A Bit of Hope by Sydney Salter

I'd planned to write some thoughts about creating a satisfying resolution at the end of a novel, like the way that a good YA story leaves the character with a bit of hope even if their problems aren't entirely solved.

But this morning there's a chill in the air before the day gets hot. Summer is coming to an end and I can't keep myself from thinking about that other kind of resolution as the year hurdles toward the holidays in its sprint to the end.

In January I made lofty plans for my writing year. Two major revisions and two new manuscripts. Those of you who are sensible are already saying, "what were you thinking?"

I don't know. 

I have too many ideas that I'm excited to write about. Yet--the ideas that I've already written about need more polish. Repairing one of my nearly-there manuscripts gave me one of those lightbulb moments about yet another manuscript. 

So far I've spent 2024 revising. I do plan to get to the beginning of a new draft of a new novel in the next few weeks, but I certainly won't write two. Because I'm not a hermit, unfortunately. 

I have old pets who send my writing sideways when I have to take them to the vet unexpectedly. Ditto for elderly parents. I'm married and sometimes my husband surprises me by taking a day off. I have grown children who I love to talk to on the phone. I take vacations, but never quite manage to factor that time off into my lofty writing goals. Last month I got sick and spent days on the sofa unable to read let alone write.

Life happens. We all know that. Maybe I should factor that life stuff into my lofty new year resolutions? Maybe it doesn't matter. I kind of like the way too-ambitious goals keep me pushing forward.

And we do have a third of a year left to fulfill our resolutions. Maybe I'll find that bit of hope at the end after all.