Not All Gifts Come In Packages

Yesterday, I wrote about the new Christmas anthology that I'd received in the mail. One of my memory stories was published in it. Then, last night, I received a message saying that a children's story I'd submitted several weeks ago had been published at Knowonder! ezine. Angels In The Snow was based on a true story. I'd read in the newspaper that a small girl had been lifted by a giant gust of wind and thrown into a huge snowdrift where she remained--stuck--until a huge dog rescued her. I wrote the story several years ago so was very happy to see it published at last. The editor of Knowonder! had written me a couple weeks ago saying they had a lot of stories about angels in the snow submitted so was unsure if they could use mine. Apparently, it won out over the others. 

These were two very nice Christmas gifts. Every time I have a story published, it feels like a gift to me. Yes, I put a lot of time and effort in the writing, but maybe it's because I started writing later in life that every publication feels like a present. It lets me know I've accomplished something I set out to do when most people are looking forward to the carefree years of retirement. I've enjoyed some of that, too, ever since Ken retired, but I wouldn't trade all the stressful moments of working on a story and working on it again and again for anything, 

The year is racing to a close, only days until we celebrate Christmas with our family and then New Year's Eve with friends. It's been a good year for me personally and as a writer. When I look back on the writing world of 2011, I know I've received many other gifts besides the two mentioned at the beginning of this post. A few of them are:

1. Having one or more submissions published each month

2. Contuing to find enough material for the blog five days a week

3. Spending tme with fellow writers at my crit group's conference

4. More ideas for stories than time allows me to wrte

5. The ability to write coherently in my senior years

Think back over your year. What writing gifts have you received? There might be more than you think. 

Whatever holiday you celebrate in December, may it be filled with warmth and joy--and ideas for new stories!