Here ye, here ye!
'Tis the time, 'tis it not, for The Clubhouse Christmas Party!
You know how it works by now. Keep hold of your drinks tokens, avoid the punch, stay away from any conga lines if you can.
We start off with a long list of book recommendations, a quick seminar on writing Christmas songs, a little break for a festive riot, and then it's ambient soundscapes for the rest of the year.
Grab ye a hold of your party hats!
OUR TOP READS OF 2022
Let's get this party started
Once again, we’re kicking off our Christmas party the only way we know how: with a massive reading list. Our top 27 books this year include fishing memoirs, classic novels, political journalism and one where people make clothes out of dead people. Let's go!
HOW TO WRITE A CHRISTMAS HIT
In case the day job goes off a Cliff
In many ways, writing a Christmas hit single is the dream job. String a few cliches together, add some jingly bits, and watch the cash roll in, year after year.
Only a small number become classics, of course. This musicologist has spent years analysing the biggest hits, so you can make sure yours is among them.
THE CHRISTMAS RIOTS
What happened when the Puritans tried to ban Christmas
In 1646, Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan parliament made celebrating Christmas illegal. They didn't predict a riot. This excerpt from The Rise and Fall of Merry England by Ronald Hutton, explains how all the people got lairy.
ALL ABOARD THE CHRISTMAS EXPRESS
Very specific vibes
This year we discovered Nemo’s Dreamscapes, a YouTube channel consisting of long, very specific ambient sound mixes. (One of our favourites: Oldies playing in a coffee shop and it's raining (calming rain sounds, no thunders)). Niche, but they make great writing soundtracks.
This Christmas soundscape puts you on a 6 hour snowy train ride, with festive oldies playing gently over gently hypnotic rail noise.
COLD SHOULDER 2022: THE WRITING CLUB FESTIVE SOUNDTRACK
This one goes out to anyone who's still working
If six-hour train rides across imaginary snowscapes aren’t your thing, we’ve also made our own Christmas soundtrack. It’s on the mellower side, with melancholy deep cuts that feel pretty cosy. Ideal for sticking on and ignoring while you write your Christmas cards.
AND FINALLY, A FESTIVE WORD FROM THE WRITING CLUB DESK...
THREE CHEERS FOR ANOTHER YEAR
Testing, testing, 1.2.3. Is this thing on?
Well, here we are at the end of another Clubhouse Christmas Party. It’s been quite a year, hasn’t it?
Thanks for reading our newsletters in 2022. We’re going to try really hard to send them a bit more regularly in 2023. At least once a month.
Until then, have a great break. Get home safe.
And we’ll see you on the other side.
