Ian Dawson's Blog, page 5

6 Reasons Reading Books Still Matters – Part One

Reading books doesn’t seem as popular as it used to be. Although there are millions of books available, I keep meeting people who have no interest in sitting down and reading a novel or even nonfiction about a topic that interests them.

According to the National Literacy Institute, “44% of the American adults do not read a book in a year,” and “130 million adults are now unable to read a simple story to their children.”* These are shocking and unfortunate statistics but fixable in the modern age. With our interconnected world, accessing books and other reading materials is easier than ever, yet millions lack interest in picking up a book and reading.

What are some reasons to encourage people to read books? What is the value of reading a few books a year? Let’s talk about it!

But first, let’s get in the mood with the theme song from the excellent series Reading Rainbow!

Reading Rainbow Theme

# 1 – You’re In Control

Many people abandon reading after graduating from high school or college. They are burned out on reading assignments involving dry literature, bland textbooks, and the associated essays and tests. This creates a negative association between reading and the reader; the very thought of opening a book for pleasure makes them cringe in horror.

But post-school, you are in control of what you read. You can read whatever types of books you want on any topic. No looming deadlines, tests, or essays are linked to your reading. With the absence of this pressure and your freedom to choose, you can read in a relaxed mental state and enjoy the experience.

#2 – Increase Attention Span

A relative of mine revealed that they can no longer finish listening to a song on YouTube without getting bored and turning it off a few minutes in. A song! Our attention spans are shrinking to the length of a TikTok video, which is not good. The fact that news stories tell you how many minutes it’ll take you to read them shows that people choose what information they consume based on duration and not content. That’s crazy!

Books can help resolve this issue. They can help you retrain your brain to concentrate, regain focus, and increase your attention span. Think of improving your attention span like you would train for a marathon. Start with shorter books and work up to the longer ones. Don’t jump into a 1000-page novel, which could discourage or overwhelm you.
Begin with shorter books and increase the page count over time. You’ll find that your focus and concentration on other things in life will also increase.

#3 – Critical Thinking

The nice thing about nonfiction books is that they can inform you about a topic in great detail. Unlike pithy news stories or articles, delving into the meat of an issue is a great way to be informed on that issue. Too often, people let emotions or others dictate how they should think about a topic. Reading a book about it can remedy this situation and help you make informed choices as you become educated on the subject of interest.

Obviously, books can be written with biased views, and we often seek out those who share our views (this is also known as confirmation bias). When choosing a book to read, check out the author’s background and their position on the topic. If they are a writer who has a clear bias toward the topic, you may want to find another book.

I prefer nonfiction books that are as unbiased as possible, giving the reader the power to decide on the topic.

Think about what topics interest you and seek out books that discuss them. Read as many books on the subject as you wish, recognizing the author’s bias and deciding if you agree or disagree with their positions.

Next Time…

Three down, three to go. I’ll have more about why reading books still matters next week!

Happy Reading!

SOURCE: National Literacy Institute

Writing Tip of the Week: Embracing Failure

Everyone fails. It’s true. If you know their name, it’s 100% likely that person has failed at some point in their life and/or career. While we may be presented with a polished, public relations-packaged version of that individual, if you dig into their past, you’ll see they were met with failures and disappointments when starting in their profession.

Failure is a part of life. It’s part of the human experience. How we deal with failure and disappointment can lead to either growth and success or giving up and walking away. It can be hard to work on something for months or years only for it not to gain traction or interest once it’s out in public view. It sucks, but it happens.

While it can be challenging to pull yourself out of the perpetual cycle of despair when failure knocks at your door, you must change your perspective and mindset to utilize failure as a helpful tool rather than a hurtful injury.

When failure strikes, step back and ask why you perceive what’s happened as a failure. Are you measuring your successes and failures against those of others? Are you focused too closely on a specific aspect of your work instead of the bigger picture? What’s stopping you from getting back up and trying again? Are you afraid to fail again? Are you chasing the myth of perfection?

If you wrote and self-published a novel, got it on Amazon and other sites, got some good reviews, and didn’t sell a single copy, is that a failure? I’d say you accomplished more than many others have, and now your work is available to be discovered by others. It may not happen overnight, but you will find readers and an audience over time.

