Sara Ella's First Newsletter of 2026
New writing goals, living chosen, and finding your story's spiritual theme!
Dear Friend,
I took most of December off to rest and slow down for the Christmas season. But January is here, and I promise I haven’t forgotten about you. As Princess Ana from Frozen would say, “The wind blows a little bit colder, and we’re all getting older . . . but some things never change.”
I don’t know about you, but I certainly feel older after living through 2025. But it’s also true that some things really do stay the same. Like the fact that I am thrilled we are getting a Frozen 3 in 2027! Frozen 2 was an inspiring sequel, especially for this discovery writer. If you haven’t watched the making of the second film, I highly recommend checking out Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2 on Disney+. It’s one of those “behind the scenes” bonus features, and it was a great reminder that not all writers write or create the same.
As I step “into the unknown” (as Queen Elsa might say) of 2026 and all that lies ahead for my family, my writing, and everything in between, I am grateful to serve a Creator who lives outside of time. All things are known to Him. There is nothing that can or will happen that is a surprise to God. There is no word I will write, hardship I might face, or joy I might experience this year that isn’t part of His perfect plan. I hope you’ll stick around for the journey and all this year has in store, and take comfort in knowing you do not have to go through any of it alone.
January Highlights
✍️ New Year, New Writing Goals
🌊 Glass Across the Sea is on sale!
📖 Living Chosen Through Stories: Guest Post + Giveaway 🎁
❤️ Up Next for Paid Subscribers: Spiritual Theme Workshop Series
🥳 In-Person Event: See me at StoryCon!
✍️ New Year, New Writing Goals
I haven’t written a single word since November. It’s hard to admit that, especially following a productive No-Word-Count November and hitting over 13K words written in total on my manuscript-in-progress. But between the holidays and editing deadlines for various clients, plus some unexpected health issues, my creative side has been completely drained.
But January is the month for resolutions, right? A time for motivation, inspiration, and creation . . .
Just typing those words actually makes me a bit tired, to be honest. I’ve been thinking about the word resolution a lot since the new year began. It’s the act of making a firm decision for or against something. I won’t eat sugar. I will walk every day. I won’t procrastinate on my novel this time. I will make writing a priority.
As I mulled over “resolution” and its meaning, my mind turned to my Creator. What resolution would He have me set this year?
I tend to create reasonable expectations for myself. For example, when I began working on my new manuscript in September 2025, I had nine whole months ahead of me to draft, and then I would have all of summer 2026 to edit and revise before submitting my story to my publisher in October. Reasonable, right?
Well, it would have been . . . if I had been steadily working toward that goal five days a week, with maybe an hour of writing time on those days. A nice, even pace. A doable pace. A pace that, for all intents and purposes, shouldn’t have been too difficult to keep.
Except, I didn’t keep it. I wrote all weekend at a writing retreat in September, only to leave my manuscript untouched until November. I worked so hard and consistently all month long in November, only to find myself with no energy or motivation to do any writing in December.
As someone who keeps my entire life organized in a calendar on my phone, I find it difficult to commit to a concrete writing schedule. Every day is different as a work-from-home writer, editor, and homeschool mom, with new roadblocks or unexpected hiccups. Knees are scraped, sickness occurs, and phone calls have to be made. There is always something that takes precedent over writing.
But I’d like 2026 to be the year that changes. I can’t do it on my own, but I can do it with the Lord by my side. Which is why Proverbs 16:3 is standing out to me this year.
“Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.”
— Proverbs 16:3
I think part of my failure to commit to a writing schedule comes down to feeling guilty for writing in the first place (a.k.a. doing something for myself) instead of focusing on other, more important (in my mind) tasks. Isn’t it selfish of me to spend time writing when I have clients waiting on edits, when my dyslexic son needs more one-on-one reading time with me, when the sink is full of dishes, when pretty much anything and everything seems to be more of a priority?
The truth is that all of those things matter immensely, but so does my story. If I believe writing is an act of worship and obedience to the Lord (and I do!), then why on earth would I think of it as less important?
So here are my writing goals for 2026.
Start with Story. Since I believe writing is connected to my relationship with God, I am committing this year to weaving writing into my focused quiet time. This means waking earlier in the mornings so I can spend time in God’s Word and with the story He has laid on my heart to tell. It won’t be easy. I struggled just getting up earlier today to finish this newsletter (that I started writing weeks ago). But they say it takes consistency to form good habits, so my goal this year is to be consistent in starting most mornings this way. Even if I only spend ten minutes on my novel, ten is better than zero.
