It feels like only a moment ago that we welcomed 2025 in with a tentative cheer. Now, we are already saying goodbye and shoving it out the door like a guest who overstayed their welcome.
The older you get the quicker things do seem to move. I can definitely attest to that. But, now is the time when I look back at how the year went.
Out & About
While my partner and I didn’t get to see as much as the last two years, we still made time to spend with each other and enjoy some shows. To us, it’s important that we support performances and do things that generate memories over just consumption of physical items.
Here’s a few shows we went to:
The Importance of being Ernest – I’d heard of this play but knew nothing about it (except for the random “handbag” line) and had never seen it. OMG it was hilarious – one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. The actors were incredible, and did an exceptional job. We ended up seeing it twice as we treated family to another showing.
Orchestra – Enjoyed a night with the Ulster Orchestra. Had great seats and it was a wonderful performance – they were playing famous soundtracks from big movies.
The Nutcracker – I have never seen The Nutcracker ballet live and it was a pure delight. The dancers lit up the stage with their ability and playfulness and the costumes and set was so detailed.
The Writing Desk
Challenge
The year started great. I did the 85k challenge, working on some new scenes for my current manuscript and also scenes for book 2 and 3 of The Blessed series. I completed that challenge, hitting just over the 85K!
I then spent the rest of the year in the editing weeds. I swear, I must have read my manuscript, The Blessed book 1, about 500 times!
Focus Sessions
Here’s a shout out to writer Caroline Davis who ran almost 50 Focus Sessions open to others. She wanted to get through her own manuscript so opened up the chance to book a 1-hour session with her, to hold ourselves accountable.
I ended up booking 9 separate Focus Sessions were Caroline and I showed up on zoom at set times, and then we worked on our own projects for the hour.
Having those dedicated sessions got me through so much editing as it forced me to get my butt in the chair, even when I didn’t want to – because I had someone to be accountable too.
Outside help
This was a big year for me. I hired a professional editor who did a dev edit, she also set me up with some beta readers (yes, people who didn’t know me, read my work!) and then she did a line and copy edit.
Can I just say, Jessica from DesertInkEditorial has been such an incredible editor. She has great attention to detail, a wonderful supportive and friendly personality and really professional. She just made the whole thing so much easier and enjoyable. I cannot recommend her enough!
If you’ve followed this blog for a while you know I am NOT big on sharing my work. Between imposter syndrome and perfectionism, I struggle to let anyone read my work. (It’s a miracle I even put up my Flash Fiction!)
Now, last year and early this year were big because I reached out to some friends asking them to beta read The Blessed. I got great feedback and had a good laugh at some of their responses.
However, this was another step entirely. Getting people who didn’t know me – who didn’t like and support me – to read my work… you can’t get more honest with feedback than that.
Not going to pretend it wasn’t tough waiting to hear their thoughts, but in the end I got some great feedback. It was funny seeing everyone hating the same characters (the ones I wanted them to hate!) and loving the characters I wanted them to love, and getting hooked on the story.
One of my awesome beta readers even sent me a compiled list of quotes from my manuscript for me to use in my marketing! How incredible is that!? Shout-out to Morgan for doing that!
Moving The Needle
All of this forced me to make the decision that I really want to do this more and so I’ve been changing my schedule and planning next year, in a hope of moving the needle on my writer life.
I’ve even, stupidly, booked my editor again for book 2 (yes, the book that’s not even fully planned out never mind completed and edited to death by me, which is my preferred method).
Am I nervous?
Do I look nervous?
Because I am super nervous that I won’t be able to get it written and author-edited by next August when I’m booked with my editor. *hyperventilates*
Advent Story Train
Once again, I ran the Advent Calendar Story Train. (If you haven’t already, please take the time to visit the linked page above and read through the stories).
The turn out was great and every slot was filled. Huge thanks to all who participated, I enjoyed your stories so much and I loved that you had fun being part of the Train.
At this time, I am still up in the air about if I’ll be running it next year. Between trying to complete another manuscript, running the podcast and just surviving all the normal life stuff that never seems to end… I’m not sure I have it in me to run it in 2026.
It’s a really fun collab project and I do love doing it, but I won’t lie, it takes SO much time and effort to do. Two people have already reached out offering to help me with it – so, if I can figure out a way to take them up on it… I might run it again.
The Dreaded Lurgy
For the last 5 months of the year, similar to 2024, my partner and I ended up being low-level ill. There always seems to be some creeping lurgy that sweeps through the town making everyone feel terrible.
While it didn’t stop me getting lots done, it felt like I was running at 50% battery power for half of the year. Not great.
Health & Fitness
The start of the year was fine, I was going to spin classes weekly and visiting the gym regularly to lift the heavy things! Got to keep the bones strong, especially as we get older (even more so for women).
However, it all fell part with the catching of the lurgy I just mentioned, and I ended up not going to the gym throughout the end of the year. I even stopped walking daily for about 2 months while I recovered.
PodLife
Over on the podcast, Rachel and I hit over 16k downloads.
We also ran Author Interviews for a year and they went really well. So, we will be keeping that going for another year.
Thanks to everyone who joined us as a guest on The Merry Writer Podcast. We also want to thank everyone who listens to the podcast, and who leaves us comments either here or on YouTube. It is so lovely when you interact with our podcast.
Want to enjoy the podcast? We are on plenty of platforms, choose your preferred one at our Podlink.
Want to be a guest on the podcast? Then check out this page to apply.
Studying
After Duolingo dropped loads of their human translators in favour of using AI, I closed my account and stopped using them to study French and Korean. I do NOT support AI.
I haven’t done any other learning, mostly because I’ve been editing… all the time… so much editing *collapses*
Biz-Ness
My business took a back seat this year.
