Dear readers, I have one more reflective post to get onto the page before the year winds down.
Similar to this time last year, I'm participating in Julie Hedlund's 12 Day of Christmas for Writers series. Julie points out that New Year's resolutions traditionally start from a place of what didn't get accomplished in the previous year. She suggests that instead of making resolutions for the coming year, we reflect on, write down, and SHARE our SUCCESSES from the previous year.
It feels braggy and awkward to do this, but also, I've come to realize how important it is to take notice of the successes, big and small. It's a way to honor my creative journey, let it take up space, and be seen.
This time last year I talked about how 2024 was a bit of a doozy for me; it turns out that 2025 was even more of a doozy. With this in mind, I anticipated that my creative successes would be very minimal, but as I've taken the time to reflect, I now see that I turned to my creative life as a refuge, and instead of shrinking, my list of successes actually grew this year. Who knew? (Thanks, Julie, for nudging me to take pause and notice).
In the spirit of risk-taking, I will do what Julie suggests, and publicly share my creative successes of 2025, in hopes that it inspires me to keep plugging along in the year ahead (and maybe even inspire you, my dear reader, to do the same).
So here goes, all 35 of my success (!) in no particular order, just the way they came to me as I scribbled them on the page:
1. Review/comment/influence the artwork for my next book that will come out in October, 2026.
2. Respond to the opportunity to participate in the renaming of said book (TWICE!) And, on a related note, successfully respond to the request to write additional stanzas for said book, to bring the story into better alignment with the publisher's strategic marketing/placement plan and associated new title. (Curious about the new title that's a keeper? I'll reveal that in one of my next newsletters. Subscribe here, and be amongst the first to know!)
3. Refresh my author photo. (Soon, I'll be updating the various places my author photo appears, but you can take a sneak-peek here).
4. Keynote at an early literacy conference (not my first rodeo in this role, but still quite an honor).
5. Receive and accept invitations to several tabling events at local libraries and one bookstore. I sold/ signed books at each event -- and had particularly strong sales at the most recent one.
6. Start my first-ever newsletter, entitled Resources For My Readers. I have now published two issues and have real, live subscribers.
7. Put my broken heart back together after parting ways with an agent I'd planned to go the distance with.
8. Dive into the querying trenches, and learn how to use QueryTracker.
9. Make some important and meaningful revisions to some stories I love and want to see through to publication.
10. Engage more actively with my local kidlit community once again, after a longish, caregiving-related semi-hiatus.
11. Watch (nearly!) every 12x12 webinar and book chat that was available this year, and participate actively in the FB group. (Next year I aim to delve into the web-based forums and opt into some of the associated "extras," such as targeted chat rooms and critiques).
12. Accomplish more than an ounce of creative work during a difficult year for me personally. It turns out the work helped me focus on things other than the hard stuff.
13. Read/study/transcribe a TON of picture books and read several novels and memoirs. It was a more robust reading year for me than in prior years. (I escaped into reading as well as into writing!)
14. Accept the invitation to lead a super-fun (and extremely well attended) story time event in one of my local parks.
15. Present some fun story time events at a new local indie book store (and meet the owner and the team at three others). My city has a thriving (and growing) book store culture. Yay!
16. Support TONS of indie musicians. My husband and I went to SO MANY live music events this past year. Not only was this a form of escape, but it was also a source of creative inspiration for me. I listen to live music, and my author brain goes into overdrive!
17. Find myself inspired by ideas that arrive as I read memoirs. I've started keeping a journal of ideas as they come to me. In the coming year, I aim to be more diligent and disciplined in getting more words on the page via this source of inspiration. Read. Write. Read. Write. Repeat.
18. Write a heartfelt thank you letter to one of my mother's past health care providers, and receive a heartfelt note in response. I aim to write more of these letters in the coming year. Better late, than never!
19. Lean into writing as a way to process various layers and sources of grief.
20. Publish 12 blog posts.
21. Polish and begin implementing the marketing plan for my 2026 book.
22. Create and share another year's annual year-end holiday greeting.
23. Raise up two young adults who value the arts (both are creating art and consuming art).
24. Participate in Storystorm. (Registration for Storystorm 2026 is now open!)
25. Attend several inspiring and informative webinars from various sources such as SCBWI and the Author's Guild, in addition to the 12x12 offerings noted above. Put new skills into practice, and act on related submission opportunities.
26. Help a young person polish and repurpose/revise their resume.
27. Apply for several grant opportunities. (You have to play to win!)
28. Start engaging more actively with the LinkedIn and Author's Guild communities.
29. Support other book creators via my blog, attending their book events, purchasing/reviewing/requesting their books from my library, critiquing their work, and offering impromptu, enthusiastic pep talks.
30. Expand critique partner network.
31. Participate in a song-writing workshop with a musicial artist I adore and support via Patreon. (Thanks, Maiah! More of this in the new year, please!)
32. Enjoy reading fan mail generated from a classroom who participated in my DIY author visit experience.
33. Maintain a travel journal for each trip I took this year.
34. Accept the invitation to write an article for my local SCBWI chapter's newsletter.
35. Discover that the paperback edition of Oregon Reads Aloud (an anthology I contributed to that benefits SMART Reading) sells particularly well at holiday-adjacent tabling events.
Wow! 35 successes in one (arguably cruddy) year! I'll take it!
Thanks again, Julie Hedlund, for encouraging me to sit still long enough to notice these successes and to write them down and share them. I'm happy I did. This has helped me get fired up and motivated for the coming year. I hope I've fired up one or more of my readers, as well! (If you feel so inclined, I'd love to hear some of YOUR successes--feel encouraged to drop them in the comments below!)
Here's to a new, creative year ahead, friends.
**********
The Writing Life is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of over 20 books for young readers and the proud recipient of the esteemed “Pleasure Reading Award” (her most memorable 5th grade achievement). She has devoted her life’s work to initiatives that support literacy and the literary arts, including early literacy enrichment programs; school author visits; writing workshops; and her educational blog. Dawn’s work has been short-listed for the Oregon Book Award; she was named an Oregon Library Supporter of the Year for her library advocacy efforts; and she received the Walt Morey Award in recognition of significant contributions that have enriched Oregon’s young readers. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com. Never want to miss an update? Subscribe to Dawn's newsletter.
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