Failure will always exist, but how you deal with and work through it will make a huge difference. Maybe that book didn’t sell, but perhaps the next one will. Or the one after that. Keep writing and putting work out there; eventually, you’ll find an audience.

I once saw an interview with author Dan Brown in which he discussed how poorly his first three novels did when they were first published. Even his agent was baffled that they weren’t doing well. Did he give up and stop writing? No.

His fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code, became an international bestseller. It was then that his previous three novels also became bestsellers. If he had given up, his writing career would have ended with three books, but he didn’t let the failure of the first three stop him. He embraced it, kept working, and motivated himself to write a novel that currently has sold over 80 million copies.

Don’t allow failure to win and dictate what you should and shouldn’t do when being creative. Use your passion, desire, and drive to push through failure, learn from it, and make yourself a stronger writer as a result.
While it’s important to learn from our failures, it’s even more important to accept that those failures are part of the process on the way to success.

Happy Failing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Driving Your Story Forward

Every story has a unique momentum and pacing. Whether you’re writing a historical romance or a high-octane thriller, keeping the reader engaged and invested in the story and its characters should always be on your mind.

While it’s fun to experiment and go off on tangents and subplots during the drafting process, the final story should be streamlined and pared down to the essential elements so that readers can understand and enjoy your narrative work.

How can you effectively keep your story moving forward? Let’s talk about it!

What’s Relevant?

Every scene or chapter should be relevant and provide important information about the characters or plot. Even subplots should somehow tie into the main story, even if it’s tangentially.

Remember, irrelevant characters, scenes, and storylines should be removed. If they don’t contribute to the overarching story and the main character's goal, they’re unnecessary. By asking yourself, 'If I cut this out, would it be noticeable?' and being willing to let go, you'll maintain control over your story and keep your readers engaged.

Usually, as you read through your completed manuscript, you’ll be able to see these irrelevant aspects and cut them for the good of the story.

Conflict, Conflict, Conflict

Conflict drives a story forward. Whether it is direct or indirect, there should be some level of tension between characters. Even if it’s a minor disagreement, that can be enough to keep things interesting.

It’s okay for friends, lovers, and coworkers to disagree and have conflict. It doesn’t mean they must have a battle royale that results in burning cars and damaged buildings. Minor conflicts help propel the story and the main character forward, allowing the reader to see new dimensions of the protagonist and help us empathize or sympathize with them.

Ratchet Up That Tension!

Similarly, creating tension between two characters can also help drive the story forward. It’s like a rubber band being stretched slowly; anticipating when the tension will snap between two characters can keep the reader locked in to see what will happen when everything comes crashing down.

Rom-coms do this (Will they, or won’t they?). Action movies do this, too (Will they diffuse the bomb in time and save the Senator’s family?). Tension is a great way to keep the reader turning the page and staying up past when they should have gone to bed.

Nothing is a No-No

Have you ever watched a movie and a scene comes on where nothing happens? No conflict. No tension. Noting relevant to the story or characters in the story. It’s just there.

You have two options: 1) Cut it; 2) Fix it.

Ask yourself why the scene is in your story. Should something happen? Should the reader learn something about the main character that will matter later on? Maybe it’s a set-up scene for a payoff later in the story.

Sometimes, I write out a sequence to see how things play out based on an idea I had, and it won’t go anywhere that works in the story. I can quickly cut it out once I see it’s not working.

Remember, your goal is to ensure every chapter and moment in your story delivers important information about the story or the characters. If it does neither, it might be worth removing.

The Sidetrack Trap

Sometimes, you’ll be having so much fun living in the world of your story and its characters that you’ll take detours to see what might happen if they do X, Y, or Z. Since every story you write has unlimited possibilities – after all, you’re its creator – this can be an enticing exercise. But not all sidetracks and detours connect to the main road, and it’s even worse if you know your main character wouldn’t do what you are writing them to do.

Example? As I was drafting my latest novel, The Sexual Misadventures of Alicia Williams, Alpha Female, I thought it would be fun for Alicia and her love interest, Mitch, to go skydiving. Mitch would surprise Alicia with this exciting date, which she knew nothing about. I was writing the scene of them driving to the airfield, and I stopped dead. Based on what had already been established about Alicia, I realized there was no way she would ever get on that plane to jump out of it.

