A Different Kind of Reunion | Joanne Guidoccio

Two years ago, I began this annual tradition.

In 2015, I ended a prolonged writer’s block by selecting Onward as my word of the year. In the twelve months that followed, I wrote articles and book reviews and released two novels—A Season for Killing Blondes and The Coming of Arabella. I also started several projects that were in various stages of completion by the year’s end.

Frustrated by these incomplete projects, I selected Focus as my word for 2016. I applied myself and finished editing Too Many Women in the Room (to be released in Spring 2017). I also wrote several short pieces and participated in NaNoWriMo, completing 50K words of A Different Kind of Reunion (to be completed in 2017 and released in early 2018).

As I contemplated my selection for 2017, I toyed with several words: upward, booming, soaring, flying, success, prosperity, and abundance. Clearly, I was headed in a very different direction, one less linear than previous years. Having proven that I can initiate and complete writing projects, I was now ready to raise the stakes. I also needed to cultivate a more trusting spirit and take more risks.

For those reasons, I have selected Thrive as my word for 2017.

I like this definition from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary…

1: to grow vigorously: flourish
2: to gain in wealth or possessions: prosper
3: to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances

And this quotation from Maya Angelou…

“My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.”

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