It’s that time of year: making resolutions that I’ll forget about by April. Still, 2025 was a decent year. I experimented with different writing styles, different genres. I made it a point to read longer books than usual and was rewarded for my efforts. And for the first time in a while, I know the direction I want to take my writing.
It’s been several months since my last update here, but I’m still writing. Currently, I’m in the middle of a big project, one that I’m excited about. However, I’m a superstitious person, and I’ve noticed that if I announce a project here too soon, I inevitably jinx it. As soon as I’m farther along, I’ll share more.
Going forward, I hope to post my yearly word count, if for no other reason than to motivate myself. This year was not my most productive, for a variety of reasons, but I’m proud of the words I did write.
Words this year: 77,458
Resolutions
I’ll save myself the embarrassment of rehashing last year’s (somewhat) failed resolutions, and instead, I’ll share what I hope to accomplish in 2026. I think I made them doable (famous last words).
Finish a book-length project. Considering that I’m in the middle of writing one, I don’t think this will be too hard (another jinx). I haven’t written a novel since the pandemic, and I’m eager to work on something big.
Be more prolific. This next year I’m aiming for at least 100,000 words. With a book-length project in the works, I should be able to accomplish that.
Read at least one 1200+ page book. I have four books on my shelves that have more than 1,200 pages. In the past, they’ve intimidated me, staring down at me with their fat spines, but this year I’m determined to finish at least one. Hopefully, two.
Read two long series. Last year, I made a list of six long book series I want to finish by the end of the decade, including the Expanse, the Dark Tower, and the Wheel of Time. My goal is to finish at least two of them by this time next year.
Top 10 Books
This year I read a medley of SF, fantasy, and horror. #1 on the list was a total surprise. I chose it at random from a small used bookstore and it blew me away. It reminded me of China Miéville’s Bas-Lag Trilogy which is the highest compliment I could give it.
- Thunderer by Felix Gilman
- Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
- Abaddon’s Gate by James S.A. Corey
- Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson
- Christine by Stephen King
- A Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark
- The Last Colony by John Scalzi
- Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- In the Flesh by Clive Barker
- Sometimes We’re Cruel and Other Stories by J.A.W. McCarthy
See you in the new year!
Zé
Zé Burns | Blog 