Looking back at 2021, I didn’t do a lot of things I wanted to do. Most of my goals fell far short of my intentions. Rather than getting depressed about the things I didn’t do and laying out grand plans for making it right in 2022, I thought I’d talk about what I did manage to pull out of my hat.
First, I wrote 413,367 words. That’s four novels worth of stories in the pipeline. Three Ishmael books that need second draft editing and third draft polish. It’s over 100,000 words toward a first draft of The Wizard’s Cat. I need to move some of these projects along but I’ve got a basketful of stories going into the year.
Second, I read a lot – 200 books according to my Kindle reading insights. That’s almost four books a week. My reading goal for the year was 90. My streak counters say I’ve read 179 weeks and 266 days in a row. Reading is a necessary key to writing for me. Over the years I’ve learned that if I’m not writing, I’m probably not reading.
Third, I walked and talked a 109 days. That’s not a great number. Fewer than 1 day in 3. Still, it’s 218 miles. I can do better and I really need to. My mind and body both need it.
Fourth, I survived. With everything happening around all of us, I could easily fall into despair. It’s hard to see a path out but I’m going to keep taking one day at a time to see where I end up.
Reading in Review
So many books. Looking back over the list of titles, a few items pop out.
First, Jerry Boyd’s Bob & Nicki series – 21 titles. When I picked up the first one, I had no idea what kind of wild ride I’d be taking. Fun stories filled with heart and running gags. In a universe filled with strange alien races, Jerry Boyd manages to find the best in humanity without sugar-coating the darker impulses.
Then there’s Mackey Chandler’s April and Family Law. A fan suggested these books in response to a silly question in my newsletter. Each series follows a plucky hero on her journey to a better tomorrow. A great deal of fun wrapped in 18 novels.
I also read a huge swath of LitRPG and GameLit, stories that take place because the main characters get stuck in some kind of game world and need to navigate the perils and pitfalls in order to escape. Or at least survive. GameLit is a strange little corner in speculative fiction. The genre started out with the usual kinds of role-playing games. Sword and sorcery. Leveling up the character’s skills. It’s growing into new kinds of games and I’ve been fascinated by the stories that come from it.
I also read M C Burnell’s The Foreign Sorcerer. It’s a four-book series that just keeps coming back to me. I’ve promoted it here before and I’m still thinking about it. Of all the fantasy I’ve read this year, it’s really the stand out for me.
Final Words
I’m running out of time, but then we all are, aren’t we? It’s just part of being human. The older I get, the less I think that having time matters as much as using it while we have it.
My hope for the new year is that I use my remaining time well. We’ll have to see what that looks like together.
Happy New Year, one and all.
