This is my twelfth (and final) year of writing up the status of my writing – see 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

What happened this year?

Nothing. No writing, no publications, no responses from agents about my novel (not even form emails).

I initially wrote three books that were just finding my way. I did get enough traction to keep going – one full ms request from an agent, one competition shortlisting.

I then wrote two books that got published by small independent Scottish publishers. The momentum seemed to be in the right direction. Sales were terrible, but hey, at least I was published, and I thought that would help with future endeavours.

Since then I’ve written five whole novels, none of which has received even the smallest bit of attention from an agent or publisher. Not even a single polite response, just ghosting and automated rejections. My most recent attempt – my Greek mythology novel – was my final attempt to get my writing restarted, but that’s completely failed, too.

Over the past few years I’ve tried to fill the writing gap with the occasional short story, some of which were published in low-profile anthologies, but even that well has dried up now.

I’ve spent a significant percentage of my adult life trying to write novels, but I’m just too old and tired to continue. I think I’m done.