Small Sparks, Quiet Joys: A Writer’s New Year Grace Notes

Small Sparks, Quiet Joys: A Writer’s New Year Grace Notes

The first days of a new year always feel a little strange — like standing in a doorway with one foot in the past and one in the future, trying to decide whether to look back, look ahead, or just enjoy the view. This year, though, the universe handed me two small but meaningful reminders of why I keep writing, even on the days when the doubts get loud.

The first came in the form of a comment from a reader, P. J. Gudka, on my New Year’s post. It was simple, heartfelt, and exactly the kind of message that makes all the long nights and stubborn drafts worth it. I wrote about that exchange in my previous post because it deserved its own spotlight.

The second reminder arrived today — quietly, without fanfare — when someone bought a Kindle edition of Reunion: Coda.

Just one copy.
Just one reader.
But that’s all it takes to brighten a writer’s day.

Indie authors live in a strange ecosystem where the big milestones (finishing a book, releasing an audiobook, assembling an omnibus) coexist with tiny, almost invisible victories. A single sale. A kind comment. A reader taking a chance on a story outside their usual genre. These moments don’t make headlines, but they make something better: they make momentum.

And momentum, especially at the start of a new year, is a gift.

So today I’m celebrating the small sparks — the quiet joys that remind me that stories continue to travel long after I’ve written “The End.” They find new readers at their own pace. They land where they’re meant to land. And sometimes, if I’m lucky, I get to see the ripple.

Here’s to more sparks in 2026 — for me, for you, and for anyone who believes in the quiet magic of stories.