Continuing the tradition I began in Japan in 2021, I start with a retrospective look at the ending year, and then take a crack at writing about my hopes and anticipations for the new one. The source: twenty questions from Calm that ask you to look back and look forward. I’ve broken these up into two posts; here’s part two–let’s look ahead to 2026!

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1. What do you want more of in the new year? 

More financial stability and the ability to make more time to write. Teaching is a blessing, but adjuncting is hard. You can’t make any long-term plans when your contract renews (or doesn’t) from semester to semester, and pay varies on how many classes you can teach. On top of that, grading overtakes writing time. I’d like to find a way to devote more time to writing so I don’t fall drastically behind like I have in the past.

2. What is one habit or routine you’d like to start in 2026? 

Writing on the weekends again. Weekends are usually my “days off” from teaching, and when I lived in Japan, I would do hours of writing each Saturday and Sunday. Traditionally, this is how I rolled as a writer. But fall semester 2025 completely went off the rails in terms of writing habits, and honestly, when the weekend came, I’d just sleep and read, feeling completely exhausted. But I’d also have to make the time to do grading, too, which just reinforced the exhaustion and killed the desire to write my books. While I’ve proven to myself time and again that I am incapable of writing daily, at least I could write seriously every Saturday and Sunday. So, I’d like to (re)start this in 2026.

3. What are your top three priorities for the year ahead? 

• Publish The Name and the Key
• Finish the draft for The Step and the Walk
• Complete the draft for The Fear and the Flame

4. How will you take care of your mental and physical health in 2026? 

Well…my health was such a dumpster fire in 2025. The last quarter of the year I started going to the Health Center/Gym with my family, and that was a good, healthy choice, so I’d like to up the ante on how often I go and how long I work out.

I’d like to stop drinking soda again. I teeter between zero calorie/zero sugar soda and then regular high sugar/high caffeine soda. My psychiatrist told me that the zero sugar/zero calorie soda isn’t healthy because it tricks your mind and body and you pretty much experience what you would if you were drinking regular soda…which I have continued to crave. Not only do I need to stop soda consumption for my health, but also, for my wallet. I’m just throwing money into the pit when I buy soda.

I’d love to stop coughing and vomiting. That’s been going on since July 2024.

5. What are you excited to learn or try this year? 

My publisher Oliver Heber Books offers us private, free webinars from time to time on publishing, promotion, building newsletters, etc. I always look forward to attending these, and I always learn something new.

6. What is one thing you’ll say no to in the new year? 

I’m going to say “no” to more weight gain in 2026. Even with making healthier decisions towards the end of 2025, I continued to gain a few pounds here and there. I want to cosplay as Qi Rong for Matsuricon September 2026, and while I’ll still be a plus-sized girl, I don’t want to look like a manatee crammed into a rubber glove. I am drawing the line at more pounds, and saying “yes” to better health and a better diet.

7. How will you make time for the people who matter most? 

This will be tricky for me, as I will be a writing machine in 2026 with The Darkening Gate Trilogy. Whenever I batten down the hatches, I forget people and food and water exists. I tend to lock myself in my room at my PC to meet deadlines. But I need to come up for air, and I need to show my family and friends that I still love them, so…I need to come up with something. I don’t know the answer to this question yet.

8. What is one way you can be kinder to yourself in 2026? 

Forgive myself for making mistakes. I am a perfectionist, but I also have trouble with self-esteem and letting people down. This is a deadly combination. I make mistakes as a teacher (which always really bothers me) and I make mistakes as an author. I make mistakes with money, too. I need to forgive myself for what happens, then move on to the plan to fix it up or learn from it.

9. If 2026 is your dream year, what happens? 

My publication schedule isn’t all the certain, but I know The Name and the Key will be out Summer 2026 (I actually know the month, but I don’t think I can share that yet), and The Step and the Walk also has a 2026 publication goal. The Fear and the Flame can’t be pushed out any earlier than 2027. This is a rapid release schedule, and we’re doing things differently than we did for Son of the Siren. It is my hope that I move way more copies for The Darkening Gate Trilogy than I did with my first book. I can’t disclose the funds, but suffice it to say that we did not make enough with Son of the Siren to feel successful, despite many great things happening for the book.

10. What is your guiding word or phrase for the year? 

Hope!