Weekly Roundup 52: Word of the Year

No, it's not brainrot, though I probably have more of that than I would like. My word of the year for 2025 is Flow. 

I struggled with a lot of things in 2024, as many of us did. I often felt like I was swimming upstream, which is exhausting. Not even salmon, who are born to do it, recommend it, mostly because they die at the end.

In 2025, I would very much like to go with the flow. I recognize that this will require letting go of the illusion of control. And worrying less. Both of which I'm not very good at.

But I have a whole 12 months to practice, and because I am full of the shining optimism of January right now, I think I can make some progress. Wish me luck!

And I wish you luck with whatever aspirations/goals/resolutions have inspired you at the turning of this new year.

I'm going to take a little blogging break now and see if I can figure out my next steps. Until we meet again, take good care!

 

 

Weekly Roundup 23: Submission Summer

Tomorrow is the summer solstice for those of us in the north. Even though we have plenty of long, hot days coming our way over the next few months, I always feel just a tiny twinge of sadness that those days will be growing shorter.

One of my fond memories of having school-aged children on summer break was participating in the reading challenge at the local library. They always had such cool themes, which are selected by an organization called the Collaborative Summer Library Program. Since 1987, they've brought summer fun such as Cosmic Connections at Your Library, Build a Better World, and this year's Adventure Begins at your Library to kids all across the country.

In the same vein, I've given myself a theme this year, which is Submission Summer. As you may or may not recall, my writer word of the year is submit. I'm sorry to say, I've fallen off the pace over the past few months and have some catching up to do. But what better time to do that than during summer afternoons when it's too hot to be outside?

It may not be as fun as Thrills and Chills at the Library or Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales, so I might just have to think of a cool prize to give myself when it's over.

Here's wishing you a productive summer season!

 

Weekly Roundup 2: Cold Snap Edition

It feels like January around here! We've been below zero and in the single digits for a few days now. Not as bad as some parts of the country, but it has definitely put me in hibernation mode. 

The question of value: Since the new year, my husband and I have been working on clearing out things we no longer have a use for. This has forced encouraged me to think about what I value and why. Is it practical value (things I use and/or enjoy regularly), sentimental value, or actual (monetary) value? I'm surprised at how often I feel a sense of obligation to an object, usually because someone gave it to me, sometimes because I've just always had it. The process is occasionally challenging, but at the end of the day, it feels good to be able to let go.

Writer to-do list: This is not really a new year thing, because I always have a to-do list going. The current one includes finally doing a proper website, continuing to slog my way through a challenging (but mostly fun) first draft of a manuscript, working on picture book projects, connecting with various writing communities, and of course submitting, since this is my word for the year. I still struggle with time/life balance, so I'm hoping to pick up a few helpful tools and pieces of advice along the way.

Death of Peregrine: The Peregrine moon lander had a successful launch but has been doomed by a propellant leak. Instead of the planned lunar touchdown on February 23, it appears that Peregrine will reenter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up. It's carrying (among other things) pictures of footprints, messages from children, and human DNA samples, including one from science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. RIP Peregrine!

The most wholesome thing I saw this week: Tidy Welsh Mouse

Weekly Roundup 1: It Begins!

Welcome to 2024! Last year was my all time worst for blogging, so I'm jumping in with a fresh start. I considered trying to stick to a theme for the year but instead decided to wing it (because we all know how well that works for me lol). As 2024 unfolds, I'll be posting every Wednesday, with a little bit of this and that from near and far.

Let's begin!

Writer Word of the Year: Last year's word was climb, and I did some of that. I also hit a lot of plateaus, where I wandered about as if my GPS had lost its signal. Well, it happens. My word for 2024 is submit, because, strangely enough, my writing hasn't learned how to jettison itself out into the world yet, and I can't afford a personal assistant to do it for me. As my sister pointed out, submit also means to subject oneself to a process, or to surrender after resistance. All of these meanings feel appropriate.

Reading: I choose Chuck Wendig's Black River Orchard as the best book I read in 2023. I'd call it a dark contemporary fairy tale, with a great cast of characters and enough horror to make it creepy but not terrifying. Next up, The Eyes and The Impossible, by Dave Eggers, "a heroic dogs account of a thrilling adventure" for readers of all ages. Sometimes, that "of all ages" makes me suspicious, but I think this one has potential.

Sky Stuff: January 11 is the first new moon of the year. I love a good full moon as much as the next person, but I appreciate the new moon for its reminder that once a month, we can all hit reset button. According to people who follow this kind of thing, January's new moon in Capricorn represents recharged energies and new perspectives.  

Trees: That's my favorite tree pictured above on January 1. It's a big old cottonwood a short walk from my street, and I love watching how it changes throughout the year. 

I hope 2024 is agreeing with you so far! See you next week! 

Writer Word of the Year

Seems like January and February both flew by in a blur of snow and sub-zero temperatures. I'm looking forward to more spring-like weather in March. But sometimes it's our snowiest month, so I'm not holding my breath.

