Yet another blog talking about the year just gone, eh? Hmm. I’m not going to analyse or wring my hands over it. I want to talk about this bits that made 2009 great. Because I’m a fan of odd numbers (maybe because I happen to be an odd numbered age in odd numbered years?), here’s nine of my great things for the year. In part 1, we’re talking Twitter and Stephen King.

Twitter

Twitter changed my life. Okay, compared to other social media and networking tools, it’s still not used by a lot of people if you compare it to say Facebook. Apparently most people who do sign up never come back after a few days. It gets a lot of stick – why do I want to know what you had for dinner? That’s a common jibe. And that’s fine. If you don’t get that Twitter is about communication – the limitless possibilities of real-time conversation and interaction with people – then no problem. But for those of us who do get it, and who use properly (i.e., you don’t tweet about what you had for dinner, because that’s amazingly boring), it’s a tremendous asset.

The number of people I have met and become friends with, the number of old friends I’ve reconnected with, the number of acquaintances and contacts I’ve encountered and had meaningful discussions with, has been immense. Writers, agents, publishers, big names and small names. And because Twitter is about conversation, you don’t have that clinical, “once-removed” feeling of Facebook. Where else can you discuss Dinobots with A. Lee Martinez? Or have Kevin J. Anderson butt into a conversation to recommend a book? Or swap computer game tips with Felicia Day?

Not that is is about schmoozing with the famous or pretending to be best friends with celebrities. As a writer and a reader, it’s been an invaluable resource. I’ve met agents and editors, I’ve learnt about the publishing business, I’ve met writers and we’ve talked about methods and habits and tactics and strategies. I’ve met publishers and talked about publishing and have, over the year, acquired an entire shelf of books either through recommendations, free copies, ARCs or competitions. I’ve met bloggers and reviewers, and readers and fans. I joined in February 2009, and because of Twitter, this year has been like no other.

Stephen King

I have to admit, I’ve underestimated Stephen King. I also must admit that, until Under the Dome, his mammoth 1100-page novel that came out in November, I hadn’t actually read any King. Ever. Oh dear. Perhaps I had equated his success and high output with a lack of substance – and in general, there is an inverse relationship between popularity and quality. Just pick up any bestseller next time you’re in a bookstore and read the first page. But his name is frequently mentioned, and perhaps there was something there worth investigating, so on a whim I picked up his audiobook reading of On Writing, his autobiographical writing guide. It was brilliant, and taught me a thing or two. Whatever you thought of his books, said I, King knew his onions. This is perhaps the biggest understatement of the year, of course, but I had to start my journey with something!

I’d known about Under the Dome since the beginning of the year, but it wasn’t until the publication date drew closer that the chatter about it started. And thanks again to Twitter, I not only snagged the US edition (with it’s wonderful cover) for $9 (thanks to a price war between Wall-Mart and Amazon), but I entered and was a runner up in the Under the Dome hidden text competition. My prize? A copy of the UK hardcover (not such a good cover) and a limited, numbered ARC. I got 10/200, and have hidden it away safely in a dark cupboard.

And the book? It’s wonderful. In fact, it’s the best book I’ve read in many years. I’d given that accolade earlier to the remarkable Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest, and really a comparison between the two books is pointless as they are so different, so they both get the prize.

And the best thing about discovering Stephen King is that I’ve got another 39 novels still to read. I’ve already had some warnings about a few of them, but coming to them with a fresh eye (and I’ll start with his 1974 debut, Carrie), we shall see! But I remember something that Gail Carriger said when I interviewed her in October about her steampunk debut, Soulless. She talked about a book having some indefinable “commerciality” that made you want to read it and keep reading it. This is why Stephen King is successful. He tells great stories very well, but his prose also has that magical X-factor. For such a doorstop of a book, Under the Dome had me hooked from the first page to the last. I wanted to turn each page. I even, rarely for me, stayed up late reading it. I’m lazy and fall asleep easily, so take that as the best recommendation I can give. Under the Dome is terrific.

Tomorrow – writing and reading and trips to California…