By Tammy Karasek @tickledpinktam

I don’t know about you, my writer friend, but when I go to bed I’m exhausted—until my head hits the pillow. Then my eyes pop wide open as I think of a new scene or two or ten for my current fiction project. I grab my cell phone and begin to one-finger type away the scenes.

Another scene idea pops up. No, this one is familiar. I realize that’s not a scene after all, but a bad memory from long ago and I should write it down in my notes so I don’t forget it. It could come in handy if I need to kill off a character—er, I mean add a conflict scene to a story in a book. I’m kidding. Maybe.

Speaking of books, I need to remember to finish reading the Launch Team books I’ve committed to read and review so I can finish the Team projects. Did I write them on my list so I don’t forget to do them?

Thinking about projects, I have some unfinished updates needed on my newsletter, social media profiles and website. The list is growing, along with guilt.

Though while on the topic of areas that need to be updated and cleared out, my office looks like a grenade went off in there. I’ve been working like a mad woman, but it looks like a scene from the show Hoarders. Not just the room itself, but the desk in particular. How can one person collect so many pieces of paper in just one month?

Now that I’m fully awake, it occurred to me I may have found my one word for 2024.

In one of those sleepless nights, I’ve been looking back at the last couple of years from where I was to where I am at this time as a writer. I see where I’ve missed opportunities, took harsh words to heart about a scene or writing piece shared for critique or worse, questioned God on this calling He’s given me. Can you relate?

My word presented itself to me in the middle of the night (shock) and it was clear it was the correct word for me in 2024. This word was specifically geared toward my writing journey, but also fitting to my personal part of life as well. As this word came to me, the list of regrets and guilt in my writing journey rolled through my mind. I knew the list needed to be erased, thrown out and moved away from.

The word I’ll press into for 2024 is Release. Release those harsh critiques. Release the opportunities I didn’t take for whatever reason. Like 2020—all that free time to write in the spring of 2020 we all had—and I froze like most of the world without many words on any of my projects. I’m releasing that one for sure. Slack on keeping a spic and span desk? Releasing it. Haven’t used all the writing craft books I’ve purchased or webinars I paid for and didn’t attend—released.

I believe you get my point. Whether you pick a one word each year or not, could you think about the release of regrets or guilt in situations within your writing journey you’ve missed or let fear keep you from doing?

Or, have you chosen your own word for the year that is solely focused on your writing career? If not, and you’re like me and hold onto regrets or guilt of woulda-shoulda’s regarding your writing, consider grabbing onto the word release. Then begin to do just that—release those regrets and that guilt.

Tammy Karasek uses humor and wit to bring joy and hope to every aspect in life. Her past, filled with bullying and criticism from family, drives her passion to encourage and inspire others and show them The Reason to smile. She’s gone from down and defeated to living a “Tickled Pink” life as she believes there’s always a giggle wanting to come out!

She’s a writer of Romantic Suspense—with a splash of sass. Her debut book, Launch That Book, released in November 2023. She’s published in a Divine Moments Compilation Book—Cool-inary Moments. Also, she’s a writing team member for The Write Conversation, The Write Editing, Blue Ridge Conference Blog, and more.

Known as The Launch Team Geek, she helps authors launch their books. You’ll also find her as a Virtual Assistant for several best-selling authors, the Social Media Manager for the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, Founding President of ACFW Upstate SC, and Founding President of Word Weavers Upstate SC. Connect with Tammy at https://www.tammykarasek.com.