This is it. Number 52 of 52 in my year-long quest to write a post every week for Scriven by Garen. I did it, and to my mind at least, I did it well. I’m proud of what I’ve written. Proud that I persevered through the late stages of pregnancy, the early stages of a new baby and the current stage of an active almost-toddler and rambunctious preschooler. I fought through fatigue and all kinds of sickness and days when I really just wanted to skip a post because at the time it didn’t seem to matter.

But my posts did, and do, matter, damn it.

It mattered a lot to me to finish this project. I was proving to myself that I could do hard things. It also had other awesome side effects.

• This blog has helped restore my confidence.
• It has helped improve my writing.
• It has demonstrated to me the benefits of being authentic and putting myself out there.

Writers write. That’s obvious, of course. But sometimes the obvious isn’t always easy. Sometimes it’s a lot of hard work, a lot of determination.

Hard work. Determination.

It’s a mantra the Hubs and I recite.

Do the work that matters. Do it well. Stay focused. Always be moving towards your goals in whatever capacity the day allows. And Scriven by Garen played a pivotal role in furthering those writerly aspirations.

But now it’s time to step back. This project has been a stepping stone, a staging area. I’m ready to try new media, new means of putting work out into the world.

My focus in 2016 is getting my writing published via magazines, websites, and maybe even another book. So I won’t be posting here as often, but I won’t be giving it up entirely either. I’ll still write the occasional post, maybe some flash fiction or a writing update from time to time. I can’t help myself. I’ve gotten quite attached to Scriven.

Lastly, before I close out this project, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for reading my blog. Seriously. It’s one of the best things ever to be read and appreciated. I am very grateful for every kind word and every Facebook or Twitter like. Readers are a writer’s lifeblood.

Now, wish me luck.

2016 is bound to hold a lot of frustration and rejection. The more you submit for publication, the more often you’ll be told no. But if you don’t do the work, if you don’t submit, if you don’t get those no’s, you’ll never get to yes either.

Hard work. Determination.

Write. Write well. Write often. Another mantra for the coming months.

Cheers to a productive, and meaningful, year.

Image credit: The Missouri Review