Weekly Dispatch: Energy Drains and Plotting Pains

I've written 725 fresh new words of fiction this week—and that's a real achievement given that most of this month I've written a grand total of zero.

My day job is back to kicking my ass again.

A few years ago I moved into a management role at work, after having been an individual contributor for many years. (Now you know why there's an entire throughline in "The Breaking" about the responsibilities that come with leading a group of people. That was me working through some shit.)

My job requires me to talk with people all day long while maneuvering myself and my team through the minefield called office politics. Often, I log off at the end of the day and my brain is fried. Cooked to a crisp. The energy to create something new just isn't there.

This is actually a legit flavor of writer's block.

I've been writing long enough to know that for me, the only way out of this kind of creative funk is to push through, else I'll keep sitting here racking up zero wordcount days until I die. Unfortunately, this is when writing feels like work. It's not fun to think about my WIPs when I'd rather be shooting bots in Helldivers 2. It's not fun to write just one more word when my mind is as blank as a new notebook.

Every one of those 725 fresh new words appeared in this draft the hard way.

Promptly Plotting

I've received my story prompt from the high bidder on my FandomTrumpsHate auction, and friends, this concept is going to knock your fucking socks off. I am excited!