The awesome co-hosts for the January 4 posting of the IWSG are Jemima Pett, Debs Carey, Kim Lajevardi, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, and T. Powell Coltrin!
Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!
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 finish 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?
Since 2009, I’ve run through a lot of words to set an intention for another year of writing. Some of the verbs have been improve, persist, succeed, enjoy, publish. In the noun category, I’ve chosen things like courage, empathy, patience, energy. Each time I’ve looked back over a year, I’ve been somewhat surprised to find that the word of the year was exactly what I needed to guide me through 365 days and whatever manuscript I happened to be laboring over.
This year, I’m recycling one of my previous words, and I’m returning to persist. After writing for some time now, the idea of keeping on is more important than ever. I may have to fudge a little and tag on energy, so I can actually achieve the lofty goal that persist sets.
I wonder what other words bloggers have chosen or if they have. It will be interesting.
And speaking of persist…here’s another shot at putting your work into the hands of an agent or a publisher. The #IWSGPit is coming on January 25, 2023. This all-day event starts at. 9:00 am and goes until 8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. It’s exciting, instructive, and often rewarding for writers, so don’t miss it!
Here’s what to do:
Create a Twitter-length pitch for your completed and polished manuscript and leave room for genre, age, and hashtag. On January 25, 2023, Tweet your pitch. If your pitch receives a favorite/heart from a publisher/agent check their submission guidelines and send your requested query.
Quote of the Month:
Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.
Napoleon Hill
Wishing you all the best with your persistence!
For some reason I always link persistence with patience. You have to allow time for your persistence to pay off. Best wishes in 2023!!
They are certainly connected, aren’t they?
Happy New Year, Lee! Persist is not so very different to my word, Persevere. Let’s rock it in 2023!
We are definitely on the same wavelength!
Persist is such a good word. I use it a lot as a developer, where I persist data, that way it can be read and used. Keeping on keeping on is the way to go. I hope your 2023 persists in being wonderful!
And I wish the same for you, Loni!
I don’t know. I think I visited you a while ago but I’m completely lost. Reading this post was like déjà vu . But persist is a great word. Giving up in writing is easy and we need to persist to make it happen. Thanks for all the inspiring posts here and for your blogs on writing on the IWSG. I enjoy reading you. Have a great year.
Love the quote. I guess, perspiration is a necessary part of the three, not as lofty but it gets the job done.
That word is most descriptive!
Hi, Cheryl-Lee!
Thanks for visiting me today at Shady’s Place, dear friend, and happy new year to you!
If I were to choose an affirmation word for the coming year, it would be “focus.” I have the attention span of a gnat, and I’m working on it. If I stay focused and eliminate distractions, I can get much more done. On occasions when I allow my mind to wander, I tend to lose interest in what I’m doing and quit, leaving me feeling incomplete.
I appreciated the quote of the month, because I studied the success principles of Napoleon Hill, self-help author who wrote Think and Grow Rich, in a career preparatory course and again when I took “est” (Erhard Seminars Training) and attended and taught in NLP seminars.
I wish you all the best in 2023, dear friend Cheryl-Lee. Happy new year!
You have a wealth of experience, Shady! Glad you share some of that on the blog-o-sphere!
I like persist! I feel like almost all of the words I’ve seen today are words that I should follow in the new year.
I feel the same way. Words have a lot of power, so I find focusing on one as an ideal goal greatly motivating.
I had to chuckle at the word because it’s so true. It seems like nothing (especially the writing world) runs without tons and tons of persistence.
I think I’ll make a big sign with that word in bold letters and pin it to the wall for this year.
Not sure if my internet connection ate my comment or not. Good luck with your persisting. Happy New Year.
The internet is a monster and it will often chew up and spit out a perfectly beautiful comment. Sorry. However, you succeeded in completing the task. Now that’s persistence.
Persist is a great word. I’ve been enjoying reading the words everyone has come up with. So motivating! Wishing you a very happy 2023!
I’ve enjoyed seeing other word choices as well. Very interesting. Hope you and your family have a wonderful new year.
