2020 Reflections
Q&A With Shay Every Other Sunday
As the year comes to an end, something I think most of us are looking forward to this year, I’ve decided to do a Q&A focusing on the bests, personally and in the outer world, and reflections of only certain aspects of the year. Most of us have noticed the negative more than anything this year, but there has to be some good that came out of it, right? Let’s see.
This will also be my last blog post of 2020. Thank you all for another great year of Q&A topics—see, something positive already—and I look forward to continuing Q&A with Shay in 2021! If you have any topics you’d like me to explore next year feel free to contact me, and sign up for my newsletter at the bottom of this page to stay up-to-date on my book news, events, articles, and all things writerly!
Last year, I ended the year with a similar type post where I did a decade in review as I moved from my twenties to my thirties, and we all moved from the 2010s to the 2020s. I really enjoyed writing that one and the observations that came with it, so find it here in case you missed it. None of us could have predicted this sort of start to the decade, could we have? With the pandemic and everything else going on this year, this wrap up will be quite different and I’m glad I already got my 30th birthday out of the way last year, because that’d be just too much to take for one year. This post will also focus more on the much-needed moments of escape that came with the year when it was an obviously difficult one.
I’m not going to bother reflecting on the worsts of the year because we all know what they were, and I have had plenty of personal “worsts” as well, but I’d rather reflect on positives, and really just talk about something else entirely, especially since the hard times aren’t magically going away in 2021.
Q: Best of 2020:
A: Here are some of my personal and professional highlights of the year, which maybe I don’t need to rehash because this feels a little Christmas letter-y, but it’s interesting to look back and see how much truly changed and what took place (aside from the pandemic) in only 12 months.
My debut novel Fractured was published! You can find it here. It was a long time coming, and although 2020 might not have been the best year to publish, it has certainly added to the learning experience, and now it’s out in the world to stay!
I had a lot of interview, blog, and media opportunities due to the publication of my novel and I learned a lot more about the publishing industry. There will soon be a tab on the site with appearances: features, reviews, interviews, articles, etc. I’m looking forward to continuing to be a part of this community and all it has to offer in 2021.
I moved from Columbia, SC to Charleston. Although I definitely find Charleston prettier and am happy to be near the ocean again, I haven’t particularly gotten to experience it in a way I would have without the pandemic. Hoping 2021 brings brighter experiences, even if not immediately.
Nature is and has always been something I find great comfort and peace in, and nature wasn’t changed by everything that went on this year. It’s always there for us, and it even provides its own highs and lows. I took many nice walks with my dog (sometimes he walked me), enjoyed some beautiful beach days—I even went in the ocean in October this year (granted it was in SC). I paddle boarded, went for runs, and lay out and soaked up the sun a good portion of the summer, and I’m especially enjoying the cold weather and beautiful skies around the holidays right now. I take pictures of the sky, and general nature shots, often, and it’s fascinating and lovely how the sky is always different. Sometimes I feel like it reflects moods of its own. I don’t often do anything with the photos, so here’s a few from just the last month if you’d like to pause for a second and take in nature (from your screen).
Q: Funniest highlight of 2020:
A: I had to add my funniest moment of 2020, and usually when asked about this sort of thing my mind goes blank like nothing has ever happened in my life, but I’m still laughing about it even as I type. You probably won’t find it that funny because A.) you aren’t as obsessed with my dog as I am, but you should be, and B.) “You had to be there.”
I think all of my funny moments from the year probably include my dog. He is hilarious, but I was also with him quite a bit more.
Back in August, I was playing tennis, and Bernie—said dog—loves to get on the tennis court and chase the balls around, too. His mouth-eye coordination isn’t the greatest; he misjudges the bounces more often than not and his head just kind of bobs around, mouth open, while continuing to miss the ball. (He does make some great catches sometimes, though!) Well, he was chasing after a ball on the court and almost as if in slow motion, he began to topple over, until he gradually face-planted on top of the ball. The rest of his body was still standing and his face just kind of stayed planted there, jowls splayed, for like…several seconds. He has a really large head—22.5 inches around the widest part to be exact—and I think the weight of it just took him down. I wish I had a video to share, but it’ll be on replay in my head forever. If you have funny pet moments, please share them with me!
Here’s a few photos of Bernie from over the last month during our time in NY. I have about 8,000 more photos of him from just this month. Follow his Instagram @berniebighead to stay up-to-date on his shenanigans!
Q: Best in pop culture of 2020:
A: There was a lot of time to explore movies, shows, songs, books, and everything in-between this year. The art in the world, like nature, and our furry friends, provided a much needed and appreciated escape. Here were some of my personal favorites.
I didn’t necessarily watch many movies this year, I always have the habit of picking a series and only really watching that for the hour or two I watch TV in the evenings. Plus, I love going to the movies to see the recent releases (and eat popcorn) so without the movie theaters for most of the year, TV shows were my go-to. Even many of the series I watched weren’t new. I either re-watched shows from years ago (Breaking Bad, Gilmore Girls, Prison Break) or watched older series for the first time (Jane the Virgin). But I did catch a few of the new ones from this year. I loved two new series on Netflix and I’m looking forward to next seasons, assuming there will be.
Never Have I Ever
Emily in Paris
I’m looking forward to watching The Queen’s Gambit next; I’ve heard very good things. On HBO, I also enjoyed The Undoing. I’m currently re-watching Euphoria, which was a 2019 HBO release, and anxiously awaiting a second season! I was disappointed to hear The Society would not be returning with a second season after that released in 2019; it was so good and I wanted to see where it went! Aren’t series cancellations the worst? There are so many I still think about that I never got answers to!
As for books I have mostly been reading ones that are older than 2020. I read slow and I spend so much of my editing work reading, so my published book count has gone down over the years since I’ve started editing, even though I’ve probably actually read like a billion pages. I am currently listening to my very first audiobook (Red, White & Royal Blue from 2019) and I can definitely see the appeal of audiobooks. I may start incorporating them more often.
Now songs, we know I’m all about those! I mainly stick with rock, so these are my favorite song releases of 2020 (in no particular order) and I’m sure I’m missing plenty that I would add to the list:
Bush: Flowers on a Grave
Evanescence: Wasted on You and Use My Voice
Foo Fighters: Shame Shame
Pearl Jam: Dance of the Clairvoyants
Cage the Elephant: Skin and Bones
Incubus: Paper Cuts
Marilyn Manson: Broken Needle
KALEO: Break My Baby
System of a Down: Genocidal Humanoidz
Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp: Isolation
I wanted to wrap this post up with some general reflections about the year and goals heading into next year, but I’m going to be honest. This year flew by in a blur and the beginning of it feels like years ago, especially since it was so different than the end of the year. Yes, I published my debut YA novel, and I learned a lot and experienced a lot in the writing field, but other than that I don’t feel like I have a lot to share. This year was hard mentally, and sometimes simply getting through the day felt like enough of an accomplishment. I didn’t take a whole lot of time to pause and reflect or to actually enjoy any process as it was happening. That’s always been something really difficult for me: enjoying the process. I do reflect in nature, that’s probably one of the only places I feel real peace. So, if I have the mental capacity to stop and let the process take its course going into next year, then that’s what I’ll be working on. There are no other goals or reflections to share right now other than to keep writing, exercising, connecting with family and friends, and letting the present moment be enough. Perhaps I’ll do a new year themed blog in January, but I may not have anything else to share where that’s concerned.
Wishing you all a very happy holiday and new year, and hoping 2021 will be much brighter, but we can only do what’s in our control! Reach out if you want to talk about anything—writing and otherwise.
