What’s YOUR Word?

Hosts Christopher and Gena reveal their words for 2024, “extreme” and “flow,” while writer friends and newsletter subscribers also share their chosen words. These words can be categorized into commitment, appreciation, and strength. Examples of commitment words include “commitment,” “get her done,” and “structure,” while appreciation words include “mindfulness,” “enjoy,” and “magic.” Strength words encompass “resurgence,” “abide,” and “brave.” Listeners are encouraged to share their own words for 2024.

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LINKS:

• Liz Wilcox’s Email Marketing Membership at http://wmdeal.com/liz
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• Write with us! Join Chris, Gena, and Rene each Wednesday at noon Central and let’s get our writing DONE! https://www.writingmoments.com

episode 103 transcription:

[00:00:00] Gena: What words are writers counting on for 2024? Let's 

[[00:00:03] Christopher: find out.

[00:00:08] Christopher: Hello and welcome to the Writing Momentum podcast. I'm Christopher Maselli. I'm here with 

[[00:00:12] Gena: Me, Gena Maselli. 

[00:00:14] Christopher: So glad to have you here, Gena. Because, hey, guess what we're talking about today? 

[[00:00:18] Gena: We are talking about words for 2024. 


[00:00:21] The Concept of 'Word of the Year'
---

[00:00:21] Christopher: Yeah sometimes people pick a word for the year. That's how we first heard about this starting, where people would say, "my word for the year is this".

[00:00:31] Christopher: And we were like, that's interesting. And why do people do that? 

[00:00:34] Gena: I think it helps them keep their year in alignment. Like it keeps them focused and it helps them think about what do I really want to come out of this year. It's a variation on the whole New Year's resolution.

[00:00:46] Gena: But people are able to really think about what do I want this year to be? Or maybe they've prayed about it and just prayerfully they're quite, they're having a word that just keeps coming to their mind of this is what this season is [00:01:00] going to be like for me. So I think it's a great way, like I said, a switch on the whole new year's resolution, but what do you want your year to be like in 2024?

[00:01:09] Christopher: Yeah, so this is I think, an interesting thing for writers because as we have started doing this ourselves figuring out what's our word for the year and thinking about it and perfectly considering it. We've come up with a different word each year we've noticed and we've been asking then our writer friends "Hey, what's your word for the year?"

[00:01:28] Christopher: And it's really interesting to hear what people have come up with. We thought on this podcast today, we would share the words that we're thinking about this year for 2024, as well as we asked everyone on our email newsletter list, what their words were for the year, and we received an overwhelming amount of answers, more than we've received probably on any other email we've sent out.

[00:01:51] Christopher: And so we've compiled some of them that just really resonated with us that we thought we'd share with you because they tend to fit in a few categories. But before we get to [00:02:00] that, why don't we share our words for this year? 


[00:02:02] Hosts' Words for 2024
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[[00:02:02] Gena: What is your word for 2024, Chris? 

[00:02:04] Christopher: So my word is EXTREME. Which is a funny word, I think, to pick. But my words before have been things like FOCUS and that sort of thing. But I'm realizing that this year, I think I need to Do more than just focus. I need to focus on some things, maybe at the extreme cost of not doing other things. And that is, that's a hard pill to swallow because I want to do everything.

[00:02:29] Christopher: And I want to do everything well. And that's what I'm realizing. It's hard for me to do everything well to complete, maybe that novel I want to do. Or do something specific that I want to teach if I have my eggs in too many baskets, right? Yeah, extreme. That's my word. 

[00:02:46] Gena: I think you ended up this past year in 2023, and you said you felt like there were some, a lot of your projects that you really felt passionately about. That you hadn't had a chance to really finish [[00:03:00] because you were too thin. 

[00:03:00] Christopher: Yeah, that's right that's how I that's when this word came to me is because I was looking back at this past year And I realized that I had some really great accomplishments, but most of them weren't totally complete. It's like I had really made big movements, but I wasn't able to complete them because I was a little split in my focus.

[00:03:20] Gena: So I think of it as you're wanting to go deep on just a few items, rather than going shallow on a ton of items. 

[00:03:29] Christopher: That's exactly right. I want to be deep, not shallow. So what's your word? 

[[00:03:32] Gena: My word for this year is flow. 

[[00:03:35] Christopher: Flow. 

[00:03:35] Gena: And that's the word that keeps coming to my mind. That's just kept coming to my mind over the last month. And I am, have a tendency where I want to do so much, which is similar to what you're saying. I want to do so much. I want to accomplish so much.

[00:03:52] Gena: And I sometimes can get in a place where I don't really stop to appreciate the [00:04:00] season that I'm in. And that's really what I want to do. I want to appreciate, I want to slow down enough that I'm appreciating the season that I'm in. And I know for me, we just sent our first off to college. And so that has been, it's been a new season for us.

