January 30, 2025
by Leah Henderson, faculty, writing for children and young adults
At the end of each year, I feel this need to get truly productive. Clear my desk of all the projects I promised myself I’d finish before a new year greeted me. And usually, I’m successful at getting a few off my pile, but there are inevitably many more unfinished stories, memories, tidbits, and imaginings I fail to follow. Then, when that clock strikes twelve, wherever I am in the world, I’m always ready, willing, and excited to discover new thoughts and stories to add to the pile.
That’s the best part of the writing process, right? That journey of discovery? The scavenging and collecting of curious ideas, peculiar characters, and unforgettable moments—sparks that can be the beginning, middle, or final piece in a story’s journey? That perfect combination of ideas.
It is no surprise that at the beginning of each year, like many other writers, I feel a pressure to start something new. To discover. To wipe the slate clean and create something from nothing. To spare my eraser and avoid a revision game of musical chairs with my words. In January, February, and even March, I’m always ready to fill real and imagined jars, notebooks, and boxes. Collecting from any and everywhere—feelings, colors, smells, sights, sounds, experiences. Every space, moment, and idea a potential for story.
But why do I rarely look back in these first months of the year? Why do I never try and rearrange some of the curiosities collected in my past? The snippets that once got me excited are often abandoned so quickly just because another year has come. Who says we shouldn’t revisit old ideas in search of new ones at the beginning of the year?
No one!
So this year, instead of starting with a truly clean slate, I’ve decided to spend time reading through old notebooks filled with half-baked ideas and doodles, crack open shoeboxes packed with scraps of paper, tickets, gum wrappers and faded receipts that captured quickly scribbled ideas, words, and moments I was once so desperate to remember and claim. Revisit what made me lean forward, pause, and take note. Explore and rediscover what once caught my attention, imagination, and curiosity, possibly mingling an old idea with a fresh discovery.
I’m sure I’ll come across many false starts along the way. Not every idea is meant to be realized. But maybe, just maybe, some are meant to keep me searching, giving just enough for new discovery. Each hour of each day, we gain more information and, hopefully, more possibilities. New can also come from old, so let’s not discard or give up on ideas that once gave us a flicker of excitement. There may be something undiscovered there, waiting and ready to be collected and told this year.
Leah Henderson is the author of many critically-acclaimed books for young readers including The Courage of the Little Hummingbird, The Magic in Changing Your Stars, and Together We March. When Leah is not writing or teaching, she is traveling in search of discovery, stories, and understanding. You can learn more about her and her writing at www.leahhendersonbooks.com