Put Yourself Out There

Winter Newsletter

Hello dear readers,

Like shards and powder, winter is a season of contrasts. Sharp icicles and snow as fluffy as down feathers. Air so dry and crisp you can see for miles and big, bulky sweaters. Biting wind that cuts you to the bone and the flush of heat from a crackling fire. If only I had a wood stove in my home to prove my point.

Winter is not meant to be simply endured but experienced. And for a season that many simply wait through to get to spring, we can embrace those contrasts to enjoy all that winter has to offer. I might sleep in a bit extra, happy to stay cocooned in my quilt a little longer, but I might message a friend to meet for drinks.

This is the energy I hope to bring with me in 2025. Instead of coming up with a word for the year, I’m choosing an imperative. I’ve often found that picking just one word to be daunting and lacks direction. An imperative is an action I can repeat over and over again. I’m letting it serve as my mantra. And to be honest, I didn’t choose an imperative, it chose me.

After lunch in a booth 14 seats deep with writers, some of us decided to walk around and enjoy the cozy layer of snow that had dusted the small town streets. We visited a friend at the library first and then stumbled upon a little free library on our walk. A book of Hallmark movie quotes, obviously, caught our eye. Someone pulled it out and demanded (lovingly) that we each flip to a page at random and that would be our fortune.

Mine was “put yourself out there” and it struck a cord. Especially as I continue to query my novel and publish here on Substack. As an introvert this is the last thing I want to do. It goes against all of my instincts, but maybe that’s why I need it as my imperative this year. How can I embrace it this season? This year? We can try to push ourselves our of our comfort zones a little bit more—whether that’s physically or creatively.

Winter truly is not the season for “putting yourself out there.” Yet it doesn’t have to be a big action. I’m taking winter walks. I’m planning future travel and artist’s dates. I’m brainstorming for a new novel. I’m considering signing up to pitch TBP at a writer’s conference. I’m taking a graduate course on sex, gender, and sexuality in the Middle Ages. Okay, maybe that last one is a big way I’m putting myself out there. The class is so engaging and is pushing my understanding of the medieval period. Despite the workload, I’m making connections and getting inspired by the topics we discuss.

A consequence of being off of social media these past two months also means I need to reach out if I want to catch up with somebody. No longer can I passively know what my friends are up to on the daily. I have to “put myself out there” to connect with others.

Maybe we all can use a little of this “put yourself out there” magic in a season that makes it easy to fall into a routine of staying in. Don’t worry. I’m resting a lot too. We can embrace the contrasts.

Not to say that embracing those contracts is without challenge. It can be hard to balance socializing and creative solitude. I get easily overwhelmed by too many plans and anxious without time to myself. But in a season where sadness easily dampens the edges of our mental state, we need connection as much as we need retreat.

So let’s take a note from nature. Winter can be our guide to hunker down in the midst of the blizzard and then get out and frolic in the snow when it beckons us to enjoy its wonder.

Happy winter-

xoxo Hayley

From the Writing Desk

Measuring writing is fraught because so much of it happens off the page. There’s the daydreaming and researching and brainstorming which are all vital parts of the process yet hard to document. But it’s nice for my brain to summarize what I actually accomplished in 2024 because most of the time I don’t give myself enough credit. I tell myself I should have done more. Could have done more. So in an effort to combat that nuisance of a voice that tells me my worth is tied to production and to celebrate how much I actually accomplished last year, here’s my creative year in review.

By the numbers:

• Finished The Big Edit on TBP

• Wrote 4 short stories!

  • At the beginning of the year, I realized I hadn’t written a short story in 2 years. And wow did I love getting to draft some this year.

• Sent 38 query letters

• Launched this Substack and published 5 posts (plus 1 crafty blog post on my website)

• Read 32 books

  • Including tackling The Artist’s Way!

Reviewing (and celebrating!) how much I did last year is helping me outline my goals for this year too. I want to read more books, send more queries, write 1-2 short stories, and draft a novel. It makes me excited rather than daunted, all the possibilities for creativity the year has in store.

What are your creative goals for the year? Share it with me~

On My Nightstand

The spirit of winter has got me tackling my TBR pile!

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah Maclean

Paranormal romance is for the summer months, historical romance is for the winter months. I don’t make the rules; it’s just the way it is. I caught up on Sarah Maclean’s first series (Love by Numbers) over the holidays and they were such delicious stories with badass heroines.

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

I’m about half way through this wintery fantasy novel and loving the sharp first person POVS and precise prose.

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn

In the spirit of my graduate course, this arthurian retelling is next up on my TBR. I’ve wanted to read it for ages, and I’m excited to dive in before the third book publishes in March!