Saturday 24 December 2016

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

This time of year brings out so many different emotions and unfortunately one of them is usually stress as we try to create the perfect Christmas. So one of my favourite times of the year is that pause between Christmas and New Year. The mania of Christmas has passed and New Year hasn’t happened yet. I can put off the thought of making any resolutions and the rush of getting back into my stride which inevitably involves the school run and lunchboxes hasn’t yet landed in my lap.

This pause is just the time for long walks along deserted beaches and a chance to review and rethink and inevitably that means my writing. Am I writing what I want to? Am I enjoying what I’m writing? A year ago, the questions would have been very different with the focus of a publishing contract with Mills and Boon very much at the forefront of my mind and certainly the bar by which I measured my success. I can’t help but believe that writing in that way was restricting. Writing should be its own reward as an idea is created and perfected to my own standards.

So I’m going to enjoy this pause and let the winter wind blow away my preconceived ideas of what success means to me in my writing. The idea of just writing and letting my subconscious take me where it wants to go in the story, telling myself that my writing is just for me (unless I choose otherwise), is so appealing and freeing that I can feel the joy and enthusiasm returning just as warmth returns to cold fingers.

Sometimes life makes us pause and the pause can be good for us.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

7 comments:

  1. Oh, Sarah, I've been thinking along the same lines, too. I've put my M&B to one side and have been concentrating on short stories which I've submitted to People's Friend, and although, I haven't quite got there yet, they've given me some very positive feedback which has lifted my spirits tremendously. Whatever you end up writing I wish you every success with it, and just know you'll do well. Merry Christmas, and hopefully see you at some stage in 2017 xx

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  2. Thanks, Kim. Sometimes we have to change our aim for a while. Am glad to hear People's Friend are enthusiastic about your work and so they should be! May we both have success with whatever we end up writing. Merry Christmas to you too and hope to see you soon. xx

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  3. Hi Sarah, thanks for a very thought-provoking post! Sometimes we can't feel the joy of writing from the heart because our sights are fixed too far ahead on what we think we 'should' be writing. So I hope your restive pause away from the stress of self-perfection proves fruitful as you move into a New Year. Much love xx

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  4. Hi Melissa. Thank you for your kind words. I'm going to try and enjoy the break from writing and not worry about word count, WIP, or any self-imposed deadlines. Wishing you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year. With love. xx

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  5. Great post Sarah - they joy of writing is very special but the need to focus on the current market and your place in it can trample on that and leave you wondering if it's worth going on. (Been there, done that - too often to mention!) I hope your pause to relax and think is a great help - you can write so you need to find the story you most want to tell. Don't forget to give yourself permission to write rubbish/mess around - and see what happens as a result! Good luck and Happy New Year. I hope we'll meet up in 2017. xx

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  6. Hi Kate. Thank you for your kind and wise words. I'm trying to remember not to try too hard and to let the story flow, so hopefully this chance to press pause on life in between Christmas and New Year will be the reminder I need. Have a very happy New Year and I very much hope to see you in 2017. xx

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  7. Hi Sarah, thanks for a very thought-provoking post! Sometimes we can't feel the joy of writing from the heart because our sights are fixed too far ahead on what we think we 'should' be writing.

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