From Writerslife.org:
Now the end of the year is upon us it’s time to look back, reflect and think about everything that we have to be thankful for.
Writing a list of all the things you are grateful for can be a wonderful way to end the year. Being a writer comes with so many great benefits and whether you do it as a hobby or professionally, taking the time to step back and realise what they are can mean you fall in love with writing just a little bit more.
Here are some of the top reasons why we should be grateful to be writers
Support from family and friends
Writing is not without its challenges and having a good support system in place is essential. Long hours, re drafts, self-doubt, rejections and bad reviews are all made more bearable by having people we love cheering us on. This however, is never more true when it comes to celebrating our successes too. Getting something published, finishing a piece of work, getting a great review - being able to have loved ones who are so proud of us makes it all so much more worthwhile.
Having the time to write
No matter how you manage to fit writing into you day, you do manage to fit it in. If you have the freedom and capacity to write at your leisure that is something to be grateful for. If you’ve had to make sacrifices to do so you should be so proud of yourself and appreciate that you are the kind go person who has guts and determination which is something to be thankful for too.
The satisfaction of doing something well
There is nothing better than looking back over a piece of writing and thinking ‘ you know what, that aint half bad.’ Writers can spend a lot of time being their own worst enemies and overly critical, so clutch onto and recognise rarer moment when we actually feel quite happy with what we’ve written!
The freedom that writing brings
Writing is incredibly cathartic and we can do it anywhere in the world. Because of that it can bring great freedom both physically and emotionally, and there is nothing more wonderful than feeling free.
Observing the little things
Being a writer means that you have to keep your eyes and ears open, and when you observe and recognise the little things in life and learn to appreciate them this can give you a sense of wonder and satisfaction and interest in the world that makes you feel super connected and fascinated and alive.
The exciting things you learn and experiences you get from being a writer
Being a writer takes you to all sorts of places and has you learning about all sorts of things. Whether its through research, talking to people or just wandering the earth and taking in everything as you go, as a writer you are always on the lookout for your next inspiration and that means you can end up having a very exciting life indeed.
Following ones dreams
Most writers write because it’s their passion, and they do it because they love it - it’s as simple as that. Staying true to yourself, doing what makes you happy and following your dreams is something every writer should be very grateful for indeed.
What does being a writer make you grateful for? Share it with us here!
I well agree with what is being said. I fell I have accomplished a lot, thanks to finding a writer's lab group in my town. Meeting other writers and receiving input and feedback from them on my work and me giving it to them on theirs has been helpful and productive and I'm glad to have the group for this reason.
As I await the end of this year, I also await the results of the Blydyn Square Books Publishing Contest this coming Monday, December 31. I entered my memoir just before the September deadline by email and am now counting down the days till the winner is announced.
I'm now making plans to work more on my sequel either before or after the year ends, depending on how much activity occurs over the next days. But I'm determined to work on it more that I have been doing
I'm glad to announce I will once again be teaching my creative writing class at work on alternate Mondays. I started the class in 2016 when I first began working as a peer mentor. Unfortunately, it was scheduled late in the day when most clients tend to leave for the day, so the class was cancelled at the beginning of 2017. I will be alternating Mondays with another mentor's class, which will keep both of us from having to come up with lesson for each week. I'm also glad to hear that the county library will now be open on Sundays starting in January. This will be something to do then.
These are just a few things that are coming up in the new year. Will wait to see what else happens :)