Pursue the Story. Just like a groom pursues his bride, I’d like to view my story in the same way. Not through the lens of word count or even reaching an ending, but as a passion worth pursuing. As a calling worth my time, effort, and intentions. Writing must be intentional. It will never happen if I wait for the perfect window each day or if I wait until I feel like writing. Love is an action, not a feeling, and since I love writing, I have to act upon it, even on days when the emotion or inspiration aren’t present.
Pray through the Story. This is always a goal of mine, but it’s easy to get caught up in “just getting the draft done” and leaving prayer as an afterthought. My hope is to intentionally pray over each character, each chapter, each writing session. By God’s grace alone (as it is with every story), this novel will be complete (and full of heart) before my deadline.
What do you say? Will you join me in the pursuit of your story this year? Have you made any writing goals for 2026? Let me know in the post comments so I can cheer you on!
Glass Across the Sea is on sale!
The holidays are over, but 2026 TBR lists are just beginning. A new year means a clean reading slate. Gone are the unmet goals of last year (and I’ve given up on reading goals at this point—I simply read to enjoy it when I can find the time these days). If you’re still adding to your “Want to Read” list for the year ahead and you’ve been on the fence about Glass Across the Sea, now’s the time to hop that fence and snag a deal! (Corny, I know, but is it working? 😉)
The hardcover of Glass Across the Sea is 38% off on Amazon right now. I have no idea how long this sale will last, so don’t wait. My Cinderella meets the Count of Monte Cristo retelling is filled with magic, hope, and light—all the things you need on dark and cold winter days.
📖 Living Chosen Through Stories: Guest Post + Giveaway 🎁
Author friendships are truly the highlight of being a part of the writing community. I “met” fellow Christian fantasy author Tabitha Caplinger online years ago. It’s been so long now, I don’t even remember exactly how we became connected. All I know is I am grateful for her friendship and encouragement over the years. Though we’ve only spent maybe ten minutes in person together, I consider her one of my favorite people. And this month, I was blessed to be invited to share a bit about what “Living Chosen Through Stories” means to me. I hope you’ll check out the post and be encouraged as you pursue writing for the Lord and His glory.
We also have a multi-author giveaway happening now through February 22nd! Enter to win a book bundle PLUS a $15 gift card! Every story featured is written to encourage and challenge you to live chosen—to know God and make Him known.
❤️ Up Next for Paid Subscribers: Spiritual Theme Workshop Series
My last workshop series—Head vs. Heart Story—was all about finding the story you were meant to tell. The story God has called you to write. If you haven’t had a chance to go through that three-part workshop, all content is now available for you to access at your own pace. Read through the posts and download the full presentation. You can also listen to the audio on the Substack app.
My next workshop series stays on theme with the story of your heart, but we are going to dive a bit deeper into the topic of spiritual themes. “Finding Aslan: Discovering Your Novel’s Spiritual Theme” is a class I’ve worked to hone over the years. It’s one I’ve taught at various conferences, and it is one of my all-time favorite topics to cover. I’m thrilled to finally be sharing this content here with you.
Paid subscribers get exclusive access to all workshop content, as well as to community Zoom events, and more. The first post in the series will go live on Friday, January 23rd, with a new post each Friday through February 13th. Then, on February 13th, I’ll host a special live Q&A when you can ask me all your spiritual theme (or any other writing-related) questions. The Zoom invite link will be included in the workshop series posts.
I hope you’ll take this journey with me to “Finding Aslan.” Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions!
🥳 In-Person Event: See me at StoryCon!
I won’t be doing as many in-person events this year as usual, so I hope you’ll visit me at one of the few I plan to attend. I am so excited to have the chance to speak at StoryCon in Salt Lake City, UT, again in 2026. I loved making so many wonderful connections at this event last year with authors and readers alike. I’ll be teaching a class called “Infinity Rejections and Beyond: Why Criticism is Critical to an Author’s Growth.” If you’ll be attending too, I hope you’ll come say “hello!”
So Long, Farewell
That’s the news for January. As always, please don’t hesitate to reply via email or leave a comment on this post. I love hearing from you! Until next month, happy reading, writing, and everything in between!
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It's so true! Nothing will surprise Him! Thank you for the encouragement and reminder - praying for your year this year and so excited to see your workshops and speaking opportunities!!
I love the way you're reframing your writing time and expectations for the year, too. It can be so easy to shove writing to "when I have time" because everything else feels way more important, but I LOVE love love what you said about writing being "an act of worship and obedience." A few other takeaways "ten is better than zero" and "love is an action"!