All the Write Angles: A Year in Review
How I Did More Writing in 2019 Than Ever Before
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…