[00:04:18] Gena: Not only do we miss her because she's not here all the time, even though she's not very far away. She comes home regularly, but she's not here. And, we're seeing her start this new phase in her life as well. But at the same time, I'm very much aware that my second one is on the cusp of leaving as well.

[00:04:38] Gena: Our second child is close to graduation within a couple of years. And so I'm just starting to really realize that some of these seasons that maybe I have spent a lot of time wishing were somehow different. I'm realizing that they are short and that I need to just flow in that. And to do that though, on the [[00:05:00] creative side, what that has meant, realizing what is important and not spending so much time.

[00:05:07] Gena: And then really it's not just time. It's also energy feeling like I've got to be doing work, but recognizing that I need to flow within the season I'm in. And there's going to be time for some of these projects that have been on my heart to do that I haven't maybe had as much time to do.

[00:05:26] Gena: Those are coming. The time for that is going to be coming. I'm going to love that season, but I don't want to wish away the one that I'm in. 

[00:05:33] Christopher: That's good. That's good. All right, so now you've heard our words extreme and flow. We're gonna have an extreme flow this year, but now what we found is that when we asked the other writers that we know, the ones that are on our newsletter list, What are your words for 2024?

[00:05:48] Christopher: We received, as we said, a lot of answers and what we found is that they tended to fall in about three different categories. And so we're going to share each of those categories. 


[00:05:56] Listener's Words for 2024: Commitment
---

[00:05:56] Christopher: And the first one is commitment. There's [[00:06:00] a group of people that said, my word tie in with commitment. For instance, Mike said his word was commitment, right?

[[00:06:07] Christopher: I want to say committed to what he wants to get done. And I thought that was great because it is very easy to, like I said, have your, I was going to say flow, but to have your attention diverted to multiple things and not be able to get it done and instead you have to be committed.

[[00:06:23] Christopher: To get it done. 

[[00:06:24] Gena: Yes. 

[00:06:24] Christopher: And what's the next one? 

[00:06:25] Gena: The other one, this one comes from Sheila and it's Get er done. 

[[00:06:30] Christopher: Get er done. Yeah. 

[00:06:30] Gena: Get er done. . I totally hear you, Sheila. I'm right there with you, sister.

[00:06:36] Christopher: She's ready to have fun on the get er done side of being a speaker and an entrepreneur and that sort of thing, and that's just it. It's that commitment. It's getting things done. Anne said structure. She wants to be more intentional with her schedule. That's about getting things done. And that is a big part of it. I am someone who definitely works with a schedule and I need to look at that schedule every day.

[00:06:58] Christopher: I need to plan it and I [00:07:00] need to make sure that I'm following it and that helps me. It's the structure that helps me get things done. 

[00:07:05] Gena: You are absolutely very structured. I'm a little more of the Intuitive side. I have to, I like, I have to have some structure, but too much structure and I start feeling cabin fever. I have to have a little bit of flow in the structure. 

[00:07:21] Christopher: I'm with Anne. I like the structure. 

[00:07:23] Gena: But I appreciate the structure. Now we've talked about, I use my planner. I do all of that. Yes, there is, there's definitely a place for structure, but I'm saying for you, I know that you are a lot more structured than I am.

[[00:07:35] Gena: And Sarah said her word for the year is intent. 

[00:07:39] Christopher: Intent. I love the word intentional. I think when you are working towards things intentionally, you intend to finish your book. Every action that leads to finishing that book is intentional. I'm gonna write for a half an hour each day. That's an intentional act I'm taking. That is really what helps get things done. 

[[00:07:58] Gena: It is. 


[00:07:59] Listener's Words for 2024: Appreciation
---

[00:07:59] Gena: And then [00:08:00] our next batch that we came or that we found that people were sending us had to do with appreciation. And I think that's where I'm falling this year is in flow, like I said, just appreciating the flow that I'm in. But appreciation, and so for Edie, that's mindfulness. 

[[00:08:19] Gena: Thinking clearly, paying attention to detail, probably just slowing down and being sensitive to others needs and not just racing through. Boy, can I relate to that. 

[00:08:29] Christopher: Yeah, we all need to be mindful, especially when you're writing, they say some of the best fiction writers are very mindful of everything going on around them.

[[00:08:36] Christopher: And so it really It behooves us to slow down a little bit, be mindful about the world around us, and with our writing, and everything will go a lot better. 

[[00:08:46] Gena: I think that works for non fiction as well. 

[00:08:48] Christopher: Yeah, that's true. 

