Good Stuff for Writers, 11/30

pitch i-D, Slate, Aeon, CBC News, and more

Hi writer friend,

Tomorrow it will be December, and I’m torn between feelings of hope for a relaxing month and anxiety that I haven’t done enough and who do I think I am? Trying to wind down when I should be working harder?

A friend, having recently returned from a week-long meditation retreat, once told me a quote that went something like this: “If you don’t have time to meditate for one hour a day, you should meditate for two.”

I’ve never prioritized meditation in any formal sense, but I do try to prioritize quiet time for reflection. This month, that feels especially important. When it comes to my work in 2021, I have a lot to be proud of. There are also some regrets, some things I wish I had done more of, or done differently. I could spend these next few weeks trying to cram in the work I wish I had done more of. But I suspect that adding to-do’s to my December would just spill into a new year in which nothing really changes. I’d still feel that same pressure to do more, the same guilt about taking time off, the same anxiety that if I just got up an hour earlier or worked an hour later tomorrow, some other version of success could lie just beyond the next task.

While I do feel pressure to keep charging ahead, keep pitching and lining up more assignments, I think that’s a sign that I need to do the opposite. I need rest, and reflection, and an honest look at what I might change about work and life in the coming year. I don’t want to “earn” my downtime. I want to figure out a life where rest and relaxation and reflection are a given. So that’s what I’m going to do this month. I’m going to prioritize time with my notebook and some books, instead of time on my screens. I’m going to say no to some work, even though I could probably use the cash. I’m going to take an honest look at what’s working and what’s not in my writing life, and consider ways to make it better—not busier.

How about you? are you taking time off this month? Are you taking time to reflect on the past year and consider what you might do differently moving forward? I’d love to hear about any end-of-year practices you have in the comments below!

Now, let’s get to it. There are a bunch of deadlines for writing fellowships coming up, and today we have a nice long list of pitch calls, including BBC Sports, i-D, Slate, Aeon, CBC News, and more.