if you’re shopping for the holidays—or looking for some retail therapy to soothe your seasonal depression (no judgment)—Thanksgiving is a great time for that.
Reason #7: Tons of Amazing Leftovers
Last, but certainly not least, how can we possibly forget the boatloads of leftover Thanksgiving food in the fridge all weekend long? Or longer if your family is particularly ambitious in its portion sizes. I’m a huge fan of Thanksgiving leftovers, not just because my family’s leftovers are scrumptious, but also because feeding oneself all of Thanksgiving weekend is super easy. You instantly have delicious options within arm’s-reach. You basically eat the same meal over and over again, but you also get fed fast. AND you have all that spare time that you’re not cooking and prepping meals. I personally use that time to write, imagine, and let my creative juices flow. Which is just another reason why Thanksgiving is great.
So Enjoy the Turkey this Season—and Maybe Write Something!
We’ve got so many reasons to be grateful for the modern everyday conveniences we enjoy. Not to mention the people in our lives who love us and show up for us daily. Thanksgiving is great for the food and the fun, but it’s also a lovely time to pause and acknowledge the good parts of life that we often take for granted. So happy eating this Thanksgiving season. And happy writing now and always. ❧
