I almost didn’t write this, as I didn’t feel like there was anything to post. I failed every creative goal I had this year, except for my Goodreads book goal. But it wasn’t a bad year. Just different than I had originally hoped.
2025 Wrap Up
I started a new job at a small press for men’s escapism, and it’s been the greatest thing about this year besides my children. I’ve loved working there, supporting authors, working with narrators, and giving readers hope and a good time. It keeps me busy and happy.
I’ve continued to edit on the side, but I don’t take on new clients anymore. There just isn’t enough time. I’m also teaching my high school fiction class, which is even more time-consuming.
That’s pretty much my life. Work, spending time with my kids, and suffering through health challenges with few answers. Chronic pain has deeply changed my life this past year, and I often mourn the strength my body used to have. I’d love to reclaim it, but it’ll be a long, hard journey, consuming time I don’t really have. But I haven’t given up.
2026 Goals
I’ve thought long and hard about goals for 2026, for what I want to do creatively, to see how I can reclaim failed dreams of 2025. And I just don’t know if I have the time. We have a financial goal we’re aiming for by the end of the year that will suck up most free time, I’m losing energy faster than I’m finding medical answers, and I have to navigate this new health journey.
For the sake of hope, these are my creative goals for 2026:
- Restart weekly flash fiction
- Launch a romance pen name (I started last year but had to put it on hold), finish my trilogy, start a second trilogy, and begin launching rapid releases.
- Launch a litrpg pen name and release 1 book on Royal Road
- Write by hand more
- Write silly stories with my kids more
- Relearn the piano
- Attend more music concerts
- Re-engage with friends more
Even with those goals, my theme is healing. Healing my body, healing my mind, and healing my creativity.