My latest book, The Healers, is published. The Awakening Series is complete.
Grateful, sad, relieved, exhausted—a mixture of bittersweet emotions fills my body and mind with my latest book, The Healers, finished and launched. While part of me feels grateful The Awakening Series is finally done, there’s an undeniable reluctance to let go of the characters and their stories. I’ve spent three and a half years with Marlee, Maggie, Juliette, Annie. They’re destined for futures filled with love, joy, loss, and soul-searching; I want to share their tales with you.
But like everything in life, there is a time and a place to say goodbye.
Does This Mean Goodbye to Writing?
While I don’t want to stop writing, I could take some time off before beginning the next book. Perhaps I’ll focus on blogging. Composing short pieces can be fun! Blogs have a quick turnaround, allowing me to go through all aspects of the writing process—idea formulation, first draft, revisions, editing, and publishing.
Releasing a novel requires an entirely different level of dedication—intense periods of focus and stamina—as well as a significant financial commitment. And what about those sleepless nights wondering, “What if no one buys my book?” Am I ready to do this again?
Remembering “My Why”
Just like forgetting the pain of childbirth, memories of endless proofing, marketing “must-do’s,” and uncomfortable promotional strategies begin to fade. Slowly, I remember why I write novels. Knowing I have more stories to tell, a light within begins to spark. A subtle grin emerges on my face as I open a new Scrivner document, adding an untitled project template to my laptop’s screen.
“What if’s” begin to percolate as I permit my mind to weigh various narratives. Fingertips take off, knowing there’s a freedom to choose which keys they press; the characters I give life to; when to interject tension; and, at what point to invite resolution. Suddenly, there are no rules, no need to worry about my story making sense to anyone but me. Unbound by concern for commas and run-on sentences, I shift into artist mode. Typing furiously, it’s like painting long strokes of opaque watercolors on a large, blank canvas. Playfully, I explore new horizons, test boundaries, and imagine an unfamiliar world.
There’s an autonomy to writing. Fostering creativity, curiosity, vulnerability, and discovery, I can express as my true self. But perhaps what’s more liberating is that writing novels nourishes my soul, no doubt guiding my own healing process as I share these tales with others.
So, Is There a New Series or a Standalone Book Ahead?
That is still to be determined. My mind is anything but still. Numerous plots, characters, themes, and twists ping pong through my head. Last week, my editor and I spent close to an hour brainstorming a “spin-off” idea. I think we’re “onto something.” Maybe that’s my next step.
So, What About You?
No matter where we are in life, we’re confronted with “Now what." After all, if we didn’t ponder what’s next, life would become stagnant, boring. It’s in the untried that we embrace challenges, realize the joy, and learn the lessons. This is what helps us elevate.
Though I don’t subscribe to New Year’s resolutions (few make it to the first of February), now is a beautiful time to manifest your next step.
What might you like to add to your life? Is there something you’ve wanted to do, dream into existence, or try on for size? Perhaps it’s a hobby or home improvement project. Maybe an online course, pottery workshop, or yoga teacher training intrigues you. Then again, you could feel a call toward spiritual work—examining your belief system, digging into your shadows, rediscovering your inner child, or investigating your relationship to faith. Then again, it could be you’re contemplating a major life change—ending a relationship, moving to another part of the country, or changing careers. No doubt releasing the old—what no longer servers our highest interest—will open doors to the unknown, allowing unforeseen opportunities to materialize.
Final Thoughts
As we move throughout this holiday season, consider asking your “now what” to surface. You could make this a prayer of sorts, requesting guidance toward your next step. Whether an intuitive nudge or a “hell yeah” appears, you may soon find yourself taking a step forward toward personal evolution.
I suspect my next step revolves around another book … the one’s that waiting to be written on that untitled Scrivner document. But then again, it could be something entirely different. Truthfully, I do not know. All I can do is show up, surrender the need to control, and patiently wait see what happens. I suppose that’s the formula for embracing all of our “what’s nexts" in life.
May you be safe, may you be healthy, may you be happy, may you know peace, may you live in freedom and walk with ease.
Until next time …
Michelle
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