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First of all, if you’re a subscriber, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
I wanted to say that because in the past week, I cleaned out two email inboxes with tens of thousands of emails apiece. It made me think about just how many emails all of us get. I always feel grateful for you, but this made me realize even more what an honor it is that you choose to subscribe. I promise I will always try to send you inspiring and useful posts!
Then I went through several years of photos on my phone, deleting what I didn’t want…and I realized something that shook me.
Over the past nine years or so, I could see my shine gradually dimming.
Where did that vibrant, fun version of me go?
Maybe it had to do with external factors: the political state of my country, the pandemic, tough work situations, and other losses and heartbreaks I won’t name.
I wondered whether anyone else felt like this. When I talked about it on Bluesky, a few people said they did. One person wrote something so heartbreaking and poetic:
“Oh, this speaks to my similar experience. Where have I gone? One lone brown leaf trembling on the bare branch of a winter tree. #HangOn”
Maybe I, personally, had no good reason to feel this way. Bad things happen to all of us, right? That’s life.
In the past several years, I’ve been lucky enough to be healthy, and wonderful things happened to me, too.
As an author, I signed with a literary agency I’d long admired, and I got a two-book deal from a dream publisher.
We had a personal financial crisis this year—a couple of health insurance claims were denied, nearly wiping us out overnight—and after a couple of austere and uncertain months, I experienced a TikTok miracle. My book Master Lists for Writers went a little viral, putting us back on solid ground again.
With all the reasons I have to be grateful, why should I feel this sense of loss for the person I once was?
Is it just having to do with the fact that I’ve gotten older? That I’ve gained a little weight? I know that neither of those things really matters.
Is it possible that this sparkly past version of myself never actually existed? It’s true that my memory often tosses aside a lot of the silt and the grit, grasping onto the bits of gold.
Either way, that person is inside me. She never truly got deleted, and I want to bring her out.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know I’m one of those people who chooses a “word of the year.”
Sometimes, it even works out. 🙂 If you want to think about choosing one for yourself, you can check out my 150 word of the year ideas.
I almost chose “carpe diem” as my word of the year for 2026 (and yes, I know that’s technically two words), because I often postpone both good intentions and joy. But I want every year to be a “carpe diem” year, and in the past week, I decided I had a better word.
Obviously, my 2026 word of the year is “spark.”
I want to get that spark back…and I will!
I also love the word “spark” for its creative meaning. Every new story, on the page and in life, begins with a spark…but you have to keep it from getting extinguished.
If you aren’t subscribed to the blog, I hope you’ll go ahead and do that below! We can cheer each other on!
I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Have you ever felt like you lost your spark? Do you have a word of the year? Do you prefer to let a new year roll in without making a big deal about it?
THANK YOU AGAIN for reading and subscribing, and I hope you have a happy last few days of 2026!
I love your blog: as a sometimes writer and always “doer” and the “liver” of a full rich life– I get the lost ‘sparkliness’ and think it can be everything and anything that makes one feel that way; but then I see a tree with snow padding its branches; or two guys who don’t know each other each playing chess on the subway suddenly playing it together; or I throw a party– And the world opens up again.
Keep sharing your vulnerabilities and your successes– makes us al better.
Josephine, I love this comment—with your examples of things that suddenly make life sparkly again! And thank you for the kind words. Happy almost new year!
It’s interesting that you say you’ve lost your spark. I feel exactly the same. I have to force myself to do things, which never used to be a problem.
I’ve put it down to getting old. I’m a lot older than you. I get tired more easily, nowadays.
Maybe you’re correct in saying it’s the state of the world–from wars to climate change, and the frustration that the politicians who could do something about it don’t seem to want to do anything, even actually doing things that exacerbate the problems.
But we must press on and ignite that spark and turn it into a beacon fire.
Hi V.M.! I get what you mean about having to force yourself to do things sometimes. But I like how you worded that—“we must press on and ignite that spark and turn it into a beacon fire.” That is going to stay with me! Thanks for reading, and for your comments. And have a great 2026!
