Hudson Bartholomew

Sometimes I feel relieved to finally finish a story. Some of my characters have gone on incredibly tumultuous journeys and writing their stories can be emotionally draining. Being able to bring them to a happy place by the end of the story is gratifying and I'm glad to be leave them to a steadier, more peaceful life. Do we ever fully say goodbye to the characters we create? After all, they were born in our minds and I'd like to think they will always be a part of us. Maybe like watching children grow up, become adults and move away--although, I don't have kids, so actual parents can correct me on this point. Sometimes my mind wanders back to older characters and I wonder what they've been up to since I left them. I've even considered revisiting them years later to see how their story has developed while I've been away. I 100%, completely agree with how hard it is to start something new. There are so many characters who have lived in my mind for YEARS, patiently waiting for their turn on the page, never sure whether they'll ever make it there. I find the longer a character has lived in my mind, the more difficult it is for me to get them on the page, I'm not sure why.

I'm not usually one to make new year's resolutions, so I'm not sure why this year is different. My normal reluctance is wrapped up in a slew of psychological dysfunctions where if I never set goals, then I can never fail. And if I never fail, then I'm perfect; and if I'm perfect, then people will like me. Luckily (or maybe unluckily) for me, I've always tended to excel at whatever I try my hand at, so there's rarely been a need for me to step outside my comfort zone, take a risk, and do something that's meaningful but scary. As the final days of 2016 were coming to a close, this comfortable, relatively successful life that I've happened upon just didn't feel enough anymore. I have everything that I could reasonably want: a steady, well paying job; a great place to live in a cool, world class city; family close by; friends who are fun to hang out with... but is it enough to just live an easy life? I've always wanted to write (I remember being a teenager and telling my mom that I wanted to be a writer when I grew up... it didn't go over well.) and my computer is full of abandoned, half written stories that I didn't have the guts to finish. Last year, I finally found the courage to see one through to the end, and posted it on another website to decent reviews. In the weeks following its posting, I discovered the thrill that comes with sharing my personal fairy tales with others; it's addicting, and now I want more. So here's my resolution for 2017, the first new year's resolution of my life: I'd LOVE LOVE LOVE to be a published author. There, I said it. I know it's not an easy task to accomplish, and it will take a lot work to get there. Which is why I'm stepping out of the anonymity afforded by the Internet, and engaging with other writers and editors. I'm setting a goal. Maybe I'll fail and admit that I'm not perfect; maybe no one will like me. But at least I'll know that I tried, I took a risk and chased after a dream. Hopefully, that will be enough. Happy New Year! HB ps. there is a story in the works for GA. It's currently being edited and will hopefully be ready for posting in the new future.