The leaves changed colour, and fell and suddenly I found my world blanketed in white. the temperature considerably colder. The days of enjoying crisp autumn walks in the beautiful sunshine were far too short. I have a furry jacket which is perfect for this weather, but I think I can count on one hand the number of days I actually got to wear it. the weather turned from unseasonably warm, summer-like temperatures to frigid, deep winter temperatures in the blink of an eye. But, despite the fact that as I write this it feels like -26 degrees Celsius, and too cold for the dogs’ sensitive paws to go for a walk, the sun is still shining and it is a perfect day for writing by the fire. All is not lost.

Am I happy that I live in a climate with definite seasons? Yes, I think so. (Do I wish the winter season was a little less cold? Also yes!) The seasons are a reminder that nothing stays the same. There are beginnings and there are endings. It proves we are moving, progressing from one stage to another. Perhaps we understand the years better as we experience the seasons beginning and ending.

I love beginnings. From my many years of teaching in the classroom, September always signalled the beginning of a new year. It was a time to set new goals, begin new routines, and adjust to a new schedule. There is something exciting about new pens, and notebooks and opening a blank screen on the computer. All is hope and inspiration and joy with beginnings. Everything is fresh and new and the future looks bright. Ah yes! There is nothing like the beginning.

Beginnings without endings, however, become pointless. A waste of time. If I kept beginning stories and never finishing them, whether reading or writing, it wouldn’t take long before I’d be asking the question What is the point of this? To be clear, I have started to read books that I didn’t finish and I have started writing books that I didn’t finish, but that is never my goal. My goal is to get to the finish line. To end. If the beginning is the inspiration, the end is the satisfaction. What a feeling of accomplishment to realize that I have actually written a novel with a beginning, middle and end. Yes, there is a plot, with action and characters with character arcs and themes and problems and all of those things that novels are supposed to have. The ending even comes with a twist! With novel writing, you have no idea at this point as to whether it will have success beyond your own pride in what you have accomplished, but still. It is a brilliant accomplishment. All those layers coming together to form a cohesive story that wraps up, if not with a bow, still in a satisfying way that even you, if you’re being honest, find surprising. Gosh! You did it. You reached the end, and…it’s not terrible. It’s…pretty good. Yes, endings have a feel-good power all of their own. Because, here’s the thing. Regardless of what anyone else thinks or says, you have done it! You have written a novel. Do you know how many people want to write a novel? A lot. Do you know how many people never finish writing a novel? A lot. Most of the people who started, in fact. True story. So, it is okay, essential, in fact to feel proud of the fact that you have written a novel. And by all means celebrate. Celebrate before there is even the chance for any rejections to reach you. Celebrate because this is a huge accomplishment.

This is where I am currently in my seasons of writing. I am celebrating the ending of a novel that I am particularly proud of. My agent is also excited about this novel and it is now making its way out into the world. There is nothing else I can do with that particular manuscript at this time. All I can do is… begin again. And so, that is what I am doing.

At the moment, I ‘m diving into a new novel with all the joy and excitement of getting to know the characters and fleshing out the story.

And, since it happens to be the start of the festive Christmas season, I have taken on a bookish challenge on Instagram instigated by Michele @bookish_tea_room. Each day in Decemenber, I’m attempting to post something book related to fit the prompt. We’ll see how it goes! Feel free to join the fun!

Happy Reading and Writing!