In the final episode of 2018, I recap everything I’ve accomplished this year. I have a lot to be proud of in 2018, but I’m more excited about what’s on the horizon. Join me as I look back.
Also, I talk about a RIDICULOUS new project that I’m embarking on starting on Dec. 28th, and it’s either going to be cool or end miserably for me. I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Hello, and welcome to episode 40. In this month’s sketchbook episode, I wanted to share some of my favorite Christmas memories.
We’re getting close to Christmas and here in the states, the snow is falling and Christmas lights are up on all the houses. This episode is a hodgepodge of my favorite Christmas memories, which I think is a great way to end the year.
Christmas has always been an important holiday for my family, not so much because of the gifts but because of the time we spend together.
We never went to church much, though after I married my wife, we do, as her family is more religious and church is a part of their holiday ritual.
I like Christmas.
I don't care about the gifts, but I do like the snowy weather, seeing Christmas lights and decorations, and the various treats that people make like gingerbread cookies.
In fact, one of my favorite Christmas memories is about cookies.
My dad ran a barber college for a long time, and around the end of the year, he always brought home gifts that his customers would bring him. It seemed like every day in December he would come home with some kind of gift—cheese and crackers, tickets to a show, or, my favorite—Archway cookies.
One of his customers was a distributor of Archway cookies, which are a relatively popular brand of cookies here in the states. He’d always send my dad home with packs and packs of cookies—chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, molasses, lemon. My sister and I would snack on them for weeks. The cookies were huge too, with 6-9 per package.
I don't know why, but those cookies always bring back memories for me.
Another thing that brings back memories is the smell of pine. For years we bought real Christmas trees. The house would smell of wild pine needles, and what I remember most is how they were pine needles everywhere. All over the carpet, on the baseboards, in the rooms. The trees shed their needles like hair, and after Christmas, we’d have to vacuum the entire house several times. My dad and I had to refresh a pan of water at the base of the tree so that it wouldn’t dry out.
We’d decorate our Christmas tree with ornaments, tinsel, and strings of colorful lights, all while listening to smooth jazz. My parents had a nice stereo system with huge speakers, and my dad was a fan of Kenny G, so we’d listen to Kenny G’s Christmas album while drinking hot chocolate and decorating the tree. We’d eat those wonderful Archway cookies, too.
Another of my favorite Christmas memories is snow. Everyone loves snow, but there’s one memory I’ll never forget. We lived in a condo complex, and there was a Walgreens two blocks away, so whenever I had some money, I’d often throw it in my pocket and walk to the Walgreens so I could buy a soda or candy. I was nine or ten, so I bought candy a lot. One day, after a fresh snow, the walk was slow-going and cold. I walked through the grassy clearing behind our condo complex to the edge of the neighborhood where the Walgreens was.
And I remember this intense, quiet stillness.
I stood on the sidewalk, with my neighborhood behind me, a fire station across the street, which was silent. The Walgreens sits on a major street, and there wasn’t a single car on the road. I was the only person outside, and for a moment, I was one with the glittering snow. The funny part was that when I bought my candy and walked home, the street was full of cars. I happened on the street at the perfect time, and it’s a moment I’ll never forget.
Now, no Christmas is complete without presents, and we definitely practiced gift giving as a family. As a kid, I always liked looking at wrapping paper. I don’t know why. I cared less about the gift than the design of the wrapping paper. I’ve always been drawn to color—something about it around Christmas evokes an intense emotional response for me. That’s why I use color a lot in my books because I see first in color, then I imagine the other senses around it.
I remember spending one Christmas alone. My parents went on a trip back to St. Louis where we’re from, but I couldn’t go because I had to work. So I remember spending a Christmas alone, and it was awesome. I had the whole house to myself and could do whatever I wanted. I think I played video games or something. Now, I could never imagine spending a Christmas alone—too much family, too many people to see, and I’m at the point in my life where there are some family members I may never see again, so I’ve learned to always make holidays a priority.
Another interesting Christmas memory is a recent one. My daughter loves watching shows on Netflix and Hulu, and she happened to find the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. She watched it over and over…and as the parent of a two-year-old, trust me when I say hearing the same songs over and over gets old really fast. But this movie never got old for me. I love the music, the sentiment, the characters, and the dancers. It’s such a great show from a showmanship perspective—everything is perfect. I still get chills every time I watch the curtain call. I’ve equated that musical with Christmas—I can’t spend a Christmas season without watching it a few times, even though my daughter has moved on to new and different shows.