Bryn, I’ve committed to writing one article a week. This means my book needs to be focused more on how teens think with shorter sentences and some texting messages from my character’s friends. I agree getting older is challenging. For me it is arthritis in my fingertips and slowing down my typing speed. I used to be faster! Oh well this gray mare isn’t what she used to be at 78. I encourage myself in the Lord that God is good and supplies my needs according to his riches daily. After all who needs 10,000 emails to write and publish. I prayed for you about Chicago. Had to let the Lord handle my frustration. I wanted to write a letter to T but didn’t. After all God did bring Nebuchadnezzar down when he bragged about being Lord (ate foliage for 7 years) and Darius the Persian king who feasted and used Jewish holy cups for a drunken brawl. He lost his kingdom to the Greeks when God had a hand write MENE MENE TECKEL UPHARSIN (You are weighed in the balance and found wanting). Daniel had to interpret it to him. When things look hard, I realize my time is different from God’s. He will correct wrongdoing.
Love my copy of Master Lists!
Aw, thank you, Kathy! I am so glad that Master Lists is working for you. Thank you for buying it! I hope you have a wonderful new year!
Yes I had lost my spark. But last fall I took an Organic Chemistry class at my alma mater. I wish I could say I got an A. I didn’t. OC is as demanding as it was the first time I took it. But listening to the professor rattle on about positive and negative charges got me in the moment. Studying forced my brain to think outside the box. And going to class on campus surrounded me with the enthusiasm and hope of young students. OC has little to do with writing but a lot to do with brain “chemistry”. So my suggestion is to try something completely outside the box to rev your physical or mental motor.
Dear Bryn, I understand. For me, it’s the emotional baggage of all those things you mentioned that I carry day to day that can’t be resolved or shaken off that dims my spark. In my professional life, I was always “accomplishment” oriented. Identify a problem, create a solution, implement – done! On to the next . . . .
So, perhaps starting the day by insisting on sparking will polish off a bit of the shade. An accomplishment worth a try, I’d say!
Great word, Bryn. Thank you for that. Happy New Year! PJ
Hi PJ! Oh, I get what you are saying about being accomplishment-oriented. That is so true. It’s great to be professional and focus on tasks, and yet if life is a to-do list of items to check off, it’s not going to sparkle. I like the idea of starting the day with a different mindset.
I hope you have a wonderful 2026! I appreciate you!
I love the word of the year practice, and the idea of nurturing things in ourselves that we’ve maybe neglected, or have become beleaguered.
Hi Carrie! That’s so true, and I never thought about it that way…a “word of the year” can help us pay more attention to something we’ve neglected. I love that! Thanks for reading and commenting. Happy almost New Year!
Good morning Bryn, I peek in everynow and than at your comments and love your website. My granddaughter asked me if I have a word for the year. Hmm.. what an excellant ideal. As if I gave it careful consideration and after pondering over it for a couple of days, I decided that “grace” is my word of the year.
Hi Joan! Oh, thank you so much for the kind words about the site. I think “grace” is such a lovely word for the year. And I hope your next year is wonderful!
I think that is a perfect word for you. It’s funny how stuff like that sneaks up on us, and we find ourselves changed without realizing anything was happening. My changes in the new year will not be quite so under the radar. As my husband and I prepare to welcome our first child, I find myself staring at a mountain of change. Along with welcoming our little boy, I plan on stepping away from my day job to focus on taking care of our son. I’ve been with that company for 11 years. All the things that come with me stepping away have me working to focus on what is truly important and coming to terms with some not so great aspects of myself. So my word for 2026 is “simplicity”. Yes, some of the things I have now I very much enjoy, but I do not need them. Focusing on living simply and humbly will help me be more grateful for what I do have, and allow me to teach my son that it’s not things that define your life. It is how you life it.
Hi Erin! YES, it’s so funny how things like this can sneak up on you. But wow, you are going to have dramatic changes in the coming year! I think it’s wonderful that you’re going to be stepping away from the day job so you can focus on taking care of your first child. That is going to be an amazing experience, and I can see how it would bring about a lot of introspection, too. “Simplicity” sounds like the perfect word. You are going to be a fantastic mom, and he will be such a lucky little boy. I hope you all have a very happy 2026.
My word of the year is “clarity”. I want to express myself with clarity to choose what I really want for this year and then build towards that. I need to be clear in my life so I don’t get side-tracked and keep flip flopping around and accomplish nothing.
Hi Margaret! Oh, I think a lot of us can relate to the flip-flopping and the side quests. I certainly can, anyway! “Clarity” is a great word. I hope you have a wonderful new year!
Another great post, Bryn. Thank you. I follow your blog because you were such a bright, warm light in my life at a time when I was this close to hitting rock bottom. I’ll never forget your kindness and encouragement. #StillGrateful. I love choosing a Word of the Year. This year, I’ve chosen Focus. Focus on my goals and on me, my health and happiness. I’m hoping those things will rub off on the people around me so they also will give themselves permission to focus on their health, happiness and the things they want.
