Hi everyone,
Happy New Year 💛
If you’re feeling hopeful and a little wary about resolutions this year, you’re not alone.
On December 28, I hosted a live goal-setting session for writers who are tired of ambitious plans that quietly fall apart by February. Instead of setting “perfect” yearly goals, we focused on making progress in smaller, more achievable seasons — with space for real life to intervene.
It ended up being a really engaging and inspiring session with lots of interaction in the chat.
If you weren’t able to attend live (or want to revisit it), here’s everything in one place:
Watch the Goal-Setting Replay:
[Video link]
Download the journaling workbook:
[Workbook link]
Download the presentation slides:
[Slides link]
For those who want more structure and support this winter, I’ve also opened registration for the next Accountability Hub season, which begins January 18. It’s a 12-week container designed to help writers stay connected to their work without burnout or all-or-nothing pressure.
You can read more about how it works (including a free 4-week intro period) here:
https://penyourmasterpiece.com/accountability/
🧭 Also contained in this newsletter:
Best wishes for a kind and fulfilling 2026!
Warmly,
Christina
The Day That Changed Everything Available now!
Anthology Launch Celebration – January 17
We’ll be celebrating the launch together on January 17 with a special Zoom event. Some of the anthology contributors will be reading from their pieces, and we’ll toast to everything this community has created.
Book Club Pick: Reasons for Hope by Jane Goodall
Her revolutionary studies of Tanzania’s chimpanzees forever altered our definition of “humanity.” Now, intriguing as always, Jane Goodall explores her deepest convictions in a heartfelt memoir that takes her from the London Blitz to Louis Leaky’s famous excavations in Africa and then into the forests of Gombe. From the unforgettable moment when a wild chimpanzee gently grasps her hand to the terror of a hostage-taking and the sorrow of her husband’s death. Here, thoughtfully exploring the challenges of both science and the soul, she offers an inspiring, optimistic message as profound as the knowledge she brought back from the forests, and that gives us all… reason for hope.
Book club questions can be found here (When I get around to posting them): https://memoirmentors.com/book-club-questions/
Upcoming Events
Ideas? Questions? Suggestions?
Reply to this email and let me know or reach out directly at: xtina.howell@memoirmentors.com