Thank you for this important reminder. I love the idea of imagining reading your list to yourself five years ago. Past me would be staggered at me having pieces is national newspapers and running a thriving writing community. And yet it never seems like "enough" for present me. Reminding me to look through past me's eyes really helps to reframe what I've achieved this year. ❤️
Who we were five years ago is getting their mind blown on a daily basis by what we do today without thinking twice about it. I find this is such a helpful filter to counteract our ability to quickly become unimpressed with ourselves.
Beautiful reminder, I often feel like I didn’t accomplish anything because my writing isn’t in the bookstores, but I should be more proud about the work here on Substack and the fact that I managed to finish a NaNoWriMo project 🫶 thank you for writing this
Congrats on NaNoWriMo- that’s a huge win for the year! And it takes many steps to get a book into bookshops- here’s to celebrating all the wins on the way.
NaNoWriMo is so hard!!! People don't realize how much time you have to dedicate to accomplishing that. It's a huge accomplishment. I only got about 40,000 words done.
Yeah, NaNo sucked tbh... Not sure I will ever try it again. Mostly because I guess I'm not a novelist. I like to write shorter stuff. But maybe if I did 50k words in flash fiction stories that would be crazy :D
It definitely isn’t the right fit for everyone. I did it a few times, but I now prefer 5 days a week for drafts and a lower word count -- more like 750-1000 a day. There’s room for everyone’s approach. And a big volume of flash fiction sounds excellent to me- I’m currently reading Bitterhall by Helen McClory and more than once I’ve thought of it as a novel in flash pieces- most chapters are 2-3 pages max, and some are only one. It works!
Thanks for these guidelines for a 2023 wrap up, Caroline! I’ll be using them because I’m already a believer in this practice. In the second year of the pandemic, I started keeping track of what I did, rather than keeping to-do lists that were making me feel yucky. Not every day or every week, but when I needed a pat on the back.
My 2023 did-list’s star entry: re-started my habit of submitting work regularly this year, and got a few pieces accepted. You can’t win if you don’t play.
Congratulations, Michele! It is true- we need to play to get our work out there. Well done taking the risk. I‘m so glad this resonates and you find it useful. And I very much agree- the pandemic definitely inspired me to track wins rather than holding myself to a difficult standard. Enjoy the process!
Wonderful! And congratulations on being a blogger on Disability Talk -- how does the Donna of five years ago feel about that one? (I'll bet she's super impressed)
I think most of us are very hard on ourselves. My first instinct is rarely to look on the bright side (especially regarding my creativity), so on days when my inner voice is being mean to me, I have to work extra hard to not allow myself to go to the dark zone. I have a 5 minute gratitude diary I write in most days, twice a day (although I’m now thinking, crap, I’ve not written in it for a few days...but I’m feeling positive at the moment...so I don’t feel the need so much, which is silly, really, as I should record the good days and why they were good, what specifically made them good. Sorry, rambling... Anyway, I should be proud of myself this year because I’ve done a lot of writing after decades of hardly writing at all, because of illness and injuries. My book is published, my website is up and running, and I’m having fun with short funny pieces (humour is my thing, and I often feel intimidated by the more “serious” pieces I read here. Years ago, I went to a writer’s conference in Switzerland and when I was asked what I was writing and replied that it was a romantic comedy, I might as well have farted! The silence was excruciating) and I’m working on a new book. I’m excited to have found the fun again. And I am proud, too, to a certain extent, because I’m old enough to (sort of!) no longer chase the dreams of success I had twenty years ago, before I soared, crashed and quit. Now I’m in it for the joy of writing, which is how it all started, when I wrote from a place of fun, and joy and whoohoo. Thank you for this essay, a pure joy to read.
So many congratulations on all of this, Francesca! It is often hard to be consistent with gratitude diaries, but even irregular ones make a difference.
Ah, the times how they change, right? Literature used to be all you could write if you wanted to fit in at conferences and now romantic comedy is everywhere and romance is one of the most progressive genres going! If you want some more inspiration, Tamsin Woodward and I had a big chat about this on The Secret Library you‘d enjoy: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/s8-ep7
Big congrats on your book and your website and, most of all, finding the fun again!