Patricia! I know even very talented writers like you go through low points. I’m the one who’s grateful that I had a chance to work with you! You are always pure sunshine and so inspiring! “Focus” is a great word. It’s so easy for all of us to get distracted from what means the most to us. I love the thinking about how it may inspire others to focus, too. I appreciate you, Patricia! I hope 2026 is your best year yet. 💙
I am so sorry you lost your spark. I believe it happened to me, too. Your words always lift my spirits and give me a little spark—you give joy to others. Thanks for being you!
Jill, thank you for the kind words! I appreciate you so much. You give away joy to others, too! We’ll both get our spark back! I hope you have a wonderful new year.
Hi Bryn. Thanks for the upbeat post. I have enjoyed reading these for quite a few years and don’t reply often enough. Thanks for taking the time to encourage us regarding writing and life in general. I’ve been a little “down” lately, just having had a birthday and winter in PA isn’t friendly the majority of the time. Gloomy skies don’t lend themselves to bright feelings. I’m working on a plan and feel 2026 will be a good year! I appreciate the encouragement. I needed to open my email today and find your blog post at the top of the list. THANKS!
Hi Cheryl! It is always great to hear from you, and I always appreciate your reading! Happy belated birthday! I’m sorry you’ve been feeling a little down lately. I know winter can get to people. I am excited to hear that you have a 2026 plan, and I bet it will be an amazing year!
Bryn, your post rings true for me. I am older and feel I lost my spark or lust for life as I call it, several years ago. I used to wake up with anticipation for the day and especially for my writing. I published a novel this year and thought that would get me going and it did for a while. I’m not sure as we age if we lose a little something, perhaps a chemical imbalance in the brain. But I sure wish I could get that sparkle back. Perhaps, this is the year I will. I do keep trying. Thanks for your post and all of your posts. They are informative for us writers and there’s always something that makes us feel good about ourselves. Wishing you the best in the New Year, Bryn.
Hi Alice! It is wonderful to hear from you. Congratulations on publishing your novel this year! That is really something to be proud of. A lot of people dream of doing it, but relatively few people do. I believe in us. We can get our sparkle back! Have a wonderful 2026!
P.S.: And thank you so much for the kind words about the blog. That means a lot to me!
Thank you Bryn, for sparking me to chose a word, or three for 2026! Though I have four published books: two are compilation books, and two are children’s picture books––I am currently finishing revisions on my memoir Awakening to Life: A Journey From Grief to Joy for a spring 2026 launch. I chose: alignment, focus, completion. And for one word to remind me of the three, I chose: completion.
Cynthia, it’s so good to hear from you! Congratulations on your published books, and that is very exciting that you will be launching your memoir this spring. A journey from grief to joy sounds very inspiring. I like your three words! I hope you have a wonderful 2026!
I’m sorry you feel like you’ve lost your spark, and I can sympathize. I lost mine several years ago, and I’ve been trying (without much success) to get it back. Some of it for me is health-related, some is probably aging/menopause, and I think a big chunk of it is burnout. When I’m able to take some extended time off and rest, I start to feel more like my old self. But the highs are definitely lower than they used to be.
I hope you’re able to rekindle your spark in 2026. Happy New Year!
Hi Janet! You know, when I think about it, I do think that a lot of my issue is burnout. And I may be at a point where I can take more opportunities to recharge! I’m sorry you’re feeling the same way about losing your spark. I truly believe that we can both get it back! I hope 2026 is your best year in a long time. 🙂
I could have written your post, but gloom consumed me. Part of me realizes my grandchildren are growing older, and I feel like out of sight, out of mind. One in Philly, one in Seattle and the other two on the brink of becoming teenagers. Who wants their grandma hanging around? let go of trying to write the perfect story.
I suspect a portion of this thinking is, “is this all there is to life?” Maybe it’s a matter of getting out of our comfort zone.
My word(s) of the year :Let it go. Let go o procrastination, let go of negative thinking, let go of people who are
toxic people. Happy New Year! Let the spark ignite!
Carol, I am so glad to hear from you. I’m sorry you’ve felt gloomy. Okay, first off, your grandchildren are so lucky to have you, even if you don’t get to see them as often as you’d like! I know that kids on the brink of becoming teenagers are sometimes not great at showing appreciation (or looking up from their phones, haha), but believe me, any time you are visiting your grandchildren or calling/writing/texting the older ones, you are such a blessing.
