Hello “all”,

This is my first “blog” of all time and right now (*checks*) it is only going to me. Oh well, practice for when the time comes where someone else decides they want to hear ramblings by a random stranger. (Thanks mom!)

I don’t have much to update for 2025 actually, writing wise. On the personal side, many things happened actually! Most importantly, I got married and accepted a job at [REDACTED] once I graduate in May.

After playing some Arc Raiders, I was hit by the divine rod of inspiration… right in the face. So since November, I have tried working on this scene idea that I had and turning it into a novel. And I have to say, it is coming along GREAT! I didn’t let myself get bogged down in plotting or worrying about things that readers usually care about, I just opened a document and started writing. And so far, it has worked! I only wrote about 4k words in November but December has been my most prolific month of all time. I have written 22k words this month! And thats not counting today (30th) and tomorrow (31st). I am hoping to hit 25k for the month and ~30k for the draft in total!

On the reading front, I have read around 51 books this year, with a clear split down the middle of audio and physical. My goal was 100 books so I failed that spectacularly… but I was busy! School really has kicked my butt.

My favorite books this year were:

• The Notebook by Roland Allen (I’m a stationery nerd what can I say)

• Born to be Hanged by Keith Thompson (pirate nonfiction… you need this in your life, I promise)

• The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey (book 2 is coming in April!)

  and finally… (drumroll)

• The Warlord Trilogy by Bernard Cornwell! (This is my favorite trilogy of all time so I am a little biased)

2026 will be busy… on all fronts!

Personally, I will be finishing school in May (yippee!), starting my [REDACTED] job in June, honeymooning in the Fall, all while training for an ultra marathon in 2027. I hate running, so this year will be full of hate :) JK, its a memorial run so I am excited to push myself and make J. proud.

I do plan on trying to read at least 80 books this year, though we’ll see how that shapes up. I have found that I have been preferring the audio books lately since I can do other things (like run or drive) but still have a planned 40-40 split for physical and audio. Mostly the same old planned, some mil sci fi, some nonfiction, some fantasy, some horror. I like to try out every genre!

Writing is where I am very excited. I plan on having the first draft of TITLE UNDECIDED (oops) done by March 31st, though with my current progress, there’s a chance it may be done by February. I then plan on spending the next 6-7 months editing and revising this pile into something cohesive, coherent, and enjoyable. I plan on querying this work starting in October or November (the year mark of when I first started). I do need to find some beta readers - I have like 2 probables but thats a summer-time C. issue, not a “drunk on hot-cocoa during break”-C. issue.

When I start querying my current WIP, I do plan on starting a new novel, which may be a continuation of this WIP or something else. Eventually I’ll decide and it will probably be the day of starting!

Alright, that’s all for now.

Thank you (me) for reading this now and thank you FUTURE READER for reading this in the distant future.

Ok, now I have to actually go work on something…

Happy New Year and may 2026 bring you endless joy (or INSERT YEAR for whenever you may read this!)

-C. H. Cullen