Let’s talk about after finishing…

It had been about a week after I had finished the first draft of a new novel (huzzah) when I noticed something. I was restless. Super restless. I would pick up a book and put it down after a few pages. I would fiddle around in my office when I should be picking it up. I would example my Notes app and see all of the things I had put off until after the draft was done. Household stuff. Business stuff