While this would lead to conflict between the two characters, it wasn’t the right place in the story for that to happen, so I dropped the whole sequence. Sometimes, you must take that detour to see if you’re potentially driving your story off a cliff. I definitely would have.

Final Thoughts

Writing a story is often about trial and error. Hundreds of ideas will pass through your imagination and onto the page as you write. Some will work, and some won’t. And that’s okay. The important thing is to get the ideas down on paper and cut out the irrelevant, pointless, and not-so-great ideas during the editing process.

You know your story better than anyone. As you read through your manuscript, you’ll sense where things work, where they lag, and where improvements or cuts need to be made. The key is to do what’s best for the story and its characters, make sure every moment counts, and move the story’s arc and the main character’s arc forward.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: 5 Ways to Energize Your Writing Routine

Routines are a part of life. We all have our routines and rituals at home and work; most of the time, we’ve done them so often that we do them without thinking. While this is fine for many of our mundane daily activities, it’s always good to shake things up a bit and challenge yourself when it comes to your writing routine.

Here are five ideas you can play around with to energize your writing sessions.

#1 – How Fast in Five?

Set a five-minute timer, then write as fast as you can without stopping until the alarm sounds. Don’t worry about your writing's spelling, grammar, or even logic here. The key is to see how many words you can get on the page in five minutes.

Sometimes, we have a nasty habit of overthinking, preventing us from sitting down to write. This exercise shatters those barriers and allows you to write fast and furious in a short period.

Try this exercise a few times a month and see if you can increase your word count within the five-minute timeframe.

#2 – Changing Genres

It’s great if you have a genre specialty, but sometimes it’s fun to escape the familiar and dabble in the genre you’re not an expert in.

Take two characters from one of your stories and put them in a new genre. Keep their personalities and characteristics the same; the only change is the type of story they’re now a part of. Drop your romantic leads into a haunted house or zombie apocalypse if you write romance. Have a creepy kid in your story? Toss him into your world filled with knitting circles, bake-offs, and town fairs.

Write a chapter or two with them in this new genre and see where your creativity takes you. Who knows. You might discover a new genre you want to explore next!

#3 – The Missing Letter

Pick a commonly used letter from the alphabet and challenge yourself to write a paragraph or two without using that letter. You may have to dig out your thesaurus for this one.

Start with a consonant; then, if you want a more complex challenge, choose a vowel to exclude. For an even bigger challenge, exclude two letters!

We often get stuck using familiar words when we write, so this exercise will push you to seek out different terms and phrases.

#4 – Schedule Shakeup

Change when you write and for how long you write. If you write in the mornings for an hour, try writing in the evenings or at night for 90 minutes. If you write only on weekends, try to squeeze a weekday or two into your routine.

If you can change when you write, play around with how long you write. Write for less time, but try to write the same number of words or pages. Write for longer and increase your word count or page count.

This doesn’t have to be a permanent change, but you may find an extra time of day or block of writing time that increases your productivity. It’s never too late to try a new routine, and you never know how effective these small changes could be.

#5 – Take a Hike

Get out of your everyday writing space and spend that time writing somewhere else. Maybe there’s a café or park near you where you can sit down and write. Perhaps there’s a trail or museum you’ve wanted to explore. Take the day and enjoy the new surroundings, then sit down and write for a while.

Often, a venue change can stimulate new areas of creativity since you’re in a new place with new people and things surrounding you.

Consider doing this a couple of times a month in different locations and see how they impact your creativity.

Final Thoughts

It’s great when you’re in the creative zone and on the path to completing a new project. Sometimes, however, you can get stuck and need some energy to get back on track.

These five exercises are fun ways to stimulate your brain and imagination. Try one or try all five and see if they impact your creativity.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Tip of the Week: Progress, Not Perfection

Perfection is a myth. It’s an unattainable metric that no one should measure themselves by. Striving for perfection can lead to stress and anxiety and negatively affect one’s creativity. It's a struggle we all face, especially in a world where social media bombards us with the perception of perfection. This can be overwhelming and lead to procrastination and possibly walking away from one’s creative goals.

It's time we strike perfection from our creative vocabulary and embrace a better term: PROGRESS.

Progress begins wherever you are as a writer. Whatever that baseline is, you'll improve as you write and continue to write. Improvement is a positive goal to reach for. It means you are becoming a stronger writer, a better writer, and a more confident writer.

