In my neck of the woods, the turning of the calendar this year has been accompanied by a surprising amount of rain. Between December 31 and today, overcast skies have been chucking it down by the bucketful, muting somewhat the usual festivities that come along with the New Year.
Of course, there are several ways you can view rain. Often, it feels like the dull dross of winter: an unwanted drenching instead of a quaint coating of snow. There’s also the practical view that plenty of precipitation now will lead to vibrant spring blooms come April or May. A third view is more poetic, and somewhat cathartic: intense rains from December into January wash away the complexities of the old year and cleanse the palate for the welcome possibilities of a new season. As a writer, I am most drawn to this last interpretation not only because it lends itself to liberal creative license, but also because it reminds me how open and fluid the prosaic medium can be.
A Month of Opportunity
For both the accomplished author and the aspiring writer, January is the month of opportunity. Just as a long rain cleanses the roads and hydrates our plants, so does a new year offer a fresh slate for writing. With the holidays now behind and quieter months ahead, the new year brings with it time and space to develop new ideas and consider fresh writing opportunities.
For me, such an opportunity is incredibly liberating. January affords occasion to pick a topic out of thin air, and then write about it if purely for its own sake. If you are a student, you can find something fresh to research and enjoy and synthesize through notes and summaries. If you are a novelist, the first month is a fine occasion to flesh out characters and narratives and plan your stories.
Naturally, it’s impossible to ignore the business aspect of writing, so January is also the perfect time to accept new projects and proposals. But here, too, there is hope and opportunity for a fresh start. Just because you’ve written about something in the past doesn’t mean you have to continue on the same theme. Likewise, there is no better time than the present to return again to a cherished topic or favorite publication, as if it were becoming reacquainted with an old friend.
Making a Fresh Start
If you are a writer or have thought about writing, I would encourage you to consider washing away past expectations about writing and simply relish in the January rain of new opportunity. You wouldn’t be doing anything different to what I am doing right now. But this is a month for overcoming trepidations, for capturing ideas and starting adventures, and for embracing the sustained and enduring value of the written word.
So if you have a chance, think awhile and jot down what’s on your mind. January is a month for renewal, and you have nothing at all to lose.