It’s that last day of January 2025. I haven’t written a 2024 writing or reading wrap-up. My partner traveled a lot this month, so that meant lots of solo parenting on my part. We finally took the Christmas tree down this week. The world is a mess, and my brain is feeling that way, too. It’s a chaotic start to the year!
And to throw you all for a loop, my current work-in-progress is a novel for adults. It’s tentatively called Sunflowers at the End of the World and it’s a cozy dystopian novel about joy. Yes, that feels like a contradiction, but it’s all plays into my theme for 2025. Which is…
“Whatever the f%$@ I want!”
That’s not to say I’m shirking my responsibilities or being frivolous. I’m simply choosing to use my precious time and energy on the things I want to do. That means working on writing projects I’m passionate about, even if they deviate from my previous plans. That means leaning into causes that I’m passionate about. That means staying informed but also taking steps to filter out what and how much I consume when it comes to current events.
My work as an author, as a Board Member for my local library, and as a member of Authors Against Book Bans puts me in a position to double-down on protecting access to books and information in the face of a government who is actively trying to dismantle these things. This is one of the foundational principles of U.S. democracy, and I’m ready to fight for it.
There are a lot of other horrific things the U.S. government is trying to do, but I personally can’t fight them all without burning out. I also don’t have the know-how or resources to fight on every front. I’m picking a few and devoting myself to them. I’m also actively letting my Senators and other government officials know how I feel about the many issues plaguing the country. I’m finding 5 Calls a helpful tool for this.
I can’t and won’t try to do all the things. But there is a lot I can and want to do. I’m going all-in on those things and filtering out the rest.
What’s your word, mantra, or theme for this year? What causes are you fighting for?
