At the start of each new
year my daughter Sara chooses a word to embody how she wants to navigate the
upcoming year. One word to be her “North Star” for her business and her life.

Painting: North Star by Gretchen Kelley

For example, one year
she chose the word “bold” – which I thought was boldly marvelous.

So I, too, have chosen a
word to be my North Star for this shiny new year. The word is “true.”

As a writer, it means
being true to the characters in the new book I’m creating. As a writing mentor, it
means guiding each writer to be true to the soul of their story.

I loved
many wonderful books during the year we just left behind, and it struck me how
wildly varied they are, yet all deeply true. Especially the following three.

The gloriously entertaining Harlem Shuffle by
genius author Colson Whitehead:

 

 

The nail-biting real-life thriller Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman:
 

 The vivid, exquisitely
written profile of a 19th century Japanese woman, Stranger in the Shogun’s City, by Amy Stanley:

 

Books all utterly different, but all utterly true to their stories’ unique worlds.

“True” will be my bright
North Star. For writing my new book. For helping the writers I mentor find the best
truth in theirs. For living wide in the world.

How about you? Do you
have a guiding word for this new year?

________________________________________________

 

Barbara Kyle is the author of the bestselling
Thornleigh Saga series of historical novels and of
acclaimed thrillers. Her latest novel of suspense is The Man from Spirit Creek. Over half a million
copies of her books have been sold. Barbara has taught
hundreds of writers in her online masterclasses and many have become
award-winning authors. Visit Barbara at https://www.barbarakyle.com/