New Year's Resolution

I don’t usually make resolutions, but I think the New Year is a helpful holiday. Most of the publishing world goes on vacation until January, so anyone waiting to hear from an agent or editor will probably have to wait a little longer. Waiting isn’t much fun, but the end of December’s as good a time as any to do it. The world has slowed its usual pace, gifts having been shared, long meals enjoyed, families reacquainted. You may not even write.

That’s okay. The end of the year feels a little like the end of a story. Sometimes when you finish a story you want to start another one right away, but usually you need to wait. Whether you’re reading or writing it’s good to wait. The story isn’t really finished just because you reached the end. It has more to do in you if you let it. The best stories are telling you something afterward, something meant just for you. Because it’s in a quiet place within you, you’ll have to listen closely to hear it. If you get busy right away, you might miss it.

That’s okay too; you’ll hear it eventually. A new year is coming, a new story is starting, and maybe you’ll hear it then, when you start telling the next one. It always feels good to get back to work in January. Yes, it’s a cold, bare month, but that’s what it needs to be. It’s good to start with an empty page on the calendar, a time uncluttered by celebration and ritual. Plus, you’ll be ready to hear from the agent or editor. They always want something a little different than you expect; the changes they ask for are a little surprising and irritating but ultimately useful.

It would have been confusing to hear from them during the Holidays. Now you can really focus. You resolve not to be so impatient next time. Waiting’s not so bad, you tell yourself now that you’re not waiting. You’re working again, and you can feel what the waiting has brought you and you’re grateful for it. That’s right, you’ll never be impatient ever again. Isn’t it perfect how things work out in time, and you’ve got plenty of that – the long, fresh calendar of pages waiting to be filled.

If you like the ideas and perspectives expressed here, feel free to contact me about individual coaching and group workshops.

Fearless Writing: How to Create Boldly and Write With Confidence.
You can find William at: williamkenower.com