I'm late in reporting on my word of the year, but I guess there's still plenty of 2023 left to come! I've been feeling like I'm on a plateau lately, hiking around and enjoying the view but not making much progress. That inspired me to choose "climb" as my writer word for 2023. 

As a visual aid for tracking my progress, I taped this "mountain" on the side of my desk. (I know it looks a bit like a Christmas tree, but I'm not super crafty.) Every time I complete a task that feels like progress--a query or a submission or other connection to the writerly world--I  write it on a strip of sticky note and attach it to the slope. You can see them at the bottom left. 

I have six now (I didn't get this sorted out until well into February) but I hope to make it to the top by the end of the year.

Wish me luck on my climb. And please share your inspiration for 2023 in a comment!

See you next month!

Writer Word of the Year 2022

Happy New Year! I hope you've all made it to the first Wednesday in January in good shape and are getting a feel for what you might want to accomplish this year. (Or maybe you don't want to accomplish anything other than just living your life, and believe me, no judgment here.)

My word for 2021 was Discipline, and as I've admitted, it was not a good choice. Patience would have been better. Or acceptance. Grace. I thought discipline might motivate me, but it turns out I needed a different kind of energy. Less taskmaster, more cloud-gazer.

This year's word, Grow, popped into my head a month or so ago, and it clicked immediately. (To my surprise and delight, my fresh-cut Christmas tree seemed to confirm the choice by unfurling soft baby needles over the past few weeks.) 

I've chosen grow for a few reasons. First of all, I really like to grow things. I love seeds that sprout in a paper cup and plants that tendril gently from their pots. I love the crawl of cacti and the sprint of mint. I love moss and avocado pits and Tillandsia air plants.

Growth can be surprising and unpredictable. Those are good things for writers, especially regarding first drafts, one of which I will be working on this year. Growth can mean getting better at doing something or getting better at not doing something. Growth can be as tiny as an alpine flower or as massive as a coastal redwood. Growth is potential realized.  

Last year at Christmas, my family and I spent some (Covid-safe) time in Arizona. Good friends sent us home with oranges from their tree, and I planted a few of the seeds on New Year's Day 2021. Here's what my little orange grove looks like today. Not astounding growth, but slow and steady. Just like me.

I hope you'll stop by often to see what's growing. Best wishes for health and happiness in the coming year!

The Return of NOvember

Last December, when I was deciding on my writer word for 2021, "discipline" felt like a good choice. After the mess of 2020, I thought that imposing a sense of order on the new year would make all the difference. And it did. For about 2 weeks.

As it turns out, discipline was not a great word for me this year. I should have gone with "patience" or "leeway" (as in giving myself a lot of it). Because, as you know, things were still challenging in 2021. Thank goodness much of the political furor died down, at least temporarily, but the world is still messy. And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who ate too much chocolate and streamed too many shows.

But I'm not throwing in the 2021 towel just yet! Hence the return of NOvember. "No" often gets a bad wrap as a punitive word with negative energy behind it. But it can be such a helpful tool. So I've decided to buckle down in NOvember and say No as often as possible. 

Of course, the phrasing of the question make all the difference. If I ask myself if I should have salad instead of fries, instead of the other way around, that rather defeats the purpose. So, here's a more helpful list of my November questions:

• Is (fill in the blank) a good use of my time and/or money?
• Does (fill in the blank) bring me closer to my goals?
• Will (fill in the blank) make me happy?
• Does (fill in the blank) serve me?

Anyway, you get the gist. Hopefully by the time December's season of excess rolls around, I'll feel like I've earned a few indulgent yeses. 

What does November have in store for you?

And good luck to anyone on the NaNoWriMo wagon this year! You can do it!!

My Writer Word of the Year

Dog discipline (Also: not my dog)

Every year, the members of my writing critique group each choose a word to guide us through the coming 12 months. Last year, as you may know, my word was Joy. My sister gifted me with the book Joyful, by Ingrid Fetell Lee, and I used it to inspire me through what I called Joy Project 2020. It was a good word for a tough year, and I very much appreciated being reminded to seek joy in my home, work, and relationships.  

On Wednesday, my critique group met via Zoom to discuss our words for 2021. The list included submit, thrive, open, close, and a couple that are still under consideration. In the past, I've chosen feel-good words such as joy and actionable words such as engage. This year, my word is discipline. 

I'll delve a little deeper in future posts, but the big reason I chose discipline for 2021 is that I've realized how frequently my bad habits get in my way. If someone else thwarted me as often as I thwart myself, I'd be none too happy. And yet, I let myself off the hook time and again.

So, I'm setting out into this brave new year with the dual goals of weakening bad habits and strengthening good ones. I'm sure it will be an ongoing process, and if you have any suggestions for success, leave a comment! I think I will need all the help I can get.

I hope your new year is off to a satisfactory start!