As 2022 gradually draws to a close, I am looking back at my post from January and realizing I was a little overly ambitious in my writing goals. I only met one of them—finishing Downright Unearthly and publishing it. I’m not discounting the magnitude of reaching this goal. Yay me! But one thing this year has taught me is that writing a good book—one I’m proud of and want to share—can’t be forced or rushed or squeezed into an artificial timeline. Now that I am working on Book 3 in the Edgemont series, I will keep this in mind, cut myself some slack, and enjoy the process.
Continuing along these lines, I’m also cutting myself some slack over the holidays. This is most definitely not the most wonderful time of the year for many people. The extreme commercialization, hurried attitudes, and pressure from expectations can get to me, for sure. When you add in memories of loved ones who are no longer with us and concern for all the troubles of the world, it can be overwhelming. So, I’m going to go easy on myself and try to focus on kindness, gratitude, and the quiet beauty of the season. I hope you can do the same.
May your holidays be peaceful and full of joy.
Take care!