Anyway, those are random memories that were on my mind lately as I head into another Christmas season. Wherever you are, if you celebrate Christmas, I’m sure that you have memories of your own, and I certainly invite you to share them with me on the show notes page for this episode at michaellaronn.com/episode40. If you don’t celebrate Christmas, that’s fine too—share your favorite family memory with me.
I’m grateful for all of you who listen to this show, and I wish you and your families all the best this holiday season. Have fun, be merry, and don’t sweat the little things. As for me, I’ll be drinking cinnamon tea and watching the Rockettes.
Hello, and welcome to show. We have yet another month in the year that has 5 Thursdays, so I thought I’d take this time to play a sample from my short story collection, Reconciled People.
If you listened to last week’s show, you got to hear all about Reconciled People, but if you haven’t heard it, check it out at www.michaellaronn.com/episode36.
Reconciled People is 10 short stories centered on ordinary people who encounter challenges that force them to reconcile their fears. It is my second-published book, but one I’m proud of because the stories are immediate and fun. The collection exemplifies why I love short stories, and why I respect them so much as a medium. The book is a celebration of short stories, actually.
Here’s an excerpt from the audiobook version of Reconciled People, read by Lori Faiella, of a story in the collection called “The Book of Cutty.”
Hope you enjoyed the sample. You can pick up your copy of Reconciled People at www.michaellaronn.com/reconciledpeople. Thanks for listening.
Since there are 5 Thursdays in November, this week I’m sharing an audiobook excerpt from my short story collection, Reconciled People, narrated by Lori Faiella. It’s a short collection, but the audiobook is mighty!
Had some technical issues with my computer so this month is just me talking.
In personal news, I am dealing with some family illness issues, so that has gotten in the way of my plans for late November and December, maybe January. There’s nothing wrong with me—I’m fine—but I’ve got to take care of my family, so that comes first. I’m a big proponent of following my own advice. I don’t think that the podcast will be affected at this point, but if I have to miss a week or two, I hope you guys can understand. Sometimes when life happens, you have to drop a few balls and focus on what’s important.
Roadblocks aside, I had a great month.
In writing news, I am working on a new nonfiction book for outlining for writers. Outlining is a hot topic on Author Level Up, so I plan to contribute my own flavor to the books that are currently out there.
I am also working on a secret project that I’m going to unveil next month hopefully. It will be the biggest thing I’ve ever done. I won’t say much about it, other than that it is going to be an extremely transparent look into the process of writing, something I’ve never seen done before.
In other news, I spoke at the 20BooksVegas conference. I did a presentation titled “How to be a part-time writer with full-time results”, and I talked about how I balance writing with all my other responsibilities. The speech was very well-received and honestly, one of the best times I’ve ever had on stage. What a fantastic conference—everyone there was supportive, and I met some amazing people and did some great networking. A video of the speech will be live on YouTube sometime soon, so I’ll share it when it goes live. Craig Martelle and Michael Anderle did an amazing job with this conference, and it’s probably the best conference for indies in the world. That’s a bold claim, but every detail of this conference was so meticulously planned that I can agree.
I was chatting with Craig, and we hit it off pretty well, so I will also be helping Craig organize the conference next year, which will be a great opportunity for me to see behind the scenes of how events like this work. I have a 10-15 year vision of doing an author conference of my own. So if you’re interested in attending 20BooksVegas in 2019 and you would like to meet me in person, be sure to check it out at 20booksvegas.com. The dates are November 12-15, 2019 at Sam’s Town Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In other news, I have a few podcast interviews to share. My interview with Amy Collins of New Shelves Books went live this month, as did another interview with fellow writer Jim Woods. In Amy’s interview, I talk about YouTube for Writers and how to start a channel. In Jim’s interview, I talk about tips for writing engaging fiction. See the show notes for links.
In other personal news, I’m heading into a law school exam. Wish me luck…I should be okay, but exam time is the first half of December and I always get a little nervous during that time. It’ll be a major relief when I’m done though.
Next month I'll be back as usual but the calls to action will be different. I'm no longer using Anchor so I'll have a different way for you to send me questions.