This is such a beautiful reminder to focus on what we have achieved, rather than what we haven’t. I’m guilty of throwing my thinking time to one side and feeling as though I’m not doing enough because I’m not actually writing, but there’s so much value in thinking! I love the invitation to journal on the topics too 💫
Lovely post Caroline - my creativity has always centred on my artwork and illustration, but writing this year has become an equal part of my creativity alongside visuals and when I think back to the start of this year and everything that has happened, all that I've achieved, its been an amazing reflection. Thank you for encouraging us to reflect and realise what we have accomplished.
I‘d say this works for other creative forms as well- I‘ve had readers who are composers and visual artists verify this. I‘m more a writer than any other creative form, so I‘d love to hear if this process works for you with artwork and illustration, too!
Dec 4, 2023·edited Dec 4, 2023Liked by Caroline Donahue
I love this Caroline! It's so hard to see what we have achieved when we are beating ourselves up about not doing 'enough' - I'm not sure what my 'enough' would be, but my brain is always happy to tell me I haven't done it yet! I'm really new to writing. I had some moments at school when I thought - "I really like the way writing makes me feel" - but I never thought I had anything worth saying, so I dismissed the idea very quickly. I'm having tentative fun now, experimenting with writing things down and feeling my way to the page. I would never have had the courage to start a substack where people might *gasp* actually read the things I wrote five years ago. In fact I would never have bothered to write anything down five years ago. So I'm taking being here, experiencing and holding it lightly as a big win. I'm excited to see your planner! I'm a big planning and stationary geek so this is right up my street! Cheers!
This was definitely something I needed to read today. One thing I accomplished last year was leaving my comfort zone with my non fiction and starting a substack. I am not comfortable being vulnerable and my writing is where I am most vulnerable. But I'm writing here now for everyone to see and it's not so scary anymore.. As for this year's writing goals. I'd like to just keep going, and finish the first draft of my novel, which I made a huge dent in last year. Anyway thanks for read!
So glad this was here for you when you needed it. It really does help when we do the thing we’re scared of regularly, doesn’t it? I remember when I first began publishing writing online, I’d get queasy I was so anxious. Thankfully that’s passed now, but there’s always a new hill to climb with writing. Yay for huge dents in novel drafts -- here’s to even more this year!
All too often people equate 'writing' with word count, but it is so much more than that. All of these 'qualify': time spent kicking around ideas, sketching out a plan, attending groups, editing old pieces of work - even writing something that's not very good and which you may/do throw away. All that activity and more is part of our never-ending apprenticeship. And remember, no writing is ever wasted. So NEVER equate word count with writing; that way lies madness...
Will be reading this a couple times thru love the self development questions it brings my win. Is staying consistent. I have ADHD my finish game wasn't awesome haha more to never completing staying with. My dream was to come to complete my writing. And I've been consistent with it for that last 4 months ♡♡
This is a beautiful reminder that the journey is where the magic happens. Embrace the process, celebrate every step, and never stop growing.
My biggest writing achievement this year was overcoming my fear of sharing my thoughts and ideas on Substack/ social media. It's been so freeing to put my thoughts out there without worrying about what people will think. I'm excited to continue writing freely in 2024 and connecting with fellow writers!
It‘s so helpful to just go for it, isn’t it? Yes, there can be rough patches in making work public, but for the most part, it‘s never as scary as our fears want us to believe. (Turns out our own fears are really good at knowing how to scare us off!)
I love this!! This past year my win was quitting my corporate writing job to step out on my own, and my dream for next year is to just... actually write, and keep writing! 🌟
Thank you for this important reminder. I love the idea of imagining reading your list to yourself five years ago. Past me would be staggered at me having pieces is national newspapers and running a thriving writing community. And yet it never seems like "enough" for present me. Reminding me to look through past me's eyes really helps to reframe what I've achieved this year. ❤️
Who we were five years ago is getting their mind blown on a daily basis by what we do today without thinking twice about it. I find this is such a helpful filter to counteract our ability to quickly become unimpressed with ourselves.
Yes, I loved this reminder too. Me from five years ago wouldn’t believe what I’ve achieved in that time 🥰 well done on your success!
Beautiful reminder, I often feel like I didn’t accomplish anything because my writing isn’t in the bookstores, but I should be more proud about the work here on Substack and the fact that I managed to finish a NaNoWriMo project 🫶 thank you for writing this
Congrats on NaNoWriMo- that’s a huge win for the year! And it takes many steps to get a book into bookshops- here’s to celebrating all the wins on the way.
