All the Write Angles: A Year in Review

How I Did More Writing in 2019 Than Ever Before

A literal window of opportunity.

I can say with confidence that moving to Seattle has inspired a prolific shift in my writing, in a way that made the last year, unequivocally, one of my most efficacious and noteworthy. Not only can I finally breathe — deep, belated inhales of a breathtaking (and breath-giving) seascape — after 13 years cloaked in a New York haze, but my words have more breathing room, too. They have the space to take on new forms, new meaning, new context, and the luxury of playing in a new arena. The coastal-switch has facilitated new patterns, new tides, new literary ebbs and flows, and I underestimated how quickly things could morph and flourish amid a vastly different backdrop. While there are factors beyond a fresh setting that contribute to what I’ve been able to produce this year––like a smaller friend group (an obvious side effect of starting over in a new city) and fewer decadent temptations that come with existing in the Center of the Universe (meriting a slightly more sluggish social rhythm) — I’ve also been wiser with my time, and more motivated to rocket out of my comfort zone. I’ve infamously and characteristically prioritized living the stories, collecting the material, experimenting with my choose-your-own-adventure lifestyle, instead of primarily honing in on the details. That habit, of course, will remain where it stands — top of the list, the pinnacle of my own personal brand — but I’m grateful to have adopted the traits of a more proficient multitasker, at least.

While the narrative I’m about to share highlights many successes, it feels necessary to note that they coexist, of course, with the signature back-to-back failures and unyielding self-doubt that comes with the territory. 2019 was undoubtedly fruitful for me, but mostly in small, action-packed bursts. I didn’t write much, if anything at all, for several consecutive months, caught up in a dating spree and regularly scheduled distractions and stories that could suffice in 280 characters. But then, all at once, I rode a wave of inspiration well into the summer and fall, and never looked back.

This was also the year I promised to explain myself less, to self-promote without feeling guilty about over-saturating, to shout my victories without diluting them with…