Hello 2019!

A couple weeks back, Jill, Steph and I talked about our goals for the year—for ourselves, yes, but mostly for Go Teen Writers. The word “joy” came up a lot, and as one year turned into the next, I began to hear the word everywhere.

After a very hard 2018, a lot of us are needing to live, move, breathe and work from a place of joy.

On Monday, Stephanie talked about writing because she loves it. What a great reason that is to spend time scrawling out stories! Too often we venture into a hobby or interest because we’re enamored or curious, but after the shine wears off it can feel very heavy.

Like Frodo, we feel like we’re hefting this precious gift around because the task was given to us. “The stories inside us are stories only we can tell!” we scream as the gift tears at our skin. And while that may be true, such a position can drain us of all the joy we once felt while creating.

So what can we do if we find ourselves limping along, struggling under the weight of something that once brought us so much joy? We need a restart, don’t we? Not our stories, necessarily, but our approach.

And what better time is there than now. At the turn of a new year. I’m a big fan of embracing new beginnings as often as they’re given. I remember, distinctly, the Sunday morning I woke up exhausted after closing night of a play I’d been committed to for months and realizing that suddenly a new season was upon me.

It was a bright, easy, fresh transition. Nothing more was asked of me. I’d met my obligations and was suddenly free. But not all of our new beginnings are so easy. Sometimes we find ourselves in the depths of a dark season just as the world around us is celebrating something new. Sometimes the rhythms of our lives don’t line up with the rhythms around us. And that’s okay.

But if you need to inject joy back into your writing and life isn’t dishing it out easily for you, there are things you can do to jumpstart a perspective shift.

First,

Stop

Stop forcing yourself to finish books you dislike. I’m talking about reading here, but the same goes for writing. If you’ve adopted the philosophy that you have to finish every book you start, stop that. You don’t owe the book anything.

Read for joy. Read to be challenged. Read to be stirred. But don’t read out of obligation. Yes, reading is the foundation of your growth as a writer, but that doesn’t mean it should feel like work.

*Unless it’s homework. If it’s homework, do it. For reals. Don’t get me in trouble with your teachers.

Purge

There was Twitter buzz the other day about some reality star who advocated getting rid of your books. I don’t watch the show, so I’m not entirely sure of the spirit behind the recommendation, but rest assured I’m not advocating tossing everything. In fact, I’m not a fan of throwing books out at all. There are plenty of places to donate books, not the least of which are used bookstores that often give you credit for bringing in stuff you’re not reading any longer.

But if you’re drowning in books, it might be a healthy change to sort through your shelves and donate the books that make you feel like old versions of yourself. Books you read and hated, books you’re hanging onto because you liked the cover, books you bought because everyone else bought them. You don’t have to keep them. And you’re not betraying the book community for pulling them off your shelves.

For writers, books are often the backdrop of our offices, our rooms, and our writing lives. Mixing up what we stare at all day long is a good thing. If you can’t make yourself purge entirely, consider rearranging your shelves to provide some new scenery. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes.

Purge your desks and your bedrooms. Those old quotes on the wall that inspired you two years back? They might need to be upgraded. Those old journals that guilt you for not writing in them? Tuck them out of sight or toss them. No one needs to start a new season with self-imposed guilt staring them in the face. If you can’t afford to toss old journals and you need the blank pages, it’s okay to tear out old stuff and do with it as you will. Don’t let sentimentality keep you from pushing toward new horizons.

Change

Even a small adjustment to your writing schedule can initiate a newness. Our responsibilities often dictate our routines—school, sports, family, church—but in those areas where you have control, consider a change. Maybe you start every writing session with a free write. Maybe you write five new sentences every morning before you shower. Maybe you spend your last minutes before lights out with a book that you love. Maybe you do your reading on a treadmill or venture into the world of audio books so you can listen while you drive or clean or exercise. Maybe your first book purchase of 2019 isn’t a novel, it’s a book of poetry and you commit to reading one new poem a day. I’m revisiting the poems of Robert Frost as we start this year.

Don’t change everything, friends, but change something. Give yourself an opportunity to assimilate new tools into your writing life. New is contagious.

Resolve

You can’t see the future, it’s true. But you can take a minute to consider the possibilities of this next year, and you can make some resolutions. I’m not talking about goals here. I’m talking about determinations. You can resolve some things in your heart, guideposts to help as you push bright faced into the opportunities a new year presents.

You can determine that regardless of what happens, you’re going to write from a place of joy. You’re going to read works that feed your soul. You can make plans now about how you’ll respond when things get hard. What does your support system look like? Where will you go for hope when fears creep in? Deciding a few of these things now will help you when obstacles present themselves.

And they will present themselves this year. Simply resolving to write from a place of joy won’t protect you from distractions and hardship. But a little forethought and preparation just might keep you trucking when the road gets tough.

So tell me, are you ready for a fresh start this year? What are you going to do to carve out some NEW in your life?

Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.

Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.

It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.

To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.

For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.