The bells are ringing. As we look forward to a Happy Christmas, what did we get up to in 2024, and what lies in wait for 2025?

We’re at that time of year when we look forward to Christmas and the New Year.

Many are eager to open presents Santa has left beneath the Christmas Tree, while others will long for the new year to arrive.

Writing

Looking back at 2024. Writing has been slow to non-existent for the last two months. Covid, winter colds and other irritants at work didn’t help, but it was a generally successful year. It was a year in which we travelled widely and the year when I finally finished my first novel.

I say finished with a bit of reservation. There will be a lot more work before it is finally ready for publishing; by then, another book may be ready for publishing.

I have published fairly regularly to my blog and finally opened this new WordPress site, although it is not fully finalised just yet. I have had a steady output from my SubStack. The subscriptions have increased slowly, and I get encouraging replies to the emails when they are sent out. Overnight, I had a new subscriber from North Carolina.

An Appearance Online

A few weeks ago, William Gallagher, of whom I’m a member of his Patreon group, asked if I would like to be recorded for his YouTube channel defending the writing app Ulysses. Of course, I naturally agreed. Incidentally, I’m using Ulysses to write this piece.

The link to William’s video is below, and I highly recommend his channel as well.

https://youtu.be/UCSKwtmtjxg?si=NzS3i_53CSuIPSfA

Travelling

My wife, Kathy, and I enjoyed travelling this year. In the early spring, we visited Dublin once again, meeting up with Kathy’s Canadian family. We consumed Guinness and several whiskies, along with some fine foods.

In May, we celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary in Mexico. We enjoyed two weeks at the lovely Akumal Bay Beach Resort. We took advantage and visited three Mayan sites, including the famous Chichen Itza.

Sitting beside the pool in the early morning and watching Pelicans steam across the sky off to their feeding locations was memorable, as was being there when they returned in the late afternoon to roost.

We had a few days away in London in October for Kathy’s birthday. She had her now usual ‘gallop’ around Horseguards Parade, and we went to see Agatha Christie’s The Mouse Trap. We fine-dined at one of the many Ivy restaurants, this one right across the road from the theatre. We also had lunch at a Japanese Fusion Restaurant. I need to practise more with chopsticks before I go there again. We finished the year’s visits with a night at a lovely hotel in South Devon for a Christmas gathering.

A welcome to the family

Before Christmas could even be considered, we welcomed the birth of Elowyn Rose, the first on my side of our family. Winnie was born on the same date as the eighty-fourth birthday of her Great-Grandmother, Cicely. We paid a fleeting visit to meet her the day after Storm Darrah. My gorgeous great-niece will be much loved.

What I didn’t get done in 2024

Inevitably, there were a couple of projects I didn’t conclude. The prime one was my second novel, ‘Christmas Mince Pie Murders’. I had hoped to have the first draft nearing completion, but I haven’t been able to get that far just yet. I think if I really get into the swing once again, I can finish the first draft in the next three months.

My perennial failure to even start, let alone complete, is to write a script. William will be saddened to read that, but I might suggest it as something for his 3rd Biscuit Tier for his Patreon membership.

And what’s on the skyline for 2025?

I will be working on my novel once I send it and receive it back from Jenny, who will cast a professional eye over it for me. ‘Mince Pie’s’ will also be my main driver for the first half of the year. I have other stories in the background, but it is a more recent idea that might be my next big project. Quantum Computers: I have been researching and getting my head around the science and mathematics involved, and I will now need to work on a plot. It feels like an exciting prospect.

We plan to travel again in 2025, and I aim to do something we didn’t do in 2024…to go camping. Let’s hope we have a decent sunny period next year.

I will be constantly looking for subjects to write about for this blog and my SubStack. If you haven’t visited, here is the link. Please consider subscribing; it’s free.

https://stuartbilverstone.substack.com/

It goes without saying that I’m always on the lookout for a good story, whether fact or fiction.

Have a lovely Christmas for us both