There was a whole lot of chaos going on this month (not the good kind) and not a whole lot of writing.
I haven’t been super public about some of the things I’ve been going through this past month – at least not online – but I have spoken with some people at social events about this mess I call a life, so maybe some of you already know where I’m going with this.
There’s been personal chaos. A celebration of life for one of my grandmothers meant more family drama than even I could handle. Rushing to text my sister (who lives time zones away in another country) each time something new happened. Although the day of ended up being really lovely, the buildup was exhausting. Last time there was a family funeral, I wrote a zombie story. This time, I just needed a nap.
There’s been professional chaos. Those of you who follow me on social media have probably seen all of my ups and downs with regards to the Write Club at Milk Shop in the Byward Market. As of yesterday, when yet another event was cancelled the day before, I realized I just couldn’t keep doing this. I put so many hours, so much time/resources/energy/money into planning and promoting the Write Club events that it was disheartening to have two out of the three events cancelled by Milk Shop without first asking if I would be okay with that. I think there are many factors contributing to the failure of this writing event – none of which I’m willing to get into online just yet, although I have share my feelings with a few friends who agree that my reasons for backing out of this are valid. As much as I love visiting the Byward Market, I just don’t have much luck in that part of town when it comes to my writing/publishing, so going forward I think it will be best for me to focus my energy elsewhere.
There’s been medical chaos. This, I have not yet shared outside of my family because I just don’t have the answers yet. I’ve been dealing with a new mystery pain for the past month. Pain so bad I’ve been in tears. My doctor thinks she knows what’s causing it, but we’re still waiting on one more test to confirm or deny. Because of the backlog, I’ve had to wait a while, but I finally go in for that test next week. This mystery pain has caused me to take more sick days and half days this month than usual, and I’m starting to get anxious for some answers. But once I have a better idea of what’s going on, hopefully I’ll know how to fix and/or manage this new pain.
With all that going on, it’s no wonder I struggled to get any writing done. I had to triage, prioritize, [insert additional fancy jargon]. I put everything on hold except for Modern Hauntings. I’ve hired a new editor (after reader complaints/concerns about the last one), I purchased some cover art, and I’ve started some brainstorming for the launch party. Hopefully in June I’ll have the spoons to be able to make progress on more than just the one book. At the very least, I’ve got some fun events and social plans to keep my spirits lifted.
So wish me luck! As of right now, I certainly need it.
