A brand new year and it's time for our first meeting of 2023 for the Insecure Writer's Support Group. Hope everyone's excited and has great plans for the year ahead. Hosted as ever by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the aim of the group is to offer a safe space where writers can share doubts and insecurities without fear of being judged. This month's co-hosts are Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre and T. Powell Coltrin.
January 4 question - Do you have a word of the year? Is there one word that sums up what you need to work on or change in the coming year? For instance, in 2021 my word of the year was Finish. I was determined to finished my first draft by the end of the year. In 2022, my word of the year is Ease. I want to get my process, systems, finances, and routines where life flows with ease and less chaos. What is your word for 2023? Why?
I had a think about this - I initially dismissed the question because I've never had a "word of the year" but on reflection it might be quite a nice idea. And a good word for my 2023 might be "present." No, it's not a hangover for Christmas, I'm not fixated on receiving gifts. No, I mean it would be a good idea to be present in the moment and receptive to opportunities, especially in the year when my first traditionally published book is released. It's about not second guessing things in terms of what could go wrong or right because it's easy to get into a tailspin that way. I'm not saying that nerves or anxiety about my work coming out on a particular platform are going to go away. I think those are ever present for all of us to a degree no matter where we are in our career. But it's about managing that and not letting it stop us enjoying special moments when they happen. Obviously, being present is a good motto in any situation - with family, for example.
So, yeah, that's the word I'm going to take going forward for this year. What about you? See how others answered at the IWSG list here.
