January in Review: My Reading and Writing

Perhaps you’ve heard this today already from a friend, family member, or coworker, but I’m continually surprised by how time passes. Too fast, too slow. I don’t know if that feeling will ever change. I find it hard to believe that the first month of the year is behind us, recent but no less past. 

January developed in unexpected ways for me, some of which reflected in my reading and writing. I’d love to hear how your own January went - as a reader or a writer!

Reading Progress

I read and completed 8 books this month, all of the romance persuasion. It’s a good start to my goal of 50 books this year. An achievable goal, for all the busy days, weeks, and seasons ahead! For the first time, I’ve begun tracking the books I read on Storygraph this year as well. Still learning how to use it, but I have a good feeling about it! 

If I am walking into 2025 with any intention, it is pushing myself to try. Harder things, newer things - you name it. 

When it comes to what I read, I first finished the in-progress books from 2024. Truthfully, I also wanted to start the year off strong with what I love most. Reading romance makes me happy beyond measure. It’s the characters who overcome challenges - whether internal or external - together that does it for me. The partnership of it. I gravitate to some storylines more than others for these reasons, and given the general dislike and even denouncement of the genre as a whole, it can be hard for me sometimes to admit it’s what I read more than any other genre. It's not the same for film and TV, but reading... Definitely! 

So, I started with my unfinished romance recs, and I’ll continually return as I begin diversifying the genres of my fiction. I have a few science fiction and fantasy books I’d like to really sink into this year. With the movie adaptation of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir premiering next year, it’s high on my list. I love his debut, The Martian, and speak about it in my creative writing class often. 

I also read 95 poems and 22 short stories. Much of the poetry and short story reading were for my class, when revising my curriculum further. It’s made for an interesting month, to be sure. I have more nonfiction essays, scripts, and plays ahead of me due to my course revision. Expect a bit more of that in my February recap!

Writing Progress

It’s been a slow month where my writing is concerned. I’ve written 9 poems and worked on the plot for my in-progress novel, Begin Again. I drafted 50,000 words of that for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November 2023 before dedicating myself to two jobs in December 2023. It’s hard to believe I’ve completed another full year of teaching, albeit part time in addition to my full time job. When it comes to my writing, though… 

I lost the plot in 2024 - literally, figuratively, metaphorically… Need I go on?

I’ve found it hard to prioritize what matters to me while juggling both jobs and my other responsibilities. Realizing this and wanting to make a change, I joined an online writing group in December 2024, a few weeks before Christmas! It’s carved out an hour and a half a week for me to dedicate to my novel writing. It’s not much, but it’s something. A start. I want to give more to that part of myself this year, but it’s admittedly been an eventful start to the semester. 

Right now, I am figuring out what I actually wrote in NaNoWriMo so I can determine what to write next. What to keep, cut, rearrange, add, and more. I have big ideas for this adult romantic fantasy series. Truly, I feel like I'm pushing myself beyond what I thought was my creative comfort zone. My first two full book drafts were stand-alone, contemporary romances. One was Young Adult, the other New Adult. Before Begin Again, I started what I thought was a fantasy romance series, writing about 30,000 words. It’s actually a romantic fantasy as well.

What’s the difference between the two - fantasy romance and romantic fantasy - you might ask? It’s the ratio of the elements where the plot is concerned. More simply put: Is it a fantasy with romance, or is it a romance with elements of fantasy? 

It’s been a revelation to realize I’m writing more intricate fantasies with romances inlaid. The characters, world building, magic systems, politics, and more have intimidated me as I’ve continued to revisit and push old and new ideas for each book in this series. I know I am putting too much pressure on myself to achieve a complex and meaningful end result - not unlike many of the writers who I deeply admire - so this year I have dedicated myself to trusting the process. Engaging in the process.

Practicing what I teach.

I’m unearthing new puzzle pieces as I plot, carefully turning and slotting them into new places, wondering at the fit. Setting aside the sections which confuse me, even if only temporary. It’s all, ultimately, temporary. I’ll find my way to the other side, so long as I keep moving in the right direction. I have to trust in that, too.

I know some writing lessons can only be learned by writing itself - some plots only bettered by time spent bumbling through the particulars. I hope to have a better understanding of my next draft by the time I post this blog, and I also hope to have a better update by February’s end.

What are you reading, or writing, or ruminating on? Even as I look to the past, I have been reminding myself to look ahead.

To accept the comfort that time can also bring.