Festive Greetings, everyone! And goodbye 2015 – though some might say ‘good riddance’, including me! 2015 has been a year of great loss for me in many different ways. Of course because life is a gift I try not to dwell on what’s gone (not for long anyway), and instead focus on what I have – which made me realise that 2015 was the year of appreciating different perspectives.
Earlier this year my father died. It was an incredibly difficult time for the entire family, especially since my father had had such a commanding personality. His loss was felt deeper and wider than anyone anticipated. Different people grieved in different ways, with anger and confusion taking hold of some, tears and absence taking hold of others – each reaction valid in its own way of course.
Different emotional perspectives.
In the middle of the year I then judged a short story competition, the Ghostly Stringybark Award, which you can read about here. The year before I’d judged the Australian Horror Writers’ Association short story competition, which you can read about here. In both instances, multiple judges were involved and each judge had a different opinion as to the winners.
Different creative perspectives!
When I teach my creative writing classes, I encourage writers to delve deep into their life experiences as inspiration or background for their work, because doing so makes them unique – there is only one of you! It’s the same for readers too. Only you have had your exact experiences, led the life you have – so when you read, you read from a unique perspective, and that informs the way you interpret the written word.
The same happens with readers of my own writing – what doesn’t suit one reader, another loves. Sometimes a story might have been out on submission for months, then all of a sudden multiple first readers and/or editors realise they love the same story! This happened with Into Tordon, an emotionally-charged adventure book I’ve co-authored for the teen fiction market. It will be published in 2017 through Midnight Sun – how exciting!
Midnight Sun weren’t the only publishers interested in Into Tordon, so I got to speak to two editors with differing perspectives on how best to publish the story and why they liked it.
Different professional perspectives!
This year has also been a financial rollercoaster for me. There was an expensive overseas trip fraught with challenges. My two young children had some awful experiences at school throughout the year too. I’ve had a serious health scare, felt very unappreciated at times, and have had so many other low moments I was eager to be rid of 2015… when I started writing this post.
But perhaps there’s a different perspective?
That overseas trip was also saturated with delights I will never forget. My children have had many wins and beautiful experiences throughout the year. With my health scare, everything’s now completely fine! And when I had a birthday this May, I felt so immensely appreciated by others I sobbed with joy – I even had a story written especially for me! I also won a hat trick of writing competitions, was in the newspaper and on the radio.
So I’ve had just as many ups this year as downs… Why then am I so eager to be rid of 2015? Perhaps I shouldn’t be…
It’s all about perspective!
It’s easy to sum up a year with a generalised snub or meh, but all a year really does is prepare us for the next. I don’t know about you, but with every year I grow and learn, build or rebuild. If things stayed the same, I’d never get anywhere. So I plan to look back at 2015 not with a superficial emotional assessment, but by giving it a name – one that validates my experiences for the year and gives meaning to them.
2015 was my year of appreciating different perspectives.
What was 2015 for you? Perhaps it also deserves a name…?
Hi Zena,
Your personal story was very heartfelt. It’s good to share, in hindsight, and cathartic when done so. You have a wonderful Christmas and thank you for doing so much with the NBWG. You deserve appreciation! See you in the New Year. Liz M xx
Aw, thanks so much Liz – both for stopping by to comment and for your kind words. Roll on 2016!
So true Zena, this has been a horrible year for me too – so many people seem to feel the same way. Your post is very insightful though and you make some very interesting points they have given me pause to reflect.
I haven’t been to many meetings this year but have loved reading your posts and keeping in touch.
Merry Christmas and here’s to a happy 2016.
Sarah Harvey. X
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you too, Sarah! I’m so glad you enjoy my posts! Thank you very much for your support 🙂
Hi I had a very similar year, in fact. It was all over the place!
The worst was being told two weeks ago that my mother wasn’t again in hospital with pneumonia again, it was because she has cancer. Cancer of the liver, in fact; and it has spread to her lungs. The doctor at Flinders Medical suggested she had about 3 months to live. What? And the family, like yours, Zena, has reacted in same bewildering ways.
Mum wanted to keep it a secret, yes see; but how does one do that? I mean, the truth comes out eventually. And so it did. But even as the family becomes fully aware of her true situation she is being obstreperous, making it difficult for the family. Why?
Anyhow, just to add salt to an open wound I got from last year and hasn’t properly healed, and to finish off the year, I’ve managed to experience a rather rare food allergy event, further spoiling my Merry Christmas. That and struggling to find work and a publisher for my writing, and hearing of others’ successes, has made it difficult to smile sometimes. Ho hum.
Perspectives, indeed. 😉 First World Problems. Hah!
So I look forward to 2016 with open arms, ready to embrace it; it can’t possibly be as bad as 2015 has been, surely.
Anyway, I’m glad you can still smile, Zena. All the best to you and your family, and for 2016. Not long now.
I’m so sorry to hear about your mum, Robert. It was a similar time last year when we were told Dad also had only three months left to live (brain cancer). My priority became ensuring I’d have few regrets when he died, so I made sure I told him everything he’d done right over the years, and I sent him a ‘top ten’ list of what he meant to me. Great minds must think alike, because he too tried to ensure he’d have no regrets, asking for my forgiveness for certain things! None of it really needed saying, as my dad and I had always spoken our minds. But when he passed, we were at peace with each other, and that made a big difference. Please try to use the next three months to at least get yourself as close to that peace as possible. All the best, Robert, for love, peace and writing success in 2016!