Letting Go by Sydney Salter

Since Thanksgiving I've received holiday cards filled with the metrics by which we measure a year--graduations, dream vacations, and other flexes--one year every man of a certain age mentioned their new meat smoker. A recent card bragged about a cousin's Wordle prowess. 

I like seeing the ways we define success, a concept that can be tricky for writers to explain to others, especially in a year without a new book to celebrate. My holiday note won't mention how I might have finally figured out the beginning to a story that I've been reworking periodically for the past six years. 

I didn't accomplish anything concrete in 2024, but I feel like I figured out some things that will make me a better writer in the years ahead. 

Living a writing life has taught me the importance of letting go of metrics to focus on the joy of doing something, simply for the sake of doing that thing. 

Hope you all have a lovely holiday season, and that you receive some holiday letters with deliciously surprising flexes 😀