1. Last Thursday: Finals -- all three of them.
2. Last Thursday night: Laptop hard drive breaks with a catastrophic clank and whir.
3. Last Friday: Moving out into our new apartment (with only a week's prior notice)
4. Last Weekend: When not at work I'm unpacking, unpacking, unpacking.
5. This last week: When I'm not at work I'm knitting, knitting, knitting my Christmas presents!
But you know what? It's okay. I've been without a laptop for over a week and without the internet for nearly as long. It's fine, I realized after a couple days. This is the first vacation I've had from writing in over a year. This is the first time in too long that I've had time to curl up with a book, knit a hat, or simply nap on the couch with my cat. After finals and moving, this break is like an oasis of peace, and I've learned to come to terms with the fact I've lost the 30,000 words I had written on Scorpion King (advice to those reading: back up your work frequently).
I've decided I'm going to write it all again, all a little differently. I'm going to produce something better than the original. And while I'm waiting for my laptop to be fixed I'll work on my writing, my research, and my craft. When I'm at last allowed a day of writing, I want to be prepared, fresh, and ready to assume my new character's much milder voice. She's no Khensa, but she's no less amazing, and this break gives me a chance to connect to her as an author.
So this holiday season you, too, might be stressed and flagging and stumbling towards the finishing line, but don't fret. As it's said, when life shuts one door it opens another. So let's head into the New Year with our heads held high!
Hug your loved ones, enjoy that hot buttered rum, and I'll see you next week.
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