Hello lovelies! The end of 2025 has come. I haven’t done a blog in a while (more on that soon), but it’s become somewhat of a personal tradition to write a month-by-month “this is what the past year has taught me” post—to take a moment and reflect on the things I’ve learned and accomplished. So, without further ado, let’s look back on another year of (writerly) shenanigans:
January
Since the start of 2025, I’ve been trying to keep all my random writerly thoughts and fancies in a Commonplace Book. It’s like a creative reservoir of ideas and inspiration, though lately I’ve become a bit inconsistent in writing everything down in the book—especially when I don’t have it at hand when inspiration strikes—but I love having all my ideas are in one place. Also, going back and flipping through the pages is a lot of fun!
February
I spent a weekend holed up in a cute AirBnB with my university friends for quality time and creative magic! Despite all the laughter and ridiculous amounts of food, we got SO MUCH done! February taught me that a retreat can be an incredibly inspiring and motivating experience, also when your retreat buddies are not writers. Just being in a space where everyone is working on their creative passions—whether it is illustrating, (song)writing, or designing—makes my creative gears turn faster. I’m hoping for a repeat in 2026!
March
In March, I wrote this update about my work-in-progress, discussing genre, log-lines, blurbs, beginnings, and the much-debated question: to prologue or not to prologue? My WIP had changes in so many ways, compared to how I’d initially envisioned the project, and I needed to write the update to come to terms with those changes. The lesson learned? It’s okay if a project becomes something else than originally intended—that’s the nature of a work in “progress”. Also, in the meantime, many things have changed again…sooo I owe you another update (soon, I promise).
April
In April, I wrote a blog post about revisions and introduced you to Rachel Griffin’s course “Writing is Rewriting”—which I HIGHLY recommend! I’ve meanwhile given my personal twist to some of the tools Rachel highlighted in her course, so they fit better with the way my brain works—and I wrote it all down. Maybe some of you will find it helpful! I, for one, learned a lot!
May
I took a trip to Paris with my OG university friends! It has become an annual thing, and I look forward to it so so so much. For one glorious weekend we’re allowed to stop being sensible adults with day-jobs and families and responsibilities; we go back to our uni days—when life was carefree. The energy on these trips is high, the laughter infectious, the exploring top-notch, and the food amazing. I can ride the good vibes for weeks after we return home. Perfect for creating! Can’t wait for the 2026 edition: London, baby!
June
In June, I spent the best week in a beautiful old farmhouse near Antwerp (Belgium). Together with seven writer friends, we submitted ourselves to the arts of slowing down, refilling the creative well, and letting stories bubble up in unexpected ways. Also, I ate an unholy number of strawberries during this writing retreat, and I regret NOTHING.
July
Roadtrip time! My partner and I took our Jeep across the English Channel to explore the UK, starting in Oxford, making our way through beautiful parts of Wales and Scotland before driving back via ancient York. We experienced a lot of rain in the Lake District, but the inn we stayed at (The White Swann, IYKYK) was cozy and comfy and the best place to figure some things out for my WIP. July taught me to go with my gut (again, I owe you a WIP update soon). Also, I’m a sucker for old-fashioned English things (and sticky toffee pudding).
August
In August, I discovered THE SH*T NO ONE TELLS YOU ABOUT WRITING, a podcast for emerging writers, who are looking to improve their work with an aim to having it published, or for anyone who would like a behind-the-scenes look at the publishing industry. Especially the Books with Hooks segments are AMAZING! CeCe and Carly don’t hold back on their feedback (because they truly want to help writers create a better query package) and their suggestions for improvement have been incredibly insightful!
September
In September, work took over my life. There was simply no room for anything else but work, work, and work. I worked, went, to bed at nine, and did it all again the next day. There was no space left for anything else—let alone writing. In hindsight, the lesson learned was: “no” is an acceptable answer, but more on that later…
October
Because of what happened in September, I decided to use October learn about deep work and slow productivity (thank you, Carl Newport). Turns out, our brains are only capable of four hours of deep concentration per day; trying to do more won’t cut it in the long run. In addition, switching between tasks, apps, e-mail, and websites messes with your ability to accomplish things. AKA: multi-tasking is a death trap for productivity! Lesson learned: doing fewer things and really concentrating on those things will accomplish more. Also, it’s okay to schedule your deep work time in your agenda, and to be very protective of that time.
November
I spent a much-needed weekend in London with my writer friends to attend the Young Adult Literary Convention! I also met up with two of my favorite authors: Adrienne Young and Adelyne Grace. I enjoyed the author panels, got my books signed, and took a workshop on opening pages. I won an ARC of Victoria Aveyard’s new adult novel TEMPEST (can’t waaaaait!!!) and enjoyed the London food scene (Dishoom, I love you I love you I love you), but the biggest joy was being surrounded by the Writing with the Soul community. London being already decorated for Christmas was the perfect icing on our bookish cake!
December
I closed the year with a trip to the Scottish Highlands, visiting both Inverness and the Isle of Skye. I hiked to the Old Man of Storr and visited the Fairy Pools; I hunted for Nessie at Loch Ness and explored Inverness’ beautiful castle—all while enjoying the wintry weather and warm Scottish hospitality. I’d planned to write every day, but those plans were thwarted by my tired soul. Sooo, I took the first couple of days to rest and explore and then started the year STRONG with plenty of new words added to my WIP. December’s lesson was to ignore my productivity guilt: it has no place amidst the Scottish glens (or anywhere, for that matter).
To conclude: 2025 was another year of growth. I’m excited to see what 2026 will bring!