This is the path you want to follow, where you keep at it and progress toward finishing that sentence, paragraph, chapter, and book. Then, you can progress to the editing and publishing phases.

If you structure your creative goals in terms of progression, not perfection, you are now in charge of your goals and the outcome of your work. It’s not some fantastical out-of-reach concept that does more harm than good.

Each time you sit down to write, whether 100 words or 1,000 words, you are making progress on whatever project you’re working on. If you get trapped in the perfection trap, you may never escape those 100 words, become frustrated, and stop writing.

Don’t let that happen.

Remember that every book, screenplay, play, or other creative endeavor didn’t look like the finished product when it was started. Professional creative people don’t aspire to perfection; they aim for progress. More words each day. A new chapter each day. A new scene each day. Eventually, the work is completed and gets to a point where it can be shown to others and experienced.

If authors like Stephen King were locked in a perfection loop, he might still be agonizing over Carrie today instead of being the author of over 77 books!

You don’t get to numbers like that by being a perfectionist. You do it by making progress each time you sit down to write.

Progress, Not Perfection.

Happy Writing, and I’ll see you next time!

4 Splendid Places to Read at Home

I love to read, but sometimes, changing your reading location can help you stay focused and keep your eyes on the page. Here are four excellent areas of your home or apartment to use for reading activities.

#1 – The Couch

This is my favorite place to read. I can stretch out with my head on a pillow and immerse myself in a book. No matter the season, the couch is a great place to either hang out in shorts or cozy up under a blanket as you turn the pages.

Of course, if your living room is a beehive of activity and you need another place to read, I also recommend…

#2 – The Kitchen

You’re close to water and food, and depending on your kitchen's layout, you have multiple options for configuring your reading space. Use the table, use the kitchen chairs, or build a fort under the kitchen table to create a reading oasis. Just make sure to bring pillows and blankets in to maximize your comfort.

#3 – In the Backyard/Patio

The backyard or patio are excellent places to read during winter's rain and snow or the scorching heat of summer. Find a spot under a tree, utilize a lounge chair, or lay in the grass on a blanket. Create a tranquil space where you can focus on your latest reading adventure.

If you have a pool handy, you can always use that, too. I recommend reading a paperback or hardcover rather than an eBook. They are easier to replace, and you don’t have to worry about the battery running out before you finish reading.

#4 – In the Bathroom

No, not there. I was thinking about the bathtub. Here, you can submerge yourself in bubbles, light a few candles, and relax as you read.

Soak away the stress and anxiety of the day.

Final Thoughts

Finding that ideal reading place can make a world of difference. Experiment with different locations and configurations and find the one that helps maximize your reading time and comfort.

Happy Reading, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Motivation Mondays: The Tao of Creativity, Part Eight

We’re nearing the end of the Tao of Creativity series, and I’ve enjoyed sharing the insights I found in The Tao of Pooh that relate to being an artist and allowing your creativity to grow and strengthen. I encourage everyone to find a copy of Benjamin Hoff’s book and see what further inspiration you can discover.

Don’t Sell Yourself Short

We have the unfortunate power to be our own worst enemy. We can talk ourselves out of doing things that would benefit us. We can convince ourselves we aren’t good enough, strong enough, or creative enough to accomplish something we want to do. The same brain that can create can just as easily destroy.

It’s time for us to tell that part of the brain to shut up and sit in the corner!

If you want to write, paint, sculpt, dance, or undertake any other creative endeavor, don’t let that pessimistic voice in your head stop you from pursuing your goal. Even when others see our potential, we often refuse to acknowledge the truth that will empower us to express ourselves in artistic ways.

Benjamin Hoff states, “No matter how Useful we may be, sometimes it takes us a while to recognize our own value” (117). I believe this happens thanks to that irritating negative voice in our heads, but also out of a fear of failure or not immediately being an expert on what we set out to do. We can combat these issues by pushing forward, working on our chosen craft, and learning from those failures and mistakes to improve our creative efforts the next time.

No one you admire in any form of creative art was exceptional the first time. Overnight successes are a myth; they had to work as hard as anyone else to get where they are. Think of someone you admire in the creative field you want to explore, then research their background. I’m sure you’ll find that they didn’t knock it out of the park on the first try. They had to work at it, refine their craft, and find what creative methodology worked best for them.

