Finishing Strong by Steph Beth Nickel

Crossfit Sports Fitness - Free photo on Pixabay

Although it has been several decades since September meant back-to-school to me, I still see the ninth month of the year as a new beginning of sorts.

And an ending.

September marks the end of summer. The end of Q3, the third quarter of the year. And for me personally, the end my daughter's move west. (We took the remainder of her belongings to her on the long weekend.)

When I return home from Saskatchewan, Q4 will be just around the corner.

My plans to finish the year strong include goals that may be an encouragement to you as well.

Writing and Revising

One of my top priorities is to complete revisions to the book I'm coauthoring with Paralympian Deb Willows.

I also intend to choose 30 of the 40+ devotionals on the Gospel of John that I've written and prep them for indie publication.

Additionally, I want to get back to writing and posting a chapter of my YA novel to Substack each week. I have posted more than half the manuscript to the platform so far. I would like to get this draft complete by the end of the year.

Are you currently working on any writing projects? Remember to carve out time to work on them. Unless we do so, there are countless things that can distract us from our writing and writing-related endeavours. Crucial things like laundry, dishes, and vacuuming. <sigh>

Editing

I have openings in my editing schedule and will prioritize any projects I take on this quarter.

Do you have obligations to complete for others? Setting aside specific time in your schedule and making note of externally or internally imposed deadlines will likely help you stay on track. 

Researching

I have an abundance of courses and books that have been long-neglected. My goal is to work on skills development from three to five times per week. I especially need to focus on the steps of indie publishing.

Do you regularly work on skills development, or do you find the abundance of material overwhelming and confusing? Why not choose a skill that will help you right here, right now, and set aside time to read a book on the subject, take a relevant course (which you may already have in your digital library), or listen to a related podcast?

Non-Writing Goals

Like all writers, I have several seemingly unrelated tasks to accomplish. (However, we all know that pretty much anything we do can have a bearing on our writing and spark ideas for current or future projects.)

Here are three things I hope to accomplish before the end of 2026:

Assist my hubby as he finishes renoing the house in preparation for putting it on the market in the spring of 2027.

Continue developing healthy habits in preparation for my blood work in October. (My numbers aren't dangerously high, but they do need attention.)

Devote more time to Bible study and prayer and (far) less to scrolling on my phone. 

Do you have non-writing goals that are achievable by December 31? Why not choose a couple and break each one down into bite-sized chunks so you, too, can finish 2026 strong.

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the outgoing InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2027, Lord willing. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)

My First Book by Steph Beth Nickel

 

Not That First Book

When I read the prompt for this month's posts, "tell us about your first book," I, like many writers, thought of my first (and as of yet, only) published book.

But then I thought, "No, the first book that I shared with others goes back many, many, many, many years."

When I was in school... (I can't remember if it was elementary or secondary school.) Way back then, one of our assignments was to write, illustrate, and produce a board book for young children.

I can still remember how I felt when my book was chosen as one to be displayed in our school library. It still brings a smile to my face decades later.

Books & I Go W-a-y Back

My mom loved books. Although my dad didn't read as much, he, too, was a reader.

It's no wonder I can remember many of the books I read as a child and some that my mom read to me.

Each Christmas my mom would read The First Noel and 'Twas the Night Before Christmas to me. I'm sure she read many others throughout the year, but I remember those two distinctly.

P. D. Eastman books, such as Go, Dog. Go!, Sam and the Firefly, and Are You My Mother were among my favourites. They were part of the "I Can Read It All By Myself" series, published by Dr. Seuss. I also had several more books in the series.

And like many young girls, I read a plethora of Nancy Drew books. This is where I first learned about including cliffhangers at the end of a chapter. It was also where I picked up the just-one-more-chapter philosophy of reading.

As the Years Went By

Reading (and writing) remained an important part of my life until, ironically, I attended Bible College. Because our Required Reading List was so long, it was over a year and a half after I left college that I picked up a book just for the sheer pleasure of doing so.

Over the years, I've written several articles; dozens of blog posts, poems, and devotionals; a number of unpublished picture book manuscripts; and at least a couple of partially finished fiction manuscripts. Additionally, I coauthored Paralympian Deb Willows' first memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances. We are currently working on a follow-up volume, tentatively titled Keep Looking Up.

Currently, I post to Substack one to two times per week. On Mondays, I publish a chapter of the YA (young adult) manuscript I'm working on, and on Fridays, I post devotionals based on the gospel of John that I originally wrote for HopeStreamRadio.

From Board Books to...

While some writers "stay in their lane," this isn't in my nature. And that's okay.

Do I plan to publish my YA novel and a selection of the devotionals I've written? I do.

Would I like to publish some children's books? I would.

Will I continue to write blog posts and other short pieces? I would imagine so.

Whatever I end up writing and putting out into the world, it had its foundation in a little purple board book displayed in a country school library way back when.

Steph Beth Nickel is the former Editor of FellowScript and the current InScribe Contest Coordinator. Steph is an editor and author and plans to relocate to Saskatchewan from Ontario to be close to family in 2027, Lord willing. (Headshot Photo Credit: Jaime Mellor Photography)