I will remember 2025 positively because…

[Duleigh]

In 2025 I published my 20th novel Gods Save the Queen, Book 1, The Enchantress

It's a true work of love. I passionately adored every minute I was working on that. It's the first time I created an entire universe, a new solar system, a planet with multiple land masses. I created a map of the western Edux continent. It's a crappy map, but it became a valuable tool in writing. Another tool I began to value more and more in writing was Microsoft One Note. I can't believe how I disparaged that app over the years, but when I used it the way it's meant to be used it became my #2 tool behind my word processor.

Currently I'm working on Book #3 of the Gods Save the Queen series and it's still as delightful as Book 1. Book 1 and 2 were both those kind of stories you write and as it comes to a close you're sad because it was such a wonderful experience. There's 8 books planned in the series, and a second series on the planet Kodu is being mulled over.

A story I started as a lark in 2022, AI Era:Agent AI became my 22nd novel in 2025, Agent AI and it was my best seller of the year, just ahead of God's Save the Queen. It's a weird, kinky spy novel that readers just loved. I have no plans to follow it up with a connected novel, it was a spy romp in the mountains of Colorado's Front Range.

As for Lit - I only was able to complete 26 stories here in 2025. In 2024 I completed 41 stories. However the length of the stories went up to an average of 32k words per story from 27k word average in 2024. My story average score remained at 4.73. I intend to continue to write here, it's like having hundreds, even thousands of beta readers.

 

[AchtungNight]

Near the end of it, I got a new better paying more challenging job. Remains to be seen if it will satisfy me more, but so far it’s been good and I appreciate the potential.

I reunited with my estranged father and my half siblings I had not seen in almost two decades. We achieved an affable relationship.

Most importantly to Lit, I created and published some great stories.

 

[EmilyMiller]

I will remember 2025 positively because...

- My wife remains cancer free, only two more years of worry regarding recurrence of TNBC
- I met @EmilyMiller here in AH
- My novel, Marcus Hogue was finished and published.
- My baby sister is getting stronger everyday from her heart attack
- This is year seven, which I am still in remission and cancer free.

Wishing all your family continued good health

 

[StillStunned]

Honestly, the best thing I remember from 2025 is finding a pair of comfortable shoes for summer wear.

 

[Aoife_from_Ulster]

There is something to be said about comfortable shoes in the summer

 

[KittyOfSteele]

View attachment 2587344

Honestly, same.

 

[Duleigh]

Honestly, same.

I have Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension. I live that meme every morning.

 

[PennyThompson]

I published my first few stories in 2024, but essentially all of my significant erotica-based experiences happened in 2025, for which I am incredibly grateful!

I got to know a number of other writers fairly well (y'all know who you are ) and enjoyed collaborating, beta-reading, being beta-read, discussing music and stories and small bits of our lives.

I don't like to share too much about my real life, but it's been a challenging year in a few different ways. I and some people that I love have had some serious stressors because of The Circumstances in the US. I've had a chronic health situation that I've been dealing with (though nowhere as serious as what many people deal with).

But it's also been a good year in many ways. I've gotten into some healthy gym and biking habits and am in better shape that I've probably ever have been as an adult. I've made some wonderful new friends and relationships.

Although writing erotica hasn't helped me land a dream job like @Actingup, I do think it's had a positive effect on my creativity and self-esteem. I'm trying to keep it compartmentalized as a hobby and not overwhelm my time and energy commitments, but it has brought me a lot of satisfaction and joy in the last year!

 

[EmilyMiller]

I've had a chronic health situation that I've been dealing with

 

[crookedletter]

2025 had its moments. Which is enough, sometimes.

I got some writing done. I finished a draft of a long-simmering novel, and got started on a rewrite. Hope to finish it -- or at least another draft of it -- some time in 2026.

I didn't publish as much here as I wanted to, but I finished a similarly long-simmering erotica story that I started and stopped and tried and failed to abandon many times. Hoping to get rolling in 2026 by submitting that soon. And I have many other plates spinning that I can choose from for what's next.

And, you know, still alive, still married, still employed. Had some fun, had some dread and horror and anxiety too. It could have been a better year; it could have been a worse one.

 

[Djmac1031]

So 2025 was a mixed bag for me, but then what year isn't?

Most notably, went through some changes with new ownership at work, but thankfully most of those changes have been positive... even more thankfully I still have a job.

Creatively I was a bit stagnant, only writing eight stories along with a couple of essays.

My most proud achievement (if you can call it MY achievement) was the publishing of the audio "Cozbi: Rise Of The She-Demon."

https://www.literotica.com/s/cozbi-rise-of-the-she-demon

Recorded by the incredibly talented @ResidentMadame, it's an excerpt from my longer story "The Seduction Of Darkness."

MR put her heart and soul into both performance and production, and it shows.

The words are mine, yes. But her audio brings my words, my characters, to life in a way I never dreamed possible, and I'll be forever grateful for it.