You can do the same, and it starts with you recognizing your value and pushing through any negativity you may create inside your head to get to your goals.

I’m not saying it will be easy, but you’ll be further along in your progress working toward your goal than being paralyzed by fear and self-doubt and never starting.

Your Happiness Starts with YOU

Whatever creative endeavor you set out on, it’s important that you enjoy what you’re doing from start to finish. This doesn’t mean there won’t be challenges along the way, but you should be able to ride those waves of enjoyment through the process and come out at the end with a project you’re proud of, one that you’re happy with.

“Do you want to be really happy? You can begin by being appreciative of who you are and what you’ve got” (136). What are your strengths as an artist? How can you use those strengths to improve your weaker areas and make you even better as an artist? Too often, we dwell on the negative, which infringes on our ability to be happy in what we’re doing. That’s why it’s important to acknowledge our strengths and abilities and appreciate them.

Happiness can be found through confidence, and confidence can be found in understanding and accepting our talents and skills. It’s not arrogance to be proud of your abilities as a painter or writer. That pride can be used to energize you as you work on your next project. The skills you learned from the last thing you worked on can propel you forward and improve future work.

The more you create, the happier you’ll be because you’re doing what you’re passionate about.

And don’t we all desire to do what we love and enjoy?

Final Thoughts

By recognizing your value as a person and an artist and appreciating your skills and talents, you can silence the inner negativity preventing you from working toward your creative goals.

Happy Creating, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Motivation Monday: The Tao of Creativity, Part Seven

The Creative Process. Whether you’re a newbie or a seasoned veteran, everyone has their own unique way of getting from Point A to Point Z with a new creative project. Within the process, our ideas evolve, expand, and transform into something truly representative of us. For that to happen, we must appreciate and respect the process and its ups and downs.

Let’s talk about it!

More Than Just the Final Product

“Enjoyment of the process is the secret that erases the myth of the Great Reward” (112).

Completing that novel. Finishing that painting. Handing over that script. These are all great moments of pride for artists worldwide. It’s the excitement and elation of accomplishing something. Taking an idea and making it into a real, tangible thing.

We’ve all heard the clichés about the Starving Artist and the Tortured Artist, but it’s important to know that these are just stereotypical symbols that don’t reflect reality. Or, rather, they shouldn’t. Yes, sometimes the creative process can be challenging and frustrating, but if you accept and understand that that’s just how the process works, you’ll be prepared to face those difficulties with enthusiasm instead of grief.

Every project takes time. And within that timeframe, there will be elements that prevent you from doing your best work each day. It happens. The key is working through these rough patches to break through to the other side and get yourself back on track. If you are truly excited and passionate about what you’re working on, that should be motivation enough to keep you focused and on the right track.

You should never dread working on something that you have chosen to work on yourself. There’s no point in wallowing in misery over a self-assigned project. No one wins in that situation. If you decide to work on a project, make sure you’re 100% invested and ready to put in the hours, weeks, months, or even years to complete it.

The Creative Process is also a Learning Process. With each project, you’ll discover ways to make various steps easier, faster, or even eliminate them altogether. Once you’ve streamlined your process, you’ll have the framework to apply to any future project you wish to work on.

Remembering the “enjoyment of the process” is important since this is where you’ll live for 99% of the project.

Fun is the Key

“By Enjoying the Process, we can stretch that awareness out so that it’s no longer only a moment, but covers the whole thing. Then we can have a lot of fun.” (113)

A singing nanny once said, “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap; the job’s a game.” The Creative Process requires a lot of hard work to get from a basic idea to a completed project. When we make sure that the entire process is enjoyable, we can keep our momentum going and make sure we follow through and get to the end.

This is why it’s important to take the time to really think about and understand your personal Creative Process. How do you work best? What time of day do you work best? Do you prefer to collaborate or work alone? Do you need noise or silence to stay focused? Do you need to write a detailed outline, or will bullet points work for you? How many hours a day can you work before you lose focus or need a break?

These and other questions are important to think about, experiment with, and fine-tune over many projects to see what works best for you.

Every writer has their own unique process of how they write. Some write for a few hours. Others write for twelve hours. Steven King writes six polished pages daily, while James Patterson works on multiple projects with multiple collaborators throughout his writing day. Some authors write on the computer, while others, like former President Obama, write longhand on legal pads.