Honestly, there is only so much I could focus on, and with all the regulations and changes that are continuing to make it almost impossible to run a small business these days, I just couldn’t bring myself to throw any more effort in.
I’m not looking forward to next year, since HMRC (the UK’s tax people) may be changing how we do our taxes and from what I’ve read – instead of filling in our Self Assessments once a year… we might have to do it 5 times throughout the year.
Because of course we will. Why not make something that was easy enough, take 5 times as long.
Writing Biz
I also need to speak to HMRC (not looking forward to that!) regarding how I need to set up my writing as a business. Even though nothing is coming out yet, I am starting to build expenses and you need to register as a business before you start selling – so might as well figure all that nonsense out sooner rather than later.
Reader Life
In order to stop just reading new books, I created a TBR jar and gave myself a book buying ban!
I listed, on thin strips of coloured paper, all the books I owned (physical and digital) but hadn’t read and I popped them into a glass jar. I would then select a different book from the jar.
Did it stop me from reading new books? No.
Did it (or the buying ban) stop me buying new books? Also no.
Did it make me read books from my TBR pile? Yes!
I also gave myself permission to not finish any book where by chapter 5 I still wasn’t feeling interested or connected. There are too many books I want to try to waste time slogging through books that just aren’t for me.
I managed to read 54 books in total this year and my Goodreads Challenge was 20. So I smashed it! 🙂 Some of them were re-reads or were just not listed on Goodreads.
As well as my TBR list, I also visited the local library more and borrowed books. Gotta support your libraries, people!
~ ~ ~
As we step into 2026, I think I’m ready to do some big things! Thank you all who has read through this post. I hope your 2026 is a great year.
Tell me what you are looking forward to in 2026. Drop me a comment!
See you next year
Source: Images from Canva and from me.
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Making the step to “open up” your story to beta readers is always tricky. Especially with the Imposter syndrome, something I also struggle with. So, I remember that point myself. But I have to admit that the idea of letting someone I know read it would be even scarier. There are bits of me – very personal ones – in the story, and I feel like it’d be extra vulnerable letting someone I know in person see those. A stranger, well, isn’t likely to make the connection.
That said, if you need more betas for your fantasy project, feel free to ask me.
Thanks, Tomas. Yes, getting your work beta read is always a struggle. These stories are important to us and to let people read through them can be tough. And yet, we know it’s an important step and thankfully I had a great mix of other writers and just readers to get a nice cross section.
It’s also important for us writers to remember, all feedback is optional. Whatever others say, if we don’t want to take it or it doesn’t feel right, we can leave it.
That’s a good point about pieces of ourselves into a story and having people who know us well read them.
Thank you kindly for your offer. Much appreciated. Take care and have a great New Year!
You still are way more productive than me Ari! I was doing well with reading after my next-door neighbor’s howling-all-day-long dog died. I read several books and it was so stinkin’ hot here for days on end, that was a treat since I didn’t walk in the extreme heat. Then we had the wildfire smoke for days along with the heat. I took up watercolor painting and liked that and painted/read/rode the exercise bike. Then the neighbor got another dog, the same kind, a breed that suffers from separation anxiety (Bichon Frise). I’ve struggled to get through one book since then, even with the windows closed in Winter. I did not renew my subscription to Duolingo either. It expired in early November, but I have stayed on, with the free version reading a story daily, but it seems silly as I don’t intend to travel to France, so likely will hang that up at year end too. I’m sorry that sickness has both of you down again. The flu was going around before the holidays and will likely spike in the new year. I’ve not seen The Nutcracker in any form. Take care Ai and best in the new year.
I’m sorry to hear that you struggle to read, I’m not surprised – dogs barking and howling all day can be piercing!
If a person isn’t going to be around their anxious dog for enough time, they should either not have them or have someone pop in. There are dogs who manage well alone while their person is working but many that don’t and it can be so frustrating to hear them barking constantly (and it’s not their fault).
What a lovely routine you had with reading and painting. I love watercolour. It’s been AGES since I painted.
Just as I returned from visiting family, my partner got flu so now I am hoping and praying that I can come out the otherside without catching it (unlikely!) lol
If you get a chance, I would recommend The Nutcracker, it’s a wonderful ballet.
I wish you a happy, healthy and fulfilling New Year, Linda. Take care.
I am beyond annoyed Ari. I realize that routines CAN be broken and I could change to reading at night when she is home, but I liked my mid-day ritual, short as it was, to sit and just become immersed in reading. By the end of the day, especially in the Summer where I’ve walked or been out in the heat, I’d likely fall asleep reading later in the evening. I have to rework my schedule around the dog … something I very much dislike! I am enjoying the watercolor painting … you should try it again. I am following an artist on YouTube, Ellen Crimi-Trent. Try her out there. She does watercolors and acrylics and has a lot of tutorials … better than the money we spent on French. 🙂 I ended up with a subscription. The flu is going around her and many have not had a vaccine so it is running rampant, especially since the holidays. I hope you stay clear of it. I would like to see The Nutcracker one day. Same to you Ari – take good care of yourself. I hope you have a healthy new year as well.
Wishing you a Happy New Year, Ari!
Thank you kindly. And I wish for you a happy and enjoyable New Year, Andrew.
You’re welcome. Thank you.
Love the TBR jar! I need to start doing that 🙂
lol thanks. I need to start USING it again. It’s been tucked into the back of my shelf (bad me!)
I hope you do make one and I hope you find it useful 😀
It sounds like a great year, Ari. All the best for 2026!!
Thanks, Darlene. When I look back over the year, I’m always amazed at what I’ve done. Yet while I’m immersed in it, never feels like I’ve done anything.
Wishing you a great 2026.