Sometimes in publishing I think it’s easy to look at how far you are from others, how far you might be from your own goals, and forget to appreciate how far it is that you’ve come. I know I’m often guilty of that.

So I’m grateful for a little caesura of quiet at the end of 2015 to look back at the year.

I didn’t read as much as I had hoped–but I read some exceptional books: Laura Ruby’s Bone Gap, Naomi Novik’s Uprooted, Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, and some wonderful upcoming 2016 debuts: Julie Eshbaugh’s Ivory and Bone, Kathryn Purdie’s Burning Glass, Alwyn Hamilton’s Rebel Sands, Heidi Heilig’s The Girl From Everywhere, and so many more.

I hit some writing milestones too: after signing with an agent in December of 2014, I sold my first book to Knopf in February. So there were a lot of firsts this year: first book deal, first contract, first (and second) debut group (as I was bumped from 2016 to 2017), first edit letter, second edit letter, etc.

Signing my contract with Knopf/Random House

Outside of these milestones, I’ve revised one novel twice, and drafted two others (thanks NaNoWriMo). But more than that, I’ve met so many wonderful people in the writing community–beyond all my expectations. One huge benefit of getting bumped is getting to know debut authors from two groups, and I’m ending 2015 feeling blessed by these opportunities.

At a recent launch for Sara Larson’s ENDURE

It hasn’t all been perfect. There have been times during revisions when I’ve been convinced I wasn’t a good enough writer to do the work needed of me. Somehow, it still got done. There have been times when the wait to publication has seemed almost unendurable. (Though I’m coming more to see the extra time as a gift). There have even been times (more than I’d like to admit) when I’ve felt envious or discouraged of authors who have accomplished more than I have by my age, whose books are coming out before mine, who are getting more buzz, etc.

But the truth is, those aren’t the things I want to focus on. That isn’t the person or the writer I want to be. I write because the stories mean something to me–and I hope someday they’ll mean something to someone else too.

Neil Gaiman has some wonderful end of year wishes for writers. You should read them. I’m no Neil Gaiman (though the very best compliment I’ve ever received from an agent considering my MS was that it was Neil Gaimanesque), but here is my wish for anyone reading this.

I wish that in 2016 you will be gentle with yourself. That you will surround yourself with people and places and words that make you happy, that make you feel valued. I wish you will write the words that matter to you, and not just the ones you think you ought to write.

I wish you will read books not just because they’re “improving,” but because they make something in you sing.

I wish you will find friends in the writing community who tell you sincerely that you are brilliant–but who also tell you how to make your work shine.

I wish you the courage to write things that are hard, to tackle books that are too big for you, to write things that scare you.

Mostly, though, I wish you happiness. Because I don’t believe good art comes from suffering–rather, I think art needs to have a secure harbor from which to launch.

(I wish these things for me too.)

What wishes/hopes do you have for the new year?