As a writer (and as a person, if I’m honest) it’s easy for me to fixate on what changes I would like to make. Contracts I wish I had, books I wish I’d written, writing time that I wish was longer, a social media following that I wish was bigger, and so on. One of my favorite things about this time of year in the U.S. is the focus on thankfulness and gratitude. It’s good for my soul to meditate on the blessings I have instead of those that I wish I had.

This is a list of what I’m thankful for in my writing life. If you want to share your own list in the comments section, please do so!

Regular writing time that I can depend upon.

I haven’t always had the time for writing that I do now. For years, I wrote before or after work, or on my day off, or when a kid was napping. Now that all three kids are in school, I regularly have 4-5 days a week that I get to write. (If you’re interested in finding more writing time in your schedule or using your writing time better, here’s a free ebook for you.)

A supportive family.

My people are awesome. When I’m feeling low, my husband picks me up and dusts me off. My daughter, who’s fifteen, enthusiastically reads unfinished manuscripts to help me get them right. My oldest son (13) asks me about what I’m working on. My youngest son (8) commiserates about how long it can take to sell books. (For example, he wrote his three weeks ago and would really like more people to buy it.) My parents have also been supportive every single step of the way. So, so thankful.

Friends, both writers and non-writers

For the early part of my writing life, I didn’t have writing friends. It was a great relief when I started going to conferences and making connections with others who spent time wondering why we don’t have more ways to say “door” or who struggled with better ways to write sentences like, “He rested his arms on the arm rests.”

I’m also thankful for the non-writers in my life who celebrate or mourn with me when something is going on in my writing life. Even if I quit writing right now, our friendship wouldn’t be impacted at all, and that’s a gift.

Freedom to write what I want to write.

Here’s the paradox I’ve observed with writers. When a publisher has bought our book, especially a series that we have yet to fully write, we’re very excited about this. For a little while, anyway, and then we inevitably have another story idea that seems even better, but with our deadlines, we can’t afford to take time to work on the shiny new idea. “If I didn’t have contracts, I could write whatever I wanted!” we sometimes groan.

And then if we don’t have contracts, and we really can write whatever we want, we obsess over not having contracts and yearn for the day that we have a publisher waiting on us to turn something in.

I am currently in that second category of not being on contract, and I frequently obsess instead of appreciating my current freedom to write what i want and when I want. Someday, I’ll have another contract, and I’ll wish for the freedom I have now.

Writing teachers.

Where would I be without teachers like Jessica Brody, K. M. Weiland, Elizabeth Gilbert, and many others?

I love that the writing community is generous despite the competitive nature of our industry. While it’s true that some writers choose to teach because there can be much more money in teaching others to write than there is in actual writing, the vast majority teach because they enjoy the tradition of passing along what they’ve learned.

(Here are some of our favorite writing resources!)

Maggie Stiefvater’s writing seminar

The Scorpio Races is one of my all-time favorite novels, so when I learned Maggie had a writing seminar, I was like YES, PLEASE.

It’s an 8-hour writing seminar, and it’s $29. Twenty-nine!!!

Maggie is smart, funny, and delightfully quirky. Her process is different than mine, but I’ve learned a lot. I’m thankful for the time she put into recording this as well as the low price that makes it accessible to so many.

Exercise

This one might seem a bit out of place, but now that I have the gift of being able to write 4-5 days a week, I’ve also discovered how valuable it is to prioritize my physical health. I’d been running every morning after getting the kids off to school, but when I developed a stress fracture in late September, I could no longer do that. That’s when I discovered just how important those morning runs were to my energy, stress, and comfort. I really miss running, but I’m thankful there are other exercise options!

Jane Kalmes’s YouTube Channel

Jane talks almost exclusively about writing mysteries, especially cozy mysteries, and does a phenomenal job with her videos. I’m not usually a person who gets sucked into YouTube, but I have spent hours watching and re-watching these.

Mystery writers, here’s the link to Jane’s channel. You’re welcome.

Writing retreats

In October, I had the gift of spending an entire week in beautiful Pensacola Beach and writing with my best friend, author Roseanna M. White. You might be thinking, “Stephanie, you said you have 4-5 days a week to write. Why would a writing retreat feel different?”

It isn’t as though I drop my kids off for school at 8am and write constantly until 3pm. I typically have 3-4 hours a day to write and then the rest of my kids-at-school time is used for non-writing-but-writing-related things (emails, Go Teen Writers, updating Quickbooks, planning social media, etc.). On top of that, I’m responsible for lots of things at home, like my kids and housework and food and all that good stuff.

On a writing retreat, I’m basically responsible for writing. That’s it. I take breaks for things like figuring out where to eat dinner, going on walks, or getting more coffee, but otherwise my only “to-do” is writing. Being given a week of focused time like that is something I’m deeply thankful for.

The way stories connect us.

In preparation for a trip to Wizarding World at Universal Studios over spring break, our family listened to the last couple Harry Potter audiobooks so that the youngest, Eli, would know the entire story before we went. (We literally finished book seven on the 20 minute drive to the theme park, so our timing was impeccable!)

We had the best day. We escaped from Gringott’s, we drank Butterbeer, we ate at The Three Broomsticks, we entered Hogwarts, we did magic, and we watched a dragon’s fire light up the night. All because years ago, a woman had an idea for a story and she wrote it. That story has helped me connect with my kids in unique and special ways, and I’m so grateful.

The reminder that there are lots of ways to tell a great story.

I have very diverse reading tastes. Right now, I’m loving Still Life by Louise Penny, a murder mystery that’s written in omniscient POV, which is usually not my thing at all. I also loved Happy Place by Emily Henry, written in first person. This is a contemporary story focused on a tight knit group of friends and the book made me laugh a lot. I loved it, and I also loved All The Light We Cannot See, which is a serious, literary-style novel set in WWII. The author chose third-person present tense for that story. These authors all made very different choices for their stories, and yet they all produced great books.

I like to do things “right” (and perfectly!) and that sometimes trips me up as a writer. I’m very thankful for the reminder that there’s no one right way to tell a story.

What about you? What are you thankful for in your writing life?

Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as two historical young adult novels, The Lost Girl of Astor Street and Within These Lines. Within These Lines was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, as well as a YALSA 2020 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com, which has been on the Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers list since 2017. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.