And like you say, maybe getting out of our comfort zone and trying a few new things is a way to get our spark back. I am going to be writing in a diary every day in 2026, and I have to try some new things or I won’t have anything to write about, haha.
I love your word(s) of the year: let it go! I hope you have a wonderful 2026.
Oh boy, do I relate to your post! My debut released this year, which is amazing but also stressful and somewhat bittersweet, as my father passed in August 2024 and he never got to read it. My mother has dementia and is in assisted living and we are selling the family home, which meant moving into a condo, a good thing about which I have mixed feelings. So keeping my own spark has been a challenge for sure.
My word for 2026 is going to be initiate, which is something hard for me. But I want to do more signings and events next year, and I think reaching out to bookstores personally will help with that.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Kimberly, hi! Oh, I am so sorry for the loss of your father. I know he must’ve been very proud of you. Between that, dealing with your mother’s dementia, and selling the family home, you have really been through so many difficult things!
Congratulations on the debut! I know what you’re saying about it being amazing but stressful. It really can be.
I love the word “initiate”! Again, I get it. It can feel vulnerable to put yourself out there. Sometimes I pretend that I am a go-getter junior publicist named Lauren who’s sending out proposals in my name. 😀 Okay, I know that sounds crazy, but it just makes it easier!
I hope you have a very happy new year!
It’s so hard when one has gone through a lot, especially if a lot was kept quiet/private, and the spark is lost. I’m finally getting mine back. It has taken a while to get it back.
Just started thinking of a word for 2026.
Heyy, my longtime friend. 💙 Yeah, there’s so much I can’t say, and maybe that is true for you, too. I love it that you are finally getting your spark back. That inspires me! I hope you have a wonderful 2026!
And that story for the anthology, it helped–and it has been a best seller and an Amazon hot release in one of its categories for three weeks.
I’m not 100%, but I talked to a therapist for a few months and one session with a life coach, made a few changes, and what a difference it all made. Just to be able to write again was so huge.
I’m sending all the vibes your way that your spark sparkles in any way you need and want,
Ohhh, congratulations on the anthology success—that is so cool! You deserve it! I’m so glad that things are getting better. And I hope they get better and better yet. 💙
Thank you!
Hi Bryn! I’ve “followed” you for years, drawn in by that very spark you speak of. It’s still there, though you may not see it. The stars are still in the sky, though we’re used to seeing them and so don’t notice them as much. But I understand how deflated you seem to be feeling, especially with global upheaval having us question everything we do, hold dear, once thought. We are leaving the Year of the Snake, shedding our old ideals and those things that don’t fit, closing a cycle, becoming freer. Moving into the Year of the Horse, we will move with more purpose, more energy, surging forward as does a horse when turned into a meadow to be free to romp at will. And so my word for the year is ‘renewal’; leaving the old behind and starting on a new path forward. Not necessarily changing what I do (I love writing!), but moving instead with purpose. Personally, this has been a hard year filled with more kinds of loss than I’d like to admit, but a life-long dream is coming to fruition, that of seeing again the woman who cared for me as a young child. A woman I have not seen for 67 years. It’s an old dream about to come true, and so I’ll now have to think of a new one to keep me moving forward. The Year of the Horse (my birth year) might just do it.
Sonia, hi! I am so grateful that we’ve been connected for years. ✨ I always appreciate you! When I read your words—” It’s still there, though you may not see it”—that meant so much to me.
I am sorry your year was difficult in many ways, and glad you had a lifelong dream come true, too—that sounds amazing. I am so interested in that idea of leaving the Year of the Snake and moving into the Year of the Horse (your birth year!) I love your word, “renewal”! Happy New Year!
Bryn,
You might not remember me, but I remember you. We met at a conference, what seems like a light year ago (before you were published) and what struck me about you was your positivity. I never made it into publication, but I have not given up, and part of my reason for that is you. I want you to know that it’s okay to feel down sometimes- it’s part of being human. Sometimes success feels that way, like it takes away the joy, leaving a shadow behind, and I understand that quite well. It’s okay to take a little time for yourself… some “girl time” to counteract that feeling. It’s amazing what a walk in the woods, or dancing to your favorite music (for me, when no one is around! LOL!) can do to uplift one’s spirit.
You’re an awesome person, and a talented writer.
