I’m Back in December

There were a couple of reasons for my excitement to participate in the December Writer Friends Challange (@writer.friends.challenge). The first is that I figured the last month of the year was sure to produce enough inspiration to complete most of the prompts and secondly, I have yet to complete every prompt on the list in a month. While it’s meant to be a fun way to keep oneself writing/posting and nothing is technically required, I know that I need the practice the challenge offers!

With Christmas approaching, the busyness of both jobs, studying to become an Aromatherapist and writing my first novel, I’ve chosen a really chaotic time in life to put too much pressure on myself…and I may have some fatigue along the way but, again, I need the practice.

Today is the 8th of December and it’s time for the 8th prompt. I took to my Instagram (OnWanderWoodLane) for prompts 1-3 and will return later today for 8.

Wait, that skips 4-7!!!! Nooooooooooooooooo! Not happening!!

That is exactly why I am on the blog today! The max word count on other platforms are no match for where my mind/heart go whilst reading these lists sometimes, so I have come to the place where I can write away!!

In the following paragraphs, I’ll be breaking down prompts 4-7 as I continue to vulnerably share my writer’s journey with you all and hopefully to make new friends along the way!

Let’s get started!

4. What’s on your writing Wishlist?

As literal as my answers could be here, I mean I’ll never turn down new pens, notebooks, journals or books to add to my TBR pile, I have to be really transparent here and say that my biggest wish is for subscribers.

A few days ago, I got the notification that this blog had reached 5,000 views. That was really incredible to me! Putting my words out into the word is both the most satisfying and the most terrifying writerly thing I do. Notifications feel very good when they are coming in but ughhhhhh does the void of waiting have the opposite effect.

It’s easy for me to post and let it get lost in space but knowing that the only way to eventually be a successful author is to welcome in/grow an audience is intimidating and oftentimes leaves me with less content created.

I mentioned earlier in the week my desire to spend less time waiting and more time creating. That is a promise I plan on keeping to myself so here is where the wish comes in. Social media algorithms make it really difficult to ensure that you, the reader, are in control of what you consume, unless of course you spend hours liking/viewing/sharing that content.

Thankfully, I DO have some really loyal friends/readers that keep their eyes open for new posts but otherwise there are no guarantees that each post will get the same traction. As I continue to open up about the series I am writing and what I am hoping to accomplish as an author, I need to KNOW that there’s an audience waiting and wanting to hear about it.

Almost everything out there asks you to “subscribe” these days and I sincerely don’t want to be just another “thumbs up” or “click here” BUT if you want to know exactly when one of my posts goes live, subscribing to this blog is the only way you get a notification for it, right in the convenience of your inbox.

In addition to this wish is the added wish of truly getting to know you all and interacting with you more often as all of this takes shape. Along the way, I hope to be in this space more than on social media and creating content you can only get by being here with me.

If you are already apart of my readership, I thank you for supporting me!

If you subscribe after reading this, thank you for making my wish come true!!

And if you are undecided where you want to go from here, I am glad that you stopped by today ❤

5. 1 Thing you are taking into the New Year and 1 thing you are leaving behind?

Whew! This one gave me absolute chills!! If you’ve been here (or Insta) for any length of time, you know that self-care has become paramount within the last 5 years. I’ve still got a long way to go on that front but in those 5 years, I have learned about as much about myself (my brain) as I possibly could and here is what I found the most helpful.

Presence is everything and if you let it be, it is generous.

Operating out of the past often creates more of the past and in my experience, it was the unpleasant parts of it…the insecure/overly stressed/sensitive bandwidth parts. Not exactly fun. And when I take that state in to a future thought, I place all of that weight on things that haven’t happened yet. Again, not fun.

I find I have less expectation in presence. I am more in a state of curiosity and anticipation. That IS fun!

Presence leaves room for us to offer grace, awareness and understanding. I am betting that if I feel I need it, then the rest of the world does also.

Presence is what I am taking into the New Year!!!!

It wasn’t my intention to choose another “P” word for the other part of this prompt but here I am with, perfectionism. When I look around my world, I don’t see that word (I see imperfect) but when I think about the places I get the most frustrated/stuck, it comes from almost constant comparison. What is particularly sad about that constant comparison is that it almost always as an unknowing or even fictious competitor.

For that reason, I am embracing however messy the journey is along the way and leaving perfectionism behind!

6. Favorite Holiday Traditions

Fellowship with my family and friends will forever be at the top of most of my lists because connection is my life song. I just love sharing/talking/bonding with the people that mean the most to me and I likely always will 🙂

Christmas lights are very high on the list also! In fact I keep a strand of white tree lights in my living room year round as carry over of the wonder and whimsy I feel when I see them.

I can remember many trips to spectacular light displays in the neighboring counties growing up and it always filling me with joy. That’s a favorite feeling!

I’ve been an Aunt for almost 14 years now, so that joy is only added upon when I get to experience those lights with the kiddos now. I recently went with the boys and even this year, as one is in his teens, it’s difficult to tell who gets more excited about them! I really love it!

Another Auntie related holiday tradition is watching a couple of those kiddos perform on stage! My niece and nephew have been in children’s theatre since they were 6 and every December they are in a production. It’s become a highlight of Aunthood to watch them not only grow in life but also on stage. I use to tear up at how bravely they committed to their characters and castmates. Now I tear up at how confidently they commit to their characters, their castmates and the story.

This Aunt life is a year-round thing but I do love how it gets just a little sweeter at Christmastime!

7. What sneaks into your stories?

This one is a tough one because I really try to add to my stories with intention, even more so now that I have vowed to be more present. I will fully admit that there have been times where I have used a quote I like, a song or an influencer reel to express a passive aggressive message along before I took the time to be rational about it…I never tag who it’s meant for, of course, BUT I have done that more than I care to admit.

Seeeeeeeee, in no way perfect 😉

Alrighty then! I think that’s a wrap for now!

Again, thank you so much for being here and I’ll see you again soon!