 

[HelenL]

I'll remember 2025 because @SugarStorm started publishing, @HelenL finally agreed to let me beta-read for her (and @redgarters and @DawnDuckie continued to trust me to), and several of my heroines commented favourably on my stories.

Plus, I published Forty, putting into writing all the love I have for the amazing music Bristol produced in the 00s that most people have never heard. It meant a lot to me. My wife and I are not any of the characters, but there is a lot of us in there. I'm thrilled that it's had a positive reception.

Off Lit, my daughter took a mandatory national test a year early and not only got the highest possible grade, but scored the highest mark in the entire country! Proud parent moment.

Happy 2026 everyone. May it bring you health and happiness.

Agreed to? I begged (well, asked). I needed the eyes of someone who knew contemporary English English! And I'll continue to ask 'cause you've greatly improved the stories you've beta read. Congratulations on your daughter's achievement!

2025 has sucked, and it's hard to think of anything that I can feel positive about other than bringing a smile to a few readers' faces here.

 

[Actingup]

"A boring story. The writer doesn't know how to create a stimulating and sexy atmosphere. Simply a lack of talent”

Did you get St*cnashed as well? I left that off my own list of highlights, but perhaps I should have included it. Sorry for the 2025 suckage.

 

[Djmac1031]

2025 was the year I published my first novel, The Story of Nix.

As your proofreader / editor, I'll add this as a positive 2025 memory as well because it was truly an enjoyable experience to follow your progress with it over the many months.

 

[EmilyMiller]

As your proofreader / editor, I'll add this as a positive 2025 memory as well because it was truly an enjoyable experience to follow your progress with it over the many months.

Thanks for putting up with my angst

 

[Bazzle]

I got my millionth click on my work.

(A big thank you to whoever it was!)

Finishing the year with 1,016,000 ISH clickers.

B

 

[DEFCOM5]

2025 highlights in no particular order

• I started publish smut after thinking about it for years
• 5 years passed since my heart attack
• I met in AH @SamanthaBehgs , @EmilyMiller and @Djmac1031
• Cancer still not showing up for 1 year
• Everyone I love is healthy

 

[SmilingLez]

2025 was the year I joined Literotica. It was a big step for me - making my private poetry public - no longer in the literary closet.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I’m thinking…

Don’t rush me.

 

[ElectricBlue]

I’m thinking…

Don’t rush me.

2025 was the year between 2024 and this one. Perhaps I'm too old and jaded to be impressed by the passing of time. Saying that, I wrote some more stories, people liked them, and I enjoyed once again the company of you lot.

 

[EmilyMiller]

2025 highlights in no particular order

• I started publish smut after thinking about it for years
• 5 years passed since my heart attack
• I met in AH @SamanthaBehgs , @EmilyMiller and @Djmac1031
• Cancer still not showing up for 1 year
• Everyone I love is healthy

Cancer is a bitch - screw that muthafucka!

 

[HelenL]

Did you get St*cnashed as well? I left that off my own list of highlights, but perhaps I should have included it. Sorry for the 2025 suckage.

Nah, just an anonymous comment. I've been asked the same thing before, though, so I guess I've been lucky to avoid it.

 

[Actingup]

Nah, just an anonymous comment. I've been asked the same thing before, though, so I guess I've been lucky to avoid it.

It depends on your point of view. I got, in part:

You have no idea what you’re doing. No part of you possesses the requisite skill to create memorable, developed characters and the important chemistry between them. All of your dialogue is as stiff as a board and you did a terrible job conceptualising the story. You’re a lazy writer and you’d rather crank out material like this in a couple of sittings than spend a few minutes performing the research that would’ve added some realism, credibility and quality. That’s why it doesn’t matter that your beta reader didn’t actually do their job and read this before you published it because, when your skill set is so lacking, you’ve got a mountain to climb to even make it into the middle of the pack. This was garbage and I’m exhausted after enduring every word of it.

I don't endorse the review, but the responses from some other readers were hilarious, and that turned into a highlight.

 

[Bazzle]

It depends on your point of view. I got, in part:

You have no idea what you’re doing. No part of you possesses the requisite skill to create memorable, developed characters and the important chemistry between them. All of your dialogue is as stiff as a board and you did a terrible job conceptualising the story. You’re a lazy writer and you’d rather crank out material like this in a couple of sittings than spend a few minutes performing the research that would’ve added some realism, credibility and quality. That’s why it doesn’t matter that your beta reader didn’t actually do their job and read this before you published it because, when your skill set is so lacking, you’ve got a mountain to climb to even make it into the middle of the pack. This was garbage and I’m exhausted after enduring every word of it.

I don't endorse the review, but the responses from some other readers were hilarious, and that turned into a highlight.

Ohh you have been stachnashed?

 

[HordHolm]

Crystal Palace won the FA Cup.

Seems stupid to feel emotional about a sports team winning something, but this is the first big trophy in 120 years, and before 2025 I've only ever seen them get to finals and take the lead before losing. The fanbase, of which I am one (clearly) generally believed the day would never come.