Again, work out a process that helps you create and allows the ideas to flow, and you’ll enjoy the entire process from start to finish.

I always feel it’s better to be a little sad when a project is completed than relieved that it’s over.

Think About It

This week, think about your Personal Creative Process. What has worked for you in the past? What hasn’t worked? What new things could you try to see if they help make the process more enjoyable for you? What can you do to help your creativity and creative process flourish over the next year?

Happy Creating, and I’ll see you next time!

Writing Motivation Mondays: The Tao of Creativity, Part Six

Writer’s block. Being stuck creatively. Not feeling challenged. These are all things that can prevent us from moving forward with our writing or other creative goals in the new year and beyond. While it can be frustrating to face and work through these issues, it is by overcoming them that we can reach the next level of our creative development and become even better at our craft.

Let’s explore a few insights about this from The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff.

Growth Can Be Hard But Necessary

When we hit a creative block, succumbing to the urge to give up and do something easier is tempting. After all, why agonize over a plot point or character’s dialogue when you could binge-watch a whole TV series while lounging on the couch? And while you might feel relief in the moment, you would regret your choice in the long run.

Most of us prefer the path of least resistance, but that doesn’t mean we should take it whenever it presents itself. And, believe me, in our modern age, these paths are everywhere. The next time you feel stuck, take the time to think through why you might be. What is causing the writer’s block? Is something on your mind preventing you from embracing your creativity?

Being patient with yourself and working through the problem instead of avoiding it will benefit you and your work. After all, “real progress involves growing and developing, which involves changing inside” (105). And you can only change if you try to work through challenges and not run away from them.

We can begin the process of “changing inside” by altering how we work through creative challenges. One of the best ways to do this is not to stop working when problems arise. Write your way through the problem, especially when you’re drafting a story. You have hundreds of options to play with, and sometimes, one of those will be the solution to your problem. But you’ll never get past what’s holding you up if you don't explore these options.

So, the next time you get the urge to crash on the couch when a story hiccup occurs, allow yourself to sit down and brainstorm solutions instead. Just making a few small changes to your productivity – by actually being productive – will help boost your problem-solving skills and motivate you to move forward.

Time Stops for No One

It’s a hard truth that many wish they could change, but in the end, “you can’t save time. You can only spend it. But you can spend it wisely or foolishly” (109). Humans have become quite skilled at wasting time. From scrolling on our phones, binge-watching TV shows and movies, listening to another true crime podcast, or mindlessly looking at social media, time wasters are built into our culture. And they’re not going away anytime soon.

But you have the power to cut down, cut off, and cut out these time suckers and use your own creativity to be more fulfilled as a human. So, when you can spend your time “wisely or foolishly,” spend it wisely by working on yourself and your art.

Our days and weeks demand so much of us with work or school, kids or grandkids, pets, and errands that we can lose track of our own creative passions and goals.

Let this year be different.

I challenge you to give yourself one hour a day to do something creative. It can be writing. It can be photography. It can be art or sculpture. Whatever it is, give yourself permission to take 60 minutes for yourself and work on something you want to do. As time passes, you may find that an hour isn’t enough, so you work a little longer. Soon, you’ve worked and completed a creative endeavor thanks to giving yourself an hour to work on it each day.

Time is something you can never get back, but if you use that time to bring creative productivity and positivity to your life, it’s a much better use of your time than any of the time wasters mentioned above.

Final Thoughts

Change can be hard. It can be frustrating. It can be painful. But change can also lead to amazing outcomes. As you progress through the year and work on your creative goals, fight the urge to run away to something easy and safe when creative challenges arise. Instead, work through them and work to get to the other side of the problem. You’ll learn more about how to solve creative issues and become a better artist in the end.

It's also important to utilize our time wisely and not allow our minds to become distracted by all the noise the world provides as an alternative to our ability to think and create. By carving out a little time each day for creative pursuits, we can give ourselves a great gift that will benefit us positively.


Happy Creating, and I’ll see you next time!

Happy 2024 from Author Ian Dawson

Happy New Year, everyone!

Whether you’re making new writing or creative goals for 2024 or continuing projects from last year, do your best to stay positive and work on things you enjoy.

Have a great rest of your holiday season!