The week after meeting a tight writing deadline is often a bit wonky for me. In its own way, it can feel like re-learning how to live in the real world again, with real people, engaging in real conversations, and figuring out how to deal with real-life issues after my head has been treading water in all things fiction for a long, long time. And while I spend months and months craving and anticipating the freedom that comes after submitting a manuscript to my publisher, that newfound freedom can be, at times, disorienting. Have you ever felt that way after pushing hard to reach a goal?
Several months ago, after I turned in my latest novel to my editor, I had that ever-dreaded “off” week experience once again. My tolerance for people was lower than usual and I was irritated by things I can usually let go of quickly, exchanging my typical glass-half-full mentality for something murkier and critical. I was definitely in a funk.