NaNoWriMo is so hard!!! People don't realize how much time you have to dedicate to accomplishing that. It's a huge accomplishment. I only got about 40,000 words done.
40,000 is an incredible result, may I say. Well done getting that much written -- you’ve earned a huge celebration with that much!
Thanks! It felt like a lot.
Yeah, NaNo sucked tbh... Not sure I will ever try it again. Mostly because I guess I'm not a novelist. I like to write shorter stuff. But maybe if I did 50k words in flash fiction stories that would be crazy :D
It definitely isn’t the right fit for everyone. I did it a few times, but I now prefer 5 days a week for drafts and a lower word count -- more like 750-1000 a day. There’s room for everyone’s approach. And a big volume of flash fiction sounds excellent to me- I’m currently reading Bitterhall by Helen McClory and more than once I’ve thought of it as a novel in flash pieces- most chapters are 2-3 pages max, and some are only one. It works!
Thanks for these guidelines for a 2023 wrap up, Caroline! I’ll be using them because I’m already a believer in this practice. In the second year of the pandemic, I started keeping track of what I did, rather than keeping to-do lists that were making me feel yucky. Not every day or every week, but when I needed a pat on the back.
My 2023 did-list’s star entry: re-started my habit of submitting work regularly this year, and got a few pieces accepted. You can’t win if you don’t play.
Congratulations, Michele! It is true- we need to play to get our work out there. Well done taking the risk. I‘m so glad this resonates and you find it useful. And I very much agree- the pandemic definitely inspired me to track wins rather than holding myself to a difficult standard. Enjoy the process!
Such a great idea! I’ll definitely be giving it a try. Off the top of my head I’m proud to have become a blogger on Disability Talk.
Wonderful! And congratulations on being a blogger on Disability Talk -- how does the Donna of five years ago feel about that one? (I'll bet she's super impressed)
Thank you. I think she would be surprised but thrilled! 😄
I think most of us are very hard on ourselves. My first instinct is rarely to look on the bright side (especially regarding my creativity), so on days when my inner voice is being mean to me, I have to work extra hard to not allow myself to go to the dark zone. I have a 5 minute gratitude diary I write in most days, twice a day (although I’m now thinking, crap, I’ve not written in it for a few days...but I’m feeling positive at the moment...so I don’t feel the need so much, which is silly, really, as I should record the good days and why they were good, what specifically made them good. Sorry, rambling... Anyway, I should be proud of myself this year because I’ve done a lot of writing after decades of hardly writing at all, because of illness and injuries. My book is published, my website is up and running, and I’m having fun with short funny pieces (humour is my thing, and I often feel intimidated by the more “serious” pieces I read here. Years ago, I went to a writer’s conference in Switzerland and when I was asked what I was writing and replied that it was a romantic comedy, I might as well have farted! The silence was excruciating) and I’m working on a new book. I’m excited to have found the fun again. And I am proud, too, to a certain extent, because I’m old enough to (sort of!) no longer chase the dreams of success I had twenty years ago, before I soared, crashed and quit. Now I’m in it for the joy of writing, which is how it all started, when I wrote from a place of fun, and joy and whoohoo. Thank you for this essay, a pure joy to read.
So many congratulations on all of this, Francesca! It is often hard to be consistent with gratitude diaries, but even irregular ones make a difference.
Ah, the times how they change, right? Literature used to be all you could write if you wanted to fit in at conferences and now romantic comedy is everywhere and romance is one of the most progressive genres going! If you want some more inspiration, Tamsin Woodward and I had a big chat about this on The Secret Library you‘d enjoy: https://www.secretlibrarypodcast.com/episodes/s8-ep7
Big congrats on your book and your website and, most of all, finding the fun again!
Thanks, I’ve added the link to my homepage 😍
This is such a beautiful reminder to focus on what we have achieved, rather than what we haven’t. I’m guilty of throwing my thinking time to one side and feeling as though I’m not doing enough because I’m not actually writing, but there’s so much value in thinking! I love the invitation to journal on the topics too 💫
We can’t write without thinking- it‘s all part of it! And yes, if we feel more positive about writing, we‘re so much likely to do it more, right?
Lovely post Caroline - my creativity has always centred on my artwork and illustration, but writing this year has become an equal part of my creativity alongside visuals and when I think back to the start of this year and everything that has happened, all that I've achieved, its been an amazing reflection. Thank you for encouraging us to reflect and realise what we have accomplished.
