I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to start fresh. Actually, I’ve been thinking a lot about a bunch of things: writing, free time, the life I envision for myself, the people I hope to help. This list goes on and on, and when I think about that–the endless nature of my thoughts–it occurs to me that there’s no such thing as starting fresh. A new start is really more like writing a sequel, informed by everything in the previous book, than it is like writing a new story.
This thought has given me a great deal of comfort in the past week since graduating college. It reminds me that, even though everything feels so new and big and scary, this is something I’ve been preparing for for a long time. I’ve been thinking about it, planning for it, and writing about it.
Now that I’ve graduated and have some time to myself, I’m faced not so much with a new start, but with an opportunity to do things my way–something I’ve been practicing my whole life.
The takeaways
All of this is to say that a lot is changing, and in that change, I’ve learned a few things:
- Being prepared doesn’t mean that you know what you’re doing–which is good because, when it comes to big life stuff, I definitely don’t. It means that you’re ready to handle the things you could never see coming. (The same applies to writing, I think. There’s a difference between being prepared to write a story and knowing every single thing that happens. If you know every single thing that’s going to happen, then the story will be far less natural than if you know the gist and write to discover what happens.)
- The best thing you can do to prepare for the future is live.
- If you’re going to write your own personal sequel, you have to do it for you.
And finally… some announcements
This is a big month for me and for the Present Active Writer!
Now that I’ve graduated, I have more freedom to do all the things I’ve been thinking about for months. That means that a whole bunch of exciting things are about to happen:
First of all, I’m moving to California! This is something I’ve wanted to do for years–ever since I was a little kid who dreamed of writing songs in LA. I’ve needed a change of scenery for a while now and all the pieces finally lined up.
The second exciting thing that’s happening in the next week is that I’m officially accepting new clients. I’ll be posting about this on my social media soon. However, if you’re interested in scheduling a free creative lifestyle or novel writing consultation, head on over to my Contact Us page! I look forward to seeing you there.
Finally, I’ve resumed work on my current novel, Small Things. This fiction/fantasy/literary-fiction hybrid kept me sane during online classes and I’ve decided it’s time to dive in and get it finished. Daisy–the six-year-old protagonist–has taught me about hope and reminded me how to look at the world with curious eyes. If you’re interested in updates, snippets, and sneak-peaks into the world of Small Things, then head on over to my Patreon and become a patron!
I have very little idea what lies ahead of me, but I know that I’ll continue writing, creating, and working towards my dreams. I can’t wait to share my journey with you.
With Love, Cats, and Coffee 💖,Â
The Present Active Writer