I must admit, I’ve been a bit undirected since finishing The Heart of Hound. Trying to see the relevance in what I do every day when the world is in such upheaval. Trying to see the point of kicking yet another novel out into an increasingly crowded world of publishing. Wondering where my next “big” project will come from, if it does. I alluded to this in my New Year’s Day post, but I see now that I was expecting that lack of direction to pass by now.
It hasn’t.
In 2013, I wrote a blog post that is ringing true once again in 2026. In The Write Question, I asked you all not to inquire whether I was working on another book but instead to ask whether I was writing. Because I much prefer answering “yes.”
Reading it again 13 years later, it reminds me that writing and creativity are cyclical, seasonal. It’s easy to identify short term patterns and habits: I write best in the morning, and my most creative season is fall. What’s harder to spot is the longer term ebbs and flows: that I’m most likely just between projects right now, and it won’t last forever. (Though it has already lasted longer than hoped.)
I like to think that this applies to the world’s woes as well: that our current state of hatred and othering is just a temporary phase that won’t last forever. (Though it too has already lasted longer than hoped.)
Meanwhile, thanks for being here right now. Just as I said on New Year’s Day, “It’s a weekly luxury, to explore what I’m thinking about and how I feel—while supported by all of you.” See you next Thursday!