I‘d say this works for other creative forms as well- I‘ve had readers who are composers and visual artists verify this. I‘m more a writer than any other creative form, so I‘d love to hear if this process works for you with artwork and illustration, too!
I love this Caroline! It's so hard to see what we have achieved when we are beating ourselves up about not doing 'enough' - I'm not sure what my 'enough' would be, but my brain is always happy to tell me I haven't done it yet! I'm really new to writing. I had some moments at school when I thought - "I really like the way writing makes me feel" - but I never thought I had anything worth saying, so I dismissed the idea very quickly. I'm having tentative fun now, experimenting with writing things down and feeling my way to the page. I would never have had the courage to start a substack where people might *gasp* actually read the things I wrote five years ago. In fact I would never have bothered to write anything down five years ago. So I'm taking being here, experiencing and holding it lightly as a big win. I'm excited to see your planner! I'm a big planning and stationary geek so this is right up my street! Cheers!
Incredible Sarah- I‘m so excited for you taking this leap- may it lead to even more in the coming year. ✨
This was definitely something I needed to read today. One thing I accomplished last year was leaving my comfort zone with my non fiction and starting a substack. I am not comfortable being vulnerable and my writing is where I am most vulnerable. But I'm writing here now for everyone to see and it's not so scary anymore.. As for this year's writing goals. I'd like to just keep going, and finish the first draft of my novel, which I made a huge dent in last year. Anyway thanks for read!
So glad this was here for you when you needed it. It really does help when we do the thing we’re scared of regularly, doesn’t it? I remember when I first began publishing writing online, I’d get queasy I was so anxious. Thankfully that’s passed now, but there’s always a new hill to climb with writing. Yay for huge dents in novel drafts -- here’s to even more this year!
One win: pitched a hybrid researched/personal essay to Yes! Magazine. The pitch was accepted and the article was published in the Fall issue.
One dream: rewrite my 50k memoir ms from scratch.
What a huge win! Congratulations on a publication --have you got a link to share? I think that rewrite dream sounds totally doable. I see it for you!
Here’s the link. The magazine is a paying market that runs themed issues, and they were great to work with.
https://www.yesmagazine.org/issue/growth/2023/08/31/kids-kin-care
What a powerful piece, Michele. I‘m so grateful I got to read it and am sure it impacted everyone else who read it, too.
Thanks, Caroline!
Wonderful- thanks for sharing this!
All too often people equate 'writing' with word count, but it is so much more than that. All of these 'qualify': time spent kicking around ideas, sketching out a plan, attending groups, editing old pieces of work - even writing something that's not very good and which you may/do throw away. All that activity and more is part of our never-ending apprenticeship. And remember, no writing is ever wasted. So NEVER equate word count with writing; that way lies madness...
Neverending apprenticeship- what a beautiful way to put it! Yes- it is absolutely all of these things. 🩷
Will be reading this a couple times thru love the self development questions it brings my win. Is staying consistent. I have ADHD my finish game wasn't awesome haha more to never completing staying with. My dream was to come to complete my writing. And I've been consistent with it for that last 4 months ♡♡
Yay for 4 months! This is how it starts.
Thank you kindly!
Loved your perspective Caroline, a kind reminder to be nicer to ourselves 🧡
We need kindness everywhere- especially from ourselves. 🩷🩷🩷
This is a beautiful reminder that the journey is where the magic happens. Embrace the process, celebrate every step, and never stop growing.
My biggest writing achievement this year was overcoming my fear of sharing my thoughts and ideas on Substack/ social media. It's been so freeing to put my thoughts out there without worrying about what people will think. I'm excited to continue writing freely in 2024 and connecting with fellow writers!
It‘s so helpful to just go for it, isn’t it? Yes, there can be rough patches in making work public, but for the most part, it‘s never as scary as our fears want us to believe. (Turns out our own fears are really good at knowing how to scare us off!)
Biggest win: published my 2nd book (?!? how is this even possible?!?) Biggest dream: get some requests from agents for my traditional track books.
YES! I knew you‘d have a second book out sooner than later. I‘m holding the biggest dream with you. ✨
I love this!! This past year my win was quitting my corporate writing job to step out on my own, and my dream for next year is to just... actually write, and keep writing! 🌟
Congratulations- cheering you on from here! Let’s all keep writing together. 💙