I haven’t been paying as much attention to National Novel Writing Month this year as I did in 2018 and 2019, so I’ve adjusted my annual Thanksgiving message ever so slightly this year. If you’ve been working at #NaNoWriMo, I hope it’s gone well so far, and good luck as we enter the final stretch this weekend!
If you’ve taken part in #NaNoWriMo these last four weeks, you’ve gained some valuable experience in creating a writing life for yourself—specifically, in giving yourself the time and space in which to do your writing. And if you haven’t, don’t worry about it—it’s been that kind of a year! In any event, however much we’ve written lately, I think most of us would say that we owe a lot to the people who are supporting us in our writing practices.
Some of that support is simple and intangible: Friends and loved ones who cheer us on, who are glad to see that we’re writing, maybe even eager to see what we come up with when we’re ready to share it. First and foremost, it’s important to believe in yourself, but having other people believe in you can be a powerful reinforcement.
It’s even better to have people in your life who not only believe in you, but are willing to provide some concrete help as you work on creating your writing life. Friends who understand why you might not be able to hang out with them as much as you have in the past, and are willing to schedule around you. Loved ones who are willing to take on a household chore or two if that gives you some extra writing time, who understand why you’re getting up early, or staying up late, or not joining them to watch television before going to bed at night.
That might not seem like much when I state it so baldly. But all of those gestures, and many others like them, have a cumulative effect—and if you’re actually doing the work that they’re giving you the space to do, you’ll see that for yourself.
So, this Thanksgiving, when people who know to ask you about your writing ask you how it’s coming along, be sure to take a moment to express how glad you are to have their support. A simple “thanks for asking” could do the trick, but if you want to be more specific about how “I couldn’t do it without you,” go for it!
And, just so you know, you’re among the people for whom I’m thankful. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my story with you, which has expanded beyond this newsletter into the book that’s coming out next spring, and hopefully more books beyond that. I know my schedule has been somewhat haphazard these last few months, so I’m thankful, too, for your patience and understanding. Like I say, it’s been that kind of a year. Yet when I do commit myself to the work, I’m still learning some profoundly helpful things about who I could be and the life I could live—and I hope that’s been true for you as well. Whatever insights you’ve achieved this year, hang on to them, because they were surely hard won!
Thank you, and I’ll see you again soon. In the meantime, if you’d like to share what you’re thankful for this year, the comments section is open…
(photo: Jon Sailer/Unsplash)