Writers: The A-Z of Gratitude

My son sometimes writes little stories and gives them to me. In a recent one, he wrote about how I once covered the Super Bowl for work and brought him back a little Super Bowl football. It was so sweet. He loves writing, loves telling stories and loves when I get excited about it all.

I was the same way at his age — so I wonder if he might one day grow up to be a writer too. If he does, I hope he finds the joy in writing every day. Because when you have that joy, your work sings.

Sometimes, I have to remind myself of that. As a 31-year-old writer, writing isn’t just for fun anymore, so sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes my inner critic silences my voice with its harsh criticism. But I try not to let it. It’s important to take a look at what you are doing and recognize why you love it.

More on that in a moment. But first, I couldn’t go on without sharing how all the little things just lined up this morning, leaving me sharing down this topic that I just had to write on. I was logging into this site to write about how being happy in your work leads to great things when I saw a new post by Dianne Jacob’s land in my inbox. Her topic? “Being Grateful — And Happier.”

Yes, universe, I hear you. And I am grateful.

What am I grateful for? Here are my A-Zs of Gratitude:

Assignments. All of them. Without assignments, I wouldn’t have a career. When I receive one, it always makes me smile in gratitude.
Brainstorms on new topics that happen anywhere and everywhere and leave me scrambling for a pen and paper to get it all down. Those little notes have led to some of my best work.
Comments on my blogs and articles. Especially the ones where people come back to tell me how a recipe worked for them or how advice affected them.
Deadlines, which drive me to get assignments done well and on time. I really do love deadlines. They’re an amazing rush.
Editors who polish my copy and make it even better and shinier. I am so grateful for all the editors in my life.
Friendly reminders. Though I strive to have everything organized and scheduled, friendly reminders are a huge help.
Gmail, Google Analytics and other free tools that make quantifying and communicating so much easier.
Hopeful stories. While hope is not a strategy (thank you, Cate), it is still reaffirming when a story carries that element of hope. It’s a reminder that good things can happen.
Interviews with passionate people. It’s amazing what you can learn from others, and when you interview someone who loves what they do (see: 5 on Friday with Author Monica Bhide), it totally rubs off on you too.
Journalists who’ve inspired and enlightened me since childhood. Watching Peter Jennings report news every night and reading local newspapers opened up my world. And I am grateful that I have been a journalist myself.
Kind emails, notes and cards. People love to point out when you are wrong, but it takes special people to write a note in kindness and courtesy.
Lattes, which are a great treat on busy, hectic days.
MediaBistro, Ed2010 and other sites that keep me informed about my peers, my industry and potential new jobs.
Notebooks. As much as I appreciate the ease of working on computers and online, I still love to work out stories, recipes and ideas by hand in notebooks. I have dozens of them — old and new.
Online classes. I believe strongly in ongoing professional development for writers, and online classes allow you to invest in yourself when you have time.
Print. It’s where I got my start — in newspapers. And there is nothing like the rush of seeing your name on stories in newspapers and magazines.
Questions. Mine, yours, everyone’s –because finding those answers is so rewarding — and means that my work helps someone.
Research, especially the kind that requires creative techniques and digging. I can’t tell you how much I adore uncovering information and reporting on it.
Stylebook. The AP one. I keep a copy close at hand and love that the newest version includes a whole section on food. I also love how it ensures that styles remain constant in publications that follow its rules.
Twitter, which is like my virtual office. It makes the days so much less solitary (as do my dear friends on Google Chat).
Unsigned contracts ready to be signed. These mean new assignments, more work and a better life for our family. Contracts bring me great joy for my work. They allow me to continue doing what I love to do.
Vision for my career and life. Dreams, goals and plans drive me to work to achieve greater things. Not everyone has them, which is so sad.
Working at home. This has been one of the greatest blessings in my life. Working at home means that I can both do what I love and be there for my kids when they need me. I love the freelance life and am so blessed to live it.
X-axises on spreadsheets. And the Y-axis too. Because using spreadsheets means that the monetary side of my work is organized and in control. That’s so important, and such a welcome relief.
Yes. As in the answer to so many important things: interview requests, article queries, new assignments. Yes is a powerful thing.
Zebra-print agenda, my 2011 assignment book. I keep my agendas every year so that I can look back and see how deadlines and stories shaped my year. 2011 was all about the wild zebra. 2012? It’s golden.