2025 The Year of the Plot Twist
Happy New Year to all of you!
Can you believe it’s already the new year? I confess, it’s hard for me to wrap my head around. Feels like I’ve only just blinked and the holiday season is over and we’re on to the next New Thing. As I look back on 2025, I think the best way to describe it is the Year of the Plot Twist, both literally and figuratively.
None of the three novels I wrote when the way I expected. In Dancing with Dragons, minor dragons Snuff and Half Wing co-opted the plot and ran with it. Granted, I got to learn about imping and snuff, but the book went in directions I didn’t see coming at all! In On the Wright Path, the apprentices were supposed to go to London and demonstrate for the Queen or maybe Parliament, but they outright refused to budge. Things got complicated from there. And the planned climax of saving a royal from drowning on a Brighton beach did not happen in Turning the Wright Way, and probably won’t happen in this world at all.
Mind you, I don’t regret any of these plot twists. They made the stories better, full stop. But considering I’m the type who likes color-coded lists and calendars, it was a bit of a stretch to let the characters do their thing.
Naturally, those weren’t the only plot twists I didn’t see coming. Some were good news-not as many as I hoped, alas, but some were indeed good. And I’m grateful for those.
Then there where others, where the jury is still out for deliberations on was that plot twist was good or not. One of my sons described these as, “Well that wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card.” And I think it sums it up well. We’re just watching and waiting, and we’ll see in the coming year which side of the coin those land on. Cue ominous music here.
And then there were those that just straight up weren’t good. The major house repairs, significant vehicular failures, the people who showed their true colors that you hoped against hope wouldn’t be the case. Just wish life had eerie music to warn those were about to happen instead of them just dropping down out of the blue, ya know?
But we made it through the plot twists, with much gratitude, and no little exhaustion, and wait with bated breath for what 2026 will hold.
You wrote four books this year! The Chocolate Dragon may be a shorter book than the rest, but I think it still qualifies! And what a great writer you are.
Plot Twists—no, life went on as expected for me, and I’m grateful. I’m having a great life right now, no complaints, friends, enough income, a wonderful place to live, and work that is a true vocation, tutoring English to students in a large range of ages. If all that isn’t enough I had four new novels from my favorite author to read.
God is good.
Good morning and Happy New Year!!
Big plot twist at church…peoples true colors…ugh.
Discovered your books in 2025, what a pleasure!
Everything else is status quo. What a Blessing!!
Thank you for taking me away from real life for a bit every day. Looking forward to more Jane Austen dragon books.
Haha, yeah, sounds like my 2025. Property taxes tripled. Surprise??!!?? My washer and dryer crashed and burned. The laundromat experience was interesting. Then my computer didn’t upgrade to windows 11 and, like millions, that became my Christmas present this year. Heavy sigh. Your characters taking over the plot was hilarious. Those sneaks b**tards are like that. They will have their way. There will always be those frenemies who walk away or betray. That is the nature of this broken world. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and go forward. There will be new and better friends. Don’t look back. The loss is theirs. Yes it hurts, but you will grow from the experience. Have a blessed new year.
So, I love all of your stories, though I will be honest and say the P&P and Dragons are my favorite.
Squirrel – have you considered a calendar of your wonderful Dragon pictures?
Our plot twist for 2025 was the ‘early’ return of cancer to our life. I say early because some cancers are known to pop up in predictable patterns, and it did sooner than we had hoped. That said, God is amazing! My husband feels well, is fully active and chemo isn’t a treatment for sarcoma, so we don’t have to make him sick to keep him around.
I love interacting with my favorite authors – it gives the illusion that I actually know them and we are sharing life’s journey together.