The world needs more people like you <3
Linda (LT)
Linda, hi! I have the memory of a goldfish, unfortunately, and I wish I remembered meeting you at that conference! I am truly the worst at that kind of thing. I’m still glad I met you. 🙂 It really did take me forever to get published. I’m glad I didn’t give up, and I’m glad you aren’t, either!
I love your suggestions of taking a walk in the woods, or dancing to my favorite music…gosh, I used to do tat all the time!
Thank you so much for the kind words! I truly appreciate it! I hope your 2026 is your best year yet. 🙂
I’m a few days late to this, but I think I’m going to go with “restoration” this year. I see the appeal in the call to go “analog” this year, so I’m going to figure out how to remove the presence I give social media in my life. I’m going to replace my record player, sign up for a physical newspaper, and I’ve already got my new local library card for this new town. I think the thing that pushed me to it is that it’s such an addiction. And the algorithms… I just want to go back to a simpler time. (How am I going to go that while trying to remain present to market the book I want to publish [that I’ve been working on for YEARS]? I don’t know, yet. lol)
I miss the quiet joy of sitting on the porch when it rains. I miss the soft stretch of the afternoon that slows down because I don’t have the world scrolling by in the palm of my hand.
I miss feeling like I have time.
So, this year, I’m going to focus on restoring that. <3
Isla, I LOVE “restoration.” We are so on the same page. I believe social media and search algorithms are so insidious. I mostly listen to vinyl records for music now, and I really love it. I achieved my goal of no more than 26 minutes online a day a couple of times already this year, and both days, I felt fantastic. I want to save those minutes for chatting with people I like, like you. 🙂 I’ve decided that Sunday is Creator Sunday and any content I don’t make on Sunday just doesn’t get done. 🙂 We can both do this…have a richer, more analog life. <3
I love that so much. <3
Hi Bryn, a long time ago, when my life was a nuclear wasteland of grief and loss, a friend made the wry observation that “your family should get coffins wholesale”. (She wasn’t unkind. She knew black humour worked for me.) For years I didn’t even know I’d ever had a spark, never mind that I’d lost it. So you are already half way to healing 🙂 You’ve clearly had a tough year so no wonder you feel down. Life does that to us sometimes. It’s not personal. Neither is death (took me decades to figure that one out).
The sparkly past version of yourself DID exist—she got you where you are today, so God Bless That Woman. And she’s still there. All she needs, I think, is for you to be as kind to yourself as you would be to any friend who came to you feeling down. Give her time to rest, support for her sadness, and love for the rest of the journey. I truly believe we hold the light within us. Yeah, it dims. But it will come back. Sparkly Bryn is still there inside you, no matter your age—or size. Love her. I’m sure many people do already.
Kate, you’ve been through some devastating times. I am so sorry for your losses. I’ve read your second paragraph three times. It makes me cry a little. But it’s so wise! Thank you so, so much for your thoughtful post. I truly appreciate you!
Thanks, Bryn. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t suffered some loss or tragedy in their life. We all have something. I love the quote that circumstances don’t shape us, they reveal us. After I’d posted my reply, I realised my word for the year would be Connections. Good to forge, good to keep. Take care of yourself. I wish you well.
My word for the year is: Today.
Also feeling sparkless, I experienced an epiphany right before the new year. We have the Past for sure. And we definitely have Today. We are living it right now. But does the future really exist? I question this, because, once we finish a day – today – we are met with another day – today. Every day is Today, and days passed are yesterday or the Past. I have never stepped into the Future. I have spent vast amounts of time planning for the Future, imagining what the Future will hold, dreaming of the possibilities the Future might bring, but all I end up with is a handful of Today. I realized that, while spending time focused on the Future, I have woefully neglected Today along the way. I have accomplished many goals in my life and failed many others. In retrospect, these failures may have been due to unrealistic expectations for the “Future” and not fully living and experiencing Today. I believe I have unintentionally smothered my own spark, not fully embracing the reality that our Todays are limited, the so-called Future IS Today, and we must live our Todays well. Perhaps then the spark will again catch a breath and once again shining brilliantly.
This year I am shining my light on Today.
Hi Gera! My gosh, you and I are on the same wavelength. I have been undergoing a huge shift of consciousness. I was always planning for the future, in love with the future…often postponing good intentions and joy. My whole focus has shifted to the day I’m in. It doesn’t sound like a big life change. I live in the same place; my marriage and job are the same. Yet I feel like it’s a huge change. All we have for sure is today! I love connecting with someone else who’s been thinking the same thing. 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful day today!