As part of my job working in a bookstore, I have to read books – yeah, I know. A real hardship. LOL. In addition to reading them, I have to write up a blurb as to whether or not I liked the book. This actually is a bit harder for me. Though I have extensive experience as a reviewer, I always find it difficult to give a book a less than stellar rating, though I do when I feel it is necessary. I find this so difficult most likely because, as a writer, I know the amount of hard work that goes into writing a novel. It is not an easy task and to have someone write that your work was less than incredible can hurt.

Yet, I do so. Not often, but it happens.

I also keep a record of all the books I read and write up. I just looked at my spreadsheet for this year. In my mind, I was a real slacker, not believing I was reading enough, but when I checked my spreadsheet, I noticed that I read and reviewed sixty-eight books this year. That’s more than a book a week. And I know for certain that there were weeks when I barely read (thanks to deadlines and other issues). Now, granted, some of those stories were children’s books – quick reads – but the large majority of them were full length novels.

In addition to reading and reviewing these books, I also critiqued several full length novels for friends and crit-partners. In fact, I just finished one this evening – a 407 page fantasy novel. A really good story that I hope gets published. This is just one of several I did this year. And then there’s my own writing. In both this, and my alter-persona, I wrote several stories this year – and got a couple of them published. I also had some freebies out through Gloaming Gap.

So even though I feel like I didn’t do nearly enough this year, I actually did a lot more than I thought I did. Guess it’s a good thing I like to stay organized with spreadsheets!

But all this is to say, though there have been low points, it’s been a good year overall writing wise and I’m looking forward to keeping the motivation going in the new year.

Keep writing!