Monthly Archives: December 2025

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2025 in Review

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2025 comes to a close. It’s been a big year, with lots of challenges, successes and failures. I published, read, watched and gamed. I’ve written, drawn and programmed. I’ve met some goals, and missed others.

Overall, I’m glad with how 2025 turned out. Maybe I could have done a lot more, but I also could have done a lot less. So, I am a happy author-man.

As for 2026, I’m hitting the ground running with my suggestion to-do list already keeping me productive on a daily basis. I’m excited to see how much I can get done next year.

Projects

The big project news of 2025 was publishing Champion Bold, my first science fiction novel. I’ve heard some good reviews, and I’m working on two sequel books (one direct sequel, and one following a popular secondary character).

There isn’t a single project on my list that I didn’t work on this year. I world built or wrote important scenes. I developed characters and outlined plots. I’m looking forward to bringing more to print, and I’m hoping to get more of them to my readers soon.

2026 Goals

  • Major Project: Get the Colonel Lieutenant to print, or at least final draft
  • Major Project: Get Orcfyre to print, or at least final draft.
  • Major Project: Get 1st Minnesota story book 1 to rough draft
  • Minor Projects: Get each project to detailed outline, some scenes written.

Books

I fell short of my reading goal by a good number: I finished 14 books out of a goal of 36. But that’s largely because I’m still adjusting to not bussing anymore. In the summer I can read on the porch, but in the winter I have to make time.

Most of what I did read was fiction, either from my Tom Clancy re-read or from the Shanarra series I’m slowly working through. I most disappointed I haven’t finished more of my research books, particularly Seven Plots. But, we move on.

2026 Goals

  • Finish 24 books total
  • Finish audiobook of War and Peace
  • Finish 3 Research books
  • Finish 6 Non-Fiction books

Movies and Shows

I finished 18 movies and 11 seasons of TV shows in 2025. I’m happy with the number of movies I finished, but a bit disappointed I only for through 11 seasons. That’s less than one a month. My lists of both are long and getting longer, so this is definitely something I want to get better on.

2026 Goals

  • Finish 24 movies (2 a month)
  • Finish 18 seasons of shows (1.5 a month)

Games

I only finished 3 story games in 2023. Now, this isn’t a lot, but it doesn’t take into account open games (games without stories). those game I could replay multiple times without really finishing them.

For 2026, when I start an open game, I’m going to set myself a challenge. Something like ‘get these achievements’ or ‘win as this faction’. That way, I have a set goal that I can reach, and when I reach it I can move on, and always comeback to replay for a different challenge later.

The way I incorporated the games into my suggestion list (one day is story game, next day is open game, then back) helps immensely.

2026 Goals

  • Finish six story games
  • Finish ten open challenges.

Events

I managed to get to two conventions, two brewery events, and my launch party this year. That’s not bad. I’ve got one event for sure lined up in 2026, and several others I’ve got my eye on or I’m on waiting lists for. I’m considering bringing back Book and Beer, if only to keep myself going to events. We’ll see how that goes.

2026 Goals

Just…write and be happy, dude.

Monthly Update

December 25 Update

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November went well. I continue to benefit from the use of the daily recommendation schedule. It’s nice to know that if I have time to work and I’m not inspired by any particular project, I can look at this schedule and work on what it suggests. And if I am inspired to focus on one thing or the other, I will do so.

Projects

I got at least something done for each of my projects. Either I completed one of the world building tasks, or I write a scene to start fleshing out the story. Very nice to start knocking those goals off.

With the Colonel Lieutenant I got at least rough drafts up to Chapter 20. Every time it’s on my list I’m picking at it, getting it closer to being done. I am a little worried it might get too big; maybe I need to cut it into two? I hope not, but we’ll see.

Most of my Orcfyre work was world building. In particular, I focused on fleshing out the pantheon of deities, especially as the main characters would know and interact with them. I started the first scene and I’ve outlined much of the rest.

As for the 1st Minnesota project, I did come to a decision to write this story in the First Person. I think, ultimately, this is the better way to get the experience of the soldier across to the reader. And there are mechanisms I could use for a third person perspective if I needed. But, we’ll see.

December Goals

  • The Colonel Lieutenant: Finish 5 Acts
  • Orcfyre: Finish First Act
  • 1st Minnesota: Finish First Act
  • Other projects: Write at Least One Scene Each
  • Other projects: Cross off at least one World Building goal Each
  • Blog Post: Still a Pantser
  • Blog Post: Writing Process – Research

Books

  • Seven Plots (Research)
  • Bearer of the Black Staff (Fiction)
  • Cardinal of the Kremlin (Fiction; Re-Read)

Didn’t get too much reading done last month. It’s something I want to change in December. Dedicated reading time every day.

December Goals

  • Finish one of the Fiction Novels
  • Finish Seven Plots
  • Start New Research Book
  • Start New Non-Fiction Book

Movies / Shows

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
  • John Wick
  • John Wick, Chapter 2
  • John Wick 3 – Parabellum
  • John Wick, Chapter 4
  • Ballerina
  • Foundation
  • Stranger Things Season 5

I watched through the John Wick movies last month. I thoroughly enjoyed them. The entire series was a master class in world building. We learn so much about the world by watching the story play out. When they can’t show us, they only tell us enough to keep the story going, without revealing more information than they needed to. The fight
scenes were fantastic and well choreographed (though I think they started to draw a little long by the fourth movie).

I then watched the spinoff Ballerina, which is set between Wick 3 and 4. This movie was just as exciting and fun as the original series of movies. And I appreciate that the main character (Ana de armas) fights differently than John Wick (Keanu Reeves), as she’s a small woman and not a moderately sized man. I can see why everyone likes this series.

I also got too start the fifth season of Stranger Things. This show has been a favorite of mine for a long time, and the first four episodes have shown the magic continues to grow. I’m excited to see what they have in store for the last episodes.

December Goals

  • Finish Foundation Season 2
  • Finish Bad Batch Season 2
  • Finish Stranger Things Season 5
  • Watch two new movies

Games

  • Madden 2026
  • Last of Us 2 Replay
  • Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts
  • Surviving Mars Relaunch

I didn’t spend much time on the couch in November, so my console games remain unfinished. Nothing wrong with that, except for the normal crossing things off my list part.

I did start a PC game called Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts, which is a sniper first person shooter set in Siberia. It was okay, but it didn’t really draw me in. I kind of stopped playing it. I may come back in the future and finish it off, but if I don’t, I’m okay with it.

Then I started to play the Surviving Mars Relaunch. It’s a remaster of the game Surviving Mars, which I spent a lot of time playing. I haven’t noticed too many differences yet, but I just got into it Thanksgiving weekend. I’m eager to start playing the new stuff soon.

December Goals

  • Finish Last of Us 2 Replay
  • Start new PC Story Game
  • Get back into Horizon: Forbidden West
  • Get back into Red Dead Redemption 2

What’s Next

I’ve got a event lined up for December 20th, 2 to 5 PM, at Utepil’s Brewery. Only a few hours to sell some books, but it’s something.

Still on some waiting lists for other events. We’ll see what come sup.