by Michelle Sass Aleckson, @MchelleAleckson

One of the things that took me by surprise when I seriously started writing was the ugly green monster creeping around. 

No, I don’t mean the Grinch.

I mean envy. Jealousy. Ever heard of writer FOMO? It’s real.

In my head, I understood that everyone’s writing journeys looked different, but it was easy to get sucked into the comparison game with my fellow writers. Funny thing though, every time I played that game, I came out the loser. 

But, not to fear, this season of Thanksgiving is the cure! I know turkey, stuffing, and mashed potatoes won’t take away the envy, but a thankful heart will. Here’s a few things I’m thankful for. Maybe you can relate.

1. I’m thankful for the friends I’ve met on this journey. These are people I wouldn’t have met if I hadn’t started writing and now, they are some of my closest friends. These are the ones that understand. That encourage and support. That brainstorm with me, cry with me, or laugh at the silly errors I find. These are my people.
2. I’m thankful for teachers. Successful writers did not get where they are alone. The ones I know are so willing to help newbies and novices like myself knowing there was someone to help them when they needed it too. There are pitfalls and problems I’ve been grateful to avoid thanks to the timely advice of other seasoned authors sharing their knowledge. There are so many good resources, classes, blogs, workshops, etc out there. I hope you’re taking advantage of them as well.

3. I’m thankful for editors. Every writer has her strengths, and I will tell you, mine is not the details of editing. Thank goodness there are those perfectly equipped to do so, many able to do it in such an encouraging way too.
4. I’m thankful for the hard edits. The process of writing a novel is excruciating at times, especially when I’ve received a particularly difficult editorial letter. But each edit has a purpose. It makes for a better story, and it teaches me to be a better writer. That’s a good thing.
5. I’m thankful for the rejections. Okay, maybe not at the time I received said rejections, but each one helped me hone in on my reason for writing. Each one challenged me. Is this really what I should be doing? Each rejection was an opportunity to learn perseverance and it eventually led to the doors that did open.
6. I’m thankful for the yeses! Among the pain and heartache there were those moments of encouragement: the call about finaling in a contest, the call from an editor who wanted more, the email with a contract attached. There were enough victories among the treacherous path that kept me going and I’m now living out my dream! Wow. Sometimes I need to sit and soak that in. I’m a writer. I get paid to write stories.
7. Most importantly, I’m thankful to the Author of Life and how He’s writing my story. He’s writing yours too and it’s got a fabulous climax. I just know it.

What are you thankful for?

 

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Once Upon a Winter Wonderland: A Deep Haven Christmas Anthology

A Deep Haven wedding at Christmas? With snow glistening in the lane, sleigh bells ringing, and all the world a winter wonderland—magical, right?

Or maybe not, because the snowstorm of the century has buried their small town, and as Vivien Calhoun and Boone Buckam fight the sleet, snow, and ice, just about everything can—and does—happen to skid their big day into the ditch. It’ll take all their friends—and a few strangers—to turn this Christmas wedding from a blizzard to a beautiful sight in this charming collection of novellas.

Discover four enchanting stories featuring old friends, and new, who discover that there just might be a happy ending waiting in this winter wonderland—if only they can shovel their way out of trouble.

After growing up on both the east and west coasts and traveling the world, Michelle Sass Aleckson now enjoys living the country life in central Minnesota with her husband and four children. She loves rocking out to 80’s tunes on a Saturday night and playing board games with family and friends. She’s a graduate of Novel Academy’s Storycrafter course, and she won the 2018 Genesis Award for Romantic Suspense and the 2018 Cascade Award for Contemporary Fiction. 

She writes contemporary stories full of romance, grace, and, yes, a little sass too. You can connect with her at michellealeckson.com!