2025 has been ... a year
Thanks for the tag today @thewholelemon.
Well, it's that time of year again already. Can someone please explain to me how January both feels like yesterday, and like a whole decade ago? 2025 feels like it's been 'a year', that's the only way I can describe it. I think Jenny also said something along these lines in her post, but I might try to start doing quarterly recaps next year, just because I always feel like I forget things by the time these recap posts come around.
That being said, let's look back at 2025.
Fic
I didn't post nearly as much fic (or as many updates) as I would have liked to this year, but I managed more than I did in 2024, so I'm taking that as a win regardless. I posted four new chapters for The Trails We Blaze (my 2023 COTTA El Dorado!au fic), and the gang are finally blazing that trail. If you've not started reading this fic yet, there are so many little easter eggs and references to the original movie that I've loved sneaking into the story, but it is very much its own beast.
Huge thanks to my endlessly patient beta team for this one! I'm hoping to have new material ready for you all at some point in the next few months (teacher training permitting).
Teacher Training
On that note, I started my PGCE this September and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I am absolutely loving it, and I've been in a placement school since October, but my God is it a lot of work! We had a few weeks on campus in September and into the start of October, before we were thrown in at the deep end on our first placement, and I've been taking on more and more teaching obligations as the weeks have progressed. I really think I might have finally found my niche, and what's surprised me most is which year groups I've loved working with most.
I'm a history specialist, and in particular an ancient historian (Imperial Rome is my specialism), but what I've really loved on this placement has been working with my year 7 students (11-12 yr olds/6th grade? I think?). This group that I'm working with are just the sweetest, funniest kids, they're all so smart they give me a run for my money, and they're so eager to learn. I'm really going to miss them when my placement finishes at the end of January.
Other writing
Alongside working on Trails when I've had time, I've been plugging away at my original novel A Survivor's Revenge. I cracked the 100K mark over the summer, and basically haven't touched it since. A combination of lack of time, and concern that I may have shared it too soon and with the wrong people have left it feeling slightly tarnished and I have struggled to come back to edit/continue writing.
This new draft as well required me to step away from it for a while so I could actually see the wood for the trees. Scenes have been moved, blended with each other, character relationships have completely changed or been significantly developed, my two main couples have got much more page time together (the yearning is strong with both of them!), and it's even more blood soaked than it ever has been before. Blood drenched is probably more accurate now.
So, next steps with ASR, I think I'm going to have to work past this period of block just to finish writing these 'shit hits the fan' chapters, so that I can finally move into serious structural edits. But this is definitely going to have to be put on the back burner while I'm on placement.
Books
I've read too many good books this year to list them all, so here's a few highlights.
Once the Skies Fade - Vanessa Rasanen
The Daevabad Trilogy - S A Chakraborty
A Ruthless Bloody Betrayal - Lindsay Clement
The Cursed Crown Duology - Laura R Samotin
The Empyrean series - Rebecca Yarros
A Language of Dragons - S F Williamson
Life
This year I was so lucky to be able to do so many amazing things with friends. I went and saw Dan and Phil's latest show in Birmingham with friends (still not over the Hard Launch!!), then a month later we saw Set It Off again in London. I started filling in my tattoo sleeve, I spent a crazy few days with @artsyunderstudy and her hubby racing around Devon and Dorset, and spent a whole (very hot) week at Chalke History Festival. I visited Hay-On-Wye (an entire town dedicated to bookstores in Wales), went to my first drag show with my mum, quit my trail job and started teacher training. Went to the Natural History Museum's halloween event, the Imperial War Museum's inaugural history podcast live event, visited Auschwitz for the second time (this time as an educator), survived my first full half term as a trainee teacher and performed in the staff panto at the end of term.
And so we're here, at the end of the year. I will admit, since we finished at school on the 19th my body has completely crashed, and now I'm nursing a chest infection into the new year. But yeah, looking back on everything I've achieved this year and everything I've done, I'm excited for what 2026 has to offer.
Thanks to everyone who's interacted with any of my posts (some of them are boarding essay length ... as is this one. oops.), and to everyone who has joined the ASR/Trails bandwagon. Here's to another year of fandom, friends, and fic!
Tagging:
@artsyunderstudy @aristocratic-otter @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cutestkilla
@confused-bi-queer @emeryhall @erzbethluna @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature
@ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @letraspal @martsonmars
@mooncello @monbons @nausikaaa @nightimedreamersworld @orange-peony
@shrekgogurt @skeedelvee @theearlgreymage @you-remind-me-of-the-babe