[00:08:49] Gena: Especially if it's something that you're passionate about. Whatever that subject matter is, if you slow down enough and you're mindful of it, you can probably catch some of [[00:09:00] those keys to making that message stronger or how that message would affect others around you even more so I definitely get that. 

[00:09:08] Christopher: Ingrid said her word was enjoy, which is another appreciation word, right? She said that she had a hard year, but she's looking forward to enjoying the road ahead and Ingrid right there with you. That's awesome. Sometimes enjoyment is a decision, isn't it? We have all these things sometimes hit us in life.

[00:09:26] Christopher: And we just have to say, you know what? I'm going to enjoy this time and make the most of it. 

[[00:09:31] Gena: And Anne said beauty, which I love. Really appreciating the beauty in life. And really probably stopping and slowing down enough to see it and to recognize it. It is just beautiful .

[[00:09:43] Christopher: Kim said her word is magic.

[[00:09:46] Gena: I love that. 

[00:09:46] Christopher: She wants more magic in her life. And she said, let me read this to you. She said, Here's her definition of magic. She says it's a quality that makes something seem removed from everyday life Especially in a way that gives just a delight. I [00:10:00] think that's a quality that makes something seemingly removed from everyday life, especially in a way that gives Delight. That's good. 

[[00:10:08] Gena: That little bit of fairy dust that you add, that gets added to what can be an everyday occurrence, right? And then Betsy says balance. I hear you Betsy.

[00:10:22] Gena: Balancing work, life, family, writing, just all the different areas. Yes. And just making time for what's important, but being balanced enough not to go so far into one that we ignore the other. 

[00:10:35] Christopher: Now, if you don't have a word for your year, I hope you're thinking about these and as you're listening to these and saying, Hey, do one of these really resonate with me?

[[00:10:43] Christopher: Maybe one of these can be your word too. 


[00:10:46] Listener's Words for 2024: Strength
---

[[00:10:46] Christopher: The last section is words that people tended to Tie back to strength, right? These are all words that have to do with finding strength in who they are, in their writing, in their courage, and that sort of thing. Lizzie said her [[00:11:00] word was Resurgence. 

[00:11:02] Gena: I love that. She's coming back. She's coming back strong in 2024. I love that. 

[00:11:07] Christopher: That's so good, Lizzie. 

[00:11:08] Gena: And then Jennifer said, Abide. To rest in God's presence. And that's a beautiful word there as well. Just, there's a lot of strength that comes in resting. 

[[00:11:18] Christopher: Yeah, not trying to do everything yourself, right? Saying, okay, God give it to you. Very good. Mary said the word is brave. She just wants to get her writing out there, share her faith more, be intentional, she said. There comes the word intentional again. But yeah, being brave. Hey, as writers, we have got to be brave. It is, you tend to think all I have to do is sit in my office and do my writing and send it out.

[[00:11:39] Christopher: No, to do your writing, to send it out, you have to be brave to do that. 

[00:11:43] Gena: You have to be so brave I think bravery is one of those things that's a lot of times underrated or it's not that it's underrated. It's that we don't recognize that's part of the process. But anytime that we have to deal with any type of rejection, anytime we put our work [00:12:00] out there and then have to hear some type of review or see whether it hits the mark and it doesn't matter what kind of writing you do.

[00:12:08] Gena: I don't care if you're writing marketing pieces. There can come a point of I don't this or I do like that. And so much of it is subjective, but being brave enough to put your work out there is Wow. It's just beautiful. And then Aida says more. Love this. More courage, more books, more readers, more creativity, more love.

[00:12:32] Christopher: That's so good. 

[00:12:33] Gena: It's beautiful. I love that. I love that. 


[[00:12:36] Conclusion and Call to Action
---

[00:12:36] Christopher: So that's what we found is that a lot of these words tied to commitment, appreciation, strength. What is your word? We've all got words like this that reflect the creative life. Commitment is part of the creative life. Appreciation is part of the creative life.

[00:12:50] Christopher: Strength is part of the creative life. What is your word for 2024? Hey, we'd love to hear it. If you go ahead and leave it in the comments on the YouTube video or send us an [00:13:00] email, however you want to let us know, we'd love to hear it. Because it encourages us to hear what your word is too.

[00:13:05] Gena: It absolutely does. And we're all, we are part of this together. That's what Chris and I have said. We believe that writing is not a solo venture, even though we do this on our own, it takes all of us together working to get better, whether we're reading somebody else's work or whether we're allowing people to weigh in and help us grow in our technique or in our marketing or in just understanding the process that we are going through.

[00:13:34] Gena: It's just, it takes more than just one person because what we've said to Chris is what? 

[[00:13:40] Christopher: Together, we have writing momentum. 

[00:13:43] Gena: That's right. 

[[00:13:44] Christopher: see you next time. Bye bye.