Books, Writing, and Blog Posts: 2020 in Review

So….2020….that was…that was really something, huh guys?

This year was perhaps one of the weirdest years of my life: A mixed bag of wonderful and awful things, come together like some sort of weird cosmic salad.

Instead of talking about That Thing That Shall Not Be Named, I want to focus more on the positives. At least on my end.

Unfortunately, my goal of reaching 20 books to ring in the roaring 20s (or as it would prove to be, the Blood-Curdling Shrieking 20s), I managed to read the exact same amount of books I read last year: 12.

Yep.

Just 12.

To be fair, it’s not because I wasn’t reading. It was because this year, I read quite a few large books that took me longer to complete and, unfortunately, I have the bad habit of book-skipping. If I reach a slow point in something I’m reading, rather than powering through it, I tend to skip over to a more tantalizing book and either go back to my previous read once I’m done….or I simply leave it unread.

I’m a shameless DNFer and I won’t apologize for that.

On the other hand, when it comes to writing, I think this year was a real winner. I still didn’t finish my first draft, but I accomplished a lot. During the early months, I wrote quite a few short stories that–while perhaps not the greatest ever written–helped me subdue my stage fright.

I did not walk softly to the page. I ripped a big one, even if I knew it would stink and, to my surprise, the Federal Bureau of Bad Writing didn’t bust down my door and break my laptop across their legs, so I guess we’re good.

I won’t lie and say I have completely conquered my fear of failure, but I have learned I can make it shut up for a few hours if I try really hard.

I also gained a few writing friends along the way who have helped me and whom I have helped in return.

I did NaNoWriMo with a partner and, even though I lost due to a mini mental breakdown, I broke a lot of ground with my current WIP. I think I may actually have a shot at finishing this one.

As for my blog, I did pretty well, but I kind of fumbled the ball at the end. Thanks to a fellow blogger The Orang-utan Librarian and her shout-outs (if you are reading this, thank you so much!) I gained quite a substantial amount of new readers. With this boost I was easily able to beat last years viewing figures.

……That being said, I could have been better about posting regularly. For a while, I was doing a great job of publishing at least once a month. However, around August, I started falling into my old habits. It’s not that I didn’t have anything to talk about, I just let my perfectionist tendencies take control and paralyze me.

What else is new.

As such, I’m finishing up this year at 21 posts. The same amount as I published last year.

I suppose that isn’t a terrible number, but I expected better of myself. Especially since I had such great momentum going. Yes, life events got in the way, but I think if I had managed my time better I could have powered through and produced more material.

Oh well.

So, there you have it, 2020.

I didn’t achieve all of my goals, but I think I am on the right track. If I just keep on going, maybe I will eventually come to a place where I can be proud of myself and what I have achieved.

I don’t know.

Could happen.

Happy New Year!