January arrives full of possibility, and the fresh, new year tinges the air with energy and hope. This always motivates me to make lists and goals, but around the middle of the month, reality intervenes with all my well-laid plans, and I find I’m already behind before I’ve half-started. Doubts creep in, allowing all the possibilities to turn into pressure.
Writing is a calling, and writing for young readers—those readers who are right in the middle of forming identity and faith—can make the weight of expectations feel sharper.
January is the month that can teach us about expectations, what is realistic, what is sustainable, and what needs adjustment. And those lessons matter deeply for the stories we are shaping for teen hearts.
Acknowledging Limitations
Boy, this is a tough one for me. I still haven’t learned this lesson. Admitting limitations goes against my nature, and running out of time and energy before my to-do list is done is incredibly frustrating. Hitting those limits exposes fatigue and slows my pace, sometimes to a turtle-crawl, but I’m not convinced this is always a bad thing. It may actually be protecting the depth of the work.
It could be that patience is better than pressure. Allowing God to lead often—or perhaps always—produces stories that are more honest, more compassionate, and more faithful to the lived reality of young readers.
Learning to Listen
I decided to be more intentional with my time this year, and part of that was listening to writing podcasts. As you might be able to guess, I quickly became inundated with new information, all of which was good as far as I could tell, but it was too much. I still want to be intentional and participate in active listening but need to focus on the voices that are the most important.
Spend time listening to and seeking God. Nothing is as important as my relationship with Jesus. When deadlines clamor or I feel distracted, it’s time to soak in His presence and spend time in the word. As much as we love writing, it should never become the center or an idol.
When your body talks, listen. I need to listen to my body. I tend to get in the zone and not notice my discomfort. I installed a timer on my computer and am often surprised when it tells me it’s time to take a break. It frustrates me, and I’m tempted to ignore it. If I do, my body will be sure to complain later.
Listen to your feelings. Are you exhausted, stressed, or upset? What is causing those feelings and why are you having them? It could be a signal to focus on the main things you are meant to do, ditch draining energy zappers, tend to other relationships, or develop healthier writing habits.
Listen to your intended audience. Writing for teenagers demands that we listen to their questions and their longings so we can create effective fiction that meets them where they are and points the way to hope.
Keeping Reasonable Expectations
Ideal expectations may not be reasonable ones, and high hopes for productivity quickly need adjusting when days don’t stretch long enough, and the stories we are called to write refuse to be rushed.
But faithfulness in writing isn’t about speed. It’s about caring, and about careful attention to the ultimate goal. The small steps that get us there are not insignificant, they are how the task is completed, hopefully producing an honest, authentic story, a process that requires empathy, attentiveness, emotional presence, and time.
So far, I’ve gathered enough lessons from January to last a year. Have you learned any lessons lately to help writers stay on the right track?
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Donna Jo Stone is an award-winning, multi-genre author. She writes contemporary young adult, historical fiction, and southern fiction. Many of her novels are about tough issues, but she always ends her stories on a note of hope. Finding the faith to carry on through hard battles in a common theme in Donna Jo’s books. Her novel When the Wildflowers Bloom Again is a 2025 ACFW Carol Award Winner.
Her contemporary young adult novel, Promise Me Tomorrow, is available in ebook, print, and KU. For the latest news on upcoming releases and other author news, sign up for Donna Jo’s newsletter at donnajostone.com.
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