Persist is a good one. (Energy is good too/ 😉)
I’m hoping they piggyback on each other and I’ll actually follow through as planned.
Good choice on word of the year. I had never thought of picking one before, and couldn’t quite narrow it down to one, but it’s a good exercise in thinking about what your goals are and how you are going to meet them, which is really the point, right?
Yes. That is absolutely the only point. I’d never done this before I affiliated with a writing group, and that was their practice. It’s interesting and focusing.
Persist, ease, lots of good words. I will have to figure out mine. Neat idea about pitching to a agent (as long as Twitter doesn’t implode by the end of the month).
I’m still not clear on what Musk is up to. Looking forward finding out what your word turns out to be!
Who knows what Musk is up to, but I expect to hear something from him soon (along with the dude in North Korea and a few others), as other issues have knocked them off the front page of news stories.
That’s a good word, especially with the addition of ‘energy’. I am so much LESS energetic than I used to be.
The Napoleon Hill quote-that man was so inspirational.
It does seem to take more energy to light a fire under me these days. I just hope I’m not on the downward slope to lethargy and bon bons. Eeek!
Hill was amazing. I agree.
Good choices. It’s no wonder you work so hard. Have a great year. 🙂
Anna from elements of emaginette
The word thing is kind of a buggy whip! That little sting on my backside is a reminder that it’s not time to quit yet. Happy 2023!
Persist should just be a word for life. LOL!
How right you are!
Persist sounds perfect. And the Napoleon Hill quote is brilliant.
Maybe I should use more quotes on my blog. I enjoy a newsletter and look forward to their quotes each week, too.
Isn’t there one that goes something like: “if you see a good idea, steal it?”
There is a saying exactly like that! I’d say take that quote seriously. Happy New Year.
I like persist; it reminds me of stubbornness. Which may just be my middle name. Best wishes to you, Lee. Hope 2023 is so wonderful that you’re left creating a list of new dreams.
I like that your middle name has that kind of temperament attached to it. There’s nothing wrong in being stubborn. Here’s to a year where never giving up pays off big.
Hi Lee,
Happy New Year!
I love the quote from Napoleon Hill. I’ve read his books.
Nice word too. To persist means to never give up, to keep moving forward no matter what. That is what I wish for you.
Shalom aleichem
I wish the same for you, Patricia! May we both do well in this year.
Here’s to persisting and flourishing this year. Good luck.
And the same to you, Nick!
Persist is a great word! I may have to borrow that one in the future!
Feel free to borrow any of my words! I’m flattered.
I’ll take some energy.
Oddly enough, I’ve had no problems writing 2023 instead of 2022.
Energy it is! A double dose just in case.
Excellent word choice. And yeah, energy is really helpful.
“Without having a goal, it’s difficult to score.” Paul Arden
I hope 2023 will become everything you need it to be.
That is a perfect quote! Have a wonderful 2023, J!
Happy New year, Lee!
Word of the year? I can never choose just one, that’s too difficult, so I don’t have a word of the year.
However, persist is a good choice. And energy.
Another good word is perseverance. I love that word.
Happy IWSG Day!
All of those words work for me. Here’s to a wonderful 2023, Michelle.
Okay to reuse a word especially if it’s going to motivate you.
Absolutely.
Persist is a great word choice for the year. Loved the quote too. I’d never thought of picking a word for the year, but I’m going to from now on.
The practice started with one of my writing groups, and I’ve enjoyed doing it each year. Here’s to your word helping you reach your goals in 2023!
Hi Lee - wishing you the best for 2023 … I’m going with Soothing - trying not to upset the apple-cart! Happy New Year - and once again we will need to persist through thick and thin - cheers Hilary
Soothing is a great word. We can always use some of that, can’t we. May your 2023 be as soothing as possible.
Persist is a wonderful word - and I strongly suspect it is an essential for all of my writing heroes. Thank you.
You’d be right. If you give up, that the one sure way not to do what you planned. Happy New Year!