New Year, New Priorities - by Matthew Greene

A new year is upon us! How do you plan for your writing calendar? 

I've always loved the new year. A new start, new goals, new possibilities. Some friends and I even used to celebrate "New Month's Eve" so we could set and celebrate resolutions even more often! (Nerds, I know.) Call me a self improvement junkie, but a holiday dedicated to ambition and drive was exactly my cup of tea.

But this year, I'm just feeling a little...tired. Last year was tough, for reasons collective and personal. It's hard not to look at the expanse of calendar stretching out before me and wonder if surviving is an ambitious enough goal for 2026. 

But the muse continues to call. As do the agent, the collaborators, the (proverbial) bill collector...and so we write!

All this is to say: I'm trying to be more measured and realistic about my writing calendar this year. I'm trying to focus my efforts and spend my time on the projects that matter most. But how does one determine what's a priority? Ah, there's the rub. In the past, I've made that call based on the following questions, in order of importance:

1. Do I have a contractual obligation?
2. Is there money on the line?
3. Are other people depending on this?
4. Is this part of a strategic growth plan?
5. Does this project nourish my soul?

Wait, that can't be right. The question of whether a project nourishes my soul is in fifth place? Behind money and contracts and "strategic growth?" What a sad state of affairs for someone who dares to call himself an artist!

The reality is, though, that the moment I set forth to pursue my passion professionally, I took the risk of letting commerce trump art. Maybe I've done that too much. Maybe I've lost sight of why I wanted to be a writer in the first place. Maybe this year is the year I remedy that...at least a little.

So, in the spirit of the season, I'll make a New Year's resolution here and now. I can't forget about finances or ambition completely, but this year I resolve to pay more attention to and spend more time on the work that feeds my soul. Ideally, I'll find ways to make this work pay, of course. But it's high time I remind myself why I wanted to become a writer in the first place.

Because life is too short. And this year will be even shorter.

Here's to a successful and joyful twelve months for us all!