2020 in Review and a Healthy and Safe New Year to all my LJ Friends!

[fredbassett]

Well, 2020, where do I begin?

I'll gloss over the clusterfuck of Brexit and the UK deciding to commit the biggest ever act of national suicide. It's fucked my mental health and my life up enough without dignifying it with more words.

The year started well with my caving club finishing its centenary celebrations just before the Zombie Apocalypse really took off, so we were massive fortunate in that respect. We got back from France about two weeks before the first lockdown started. To be honest, we fared quite well through that, with me taking over the shopping while Mr FB mostly stayed in apart from exercise. Over the course of the year, we've stayed healthy and mostly happy and it's been no strain to be cooped up with each other for so long. I've missed seeing friends ut we've found safe ways to interact and zoom has been fab.

I've done a lot of crafting and a lot of swimming and, in between lockdowns, a lot of caving, which has been really fab! I've also walked a lot and due to a change of medication, I've lost a lot of weight, which has helped. We also spent a great month in France in July. So all in all, I can't hate 2020 too much despite the Plague.

The really great thing for me was that after reaching an all time low in 2019, my writing really took off, after being on nothing more than tick over for ages. In May, I started work on an old Musketeers fic and suddenly my brain was overflowing with words and the story rushed out onto the page, and Primeval words started rushing out as well and suddenly I'd written over 30,000 words in a month and it was like a damn had burst in my brain and it carried on like that for months, with June even hitting 40k! I ended the year on a massive £178,575, which feels like such a humongous achievement for me. I even discovered a new fandom, with bigtitch putting me onto the Alex Rider TV series on Amazon prime. I've clocked up 39,595 words for it, which puts it in third place, with Musketeers second at 36,814 and Primeval in first place at 66,358. There were other more minor fandoms too, and it was all great fun!

As I was totting up my word count yesterday, I decided to go back through my yearly posts and write a list of my word counts for the years, so for anyone interested, these are below the cut.

Thank you all for being an awesome bunch of the most supportive and fun friends anyone could wish for! Whether we interact a lot or a little, I really do value you all! I wish you all the very best for a healthy and safe 2021!

Fiction word counts since I discovered fandom in 2007....

2007 113,948
2008 162,332
2009 239,788
2010 257,302
2011 270,000
2012 209,512
2013 125,829
2014 181,025
2015 110,946
2016 76,493
2017 154,629
2018 58,345
2919 51,389
2020 178,575

Total 1,947,013

Let 2021 be the year I achieve the total of 2 million words of fanfic!

Comments

[keli]

Sounds like 2020 wasn't all that bad for you and that is great to hear! I hope you have an even better 2021 and you reach your 2 million word goal!

[fredbassett]

Thank you! No, it wasn't all bad at all.

I'll do my best to get to that goal!

[d-violetta.livejournal.com]

I am very happy to hear you have managed to stay safe and healthy through the plague.

I agree that Brexit is a cluster fuck and made me wonder about the future of the country.

May you continue to enjoy good health for 2021.

I have loved all the extra fiction. The new additions to the Primeval universe and I am interested to see what you do with the Alex Rider pieces.

[fredbassett]

Yes, it makes me despair of the idiocy of it all.

Thank you! There are four Alex Rider stories on my LJ now if you're interested. They're tagged, but aren't yet on my masterlist.

[d-violetta.livejournal.com]

Do we think Boris is going to actually last more than 6 more months, he really can't seem to get a grip.

I have certainly read one of the Alex Rider pieces so I will go search out the rest.

I am curious to go watch the TV series as well. I just finished the Mandalorian.

[fredbassett]

No, I don't think he wants to preside over this clusterfuck for much longer. Brexit will be a disaster and he won't be able to blame it all on covid.

Let me know what you think of them! I'd love some feedback.

The TV series was good. I really enjoyed it.

I must give the Mandalorian a go.

[cordeliadelayne]

Here's hoping 2021 is miles better. And that's a very impressive word count!

[fredbassett]

Thank you! It turned out to be a good year for writing.

[justjo2u]

So much writing. And it sounds like 2020 wasn't too bad for you!

Great on the walking and weight loss. Sounds like that's been a positive thing for you. x

[fredbassett]

There were a lot of good things about the year, including getting to the end in one piece!

[liadt]

A lot of positive things! Here to the two million and a better 2021!

[fredbassett]

Thank you! I hope I get there!

[nietie.livejournal.com]

So wonderful you found your writing inspiration again.

Wishing you, Mr FB and the doggies a great 2021, with lots of words and with lots of (Zoom) meet ups with friends in the fandom.

[fredbassett]

Thank you so much!

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

Glad it's been okay for you. :)

[fredbassett]

Thank you! Yes, mostly Ok.

[fififolle]

That is a very healthy wordcount! Nice one.
What a year, but so glad you two are ok.
xxx

[fredbassett]

Thank you! I was pleased with my wordcount.