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  • Writer's pictureRosie J.

#IWSG Jan 2023: Theme Word for 2023

Updated: Apr 28, 2023


Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds! Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting! Let’s rock the neurotic writing world! Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.


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!


The following link will allow you to peruse everyone in the Blog Hop.


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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?


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Hello, friends!


I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season, whether you were celebrating anything or not. I hope the end of your year was peaceful and everything you wanted or needed it to be.


We had a bit of a misadventure on the way to Ohio from Tennessee on Christmas Eve. We postponed our trip on account of the weather and still ended up sliding off the road into a guard rail. We made it through over 300 miles of treacherous roads and then 20 miles from our destination we totaled the car. Thankfully, we were uninjured, and my partner’s friend had a truck and was able to come get us. I got to ride in the back of a police car! That was an adventure I never thought I’d have. Let me tell you, it wasn’t very comfortable. I guess I now have a frame of reference for that now if I ever decide to write a character who has to take a ride in a police cruiser.


It wasn’t exactly how we’d meant to spend Christmas Eve.


Thankfully, things worked out. We got a rental to get back to Tennessee. And, I accomplished a good bit of writing while we were in Ohio. I ended December adding over 11k words to my NaNoWriMo draft. I think it’ll end up being about 75k when I’m finally able to write ”The End.” My current plan is by January 15th!


If reference to this month’s IWSG question, I’ve already addressed some of these things in previous blog posts, if anyone would like to read more in-depth about the goals I achieved in 2022 and the ones I hope to achieve in 2023.



I’ve never picked an over-arching word for my year before.


If I’d had one for 2022, it would have been SURVIVE. No doubt in my mind that was my theme for 2022, between finishing my Maser’s degree, job hunting, starting a new job, joining a choir, writing, etc., I was in Survival Mode most of the year.


But, I did survive!


So where does that leave me for 2023?


I couldn’t settle on one word, so I picked two:

THRIVE is a good word for me for 2023 because I survived 2022 and managed to leave myself in a better place for 2023. I’m ready to thrive.


CHALLENGE I picked because I want to challenge myself this year in a few ways, especially where writing is concerned. I’m putting my nose to the grindstone, treating writing as a second job, exploring options to self-publish, publish on Kindle Vella or similar, query some publishers/agents, etc.

I have a plan, but it’s going to be a challenging process.


Aside from that, I’m challenging myself in some other ways as well. I won’t go into those here, but you can read about them in my 2023 Goals blog!


I’m looking forward to all 2023 has to offer and ready for anything it may throw at me.


So, tell me, what word did you choose to define 2023? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!


For now,


Rosie J.



Links to NaNoWriMo and Writing related blogs and posts with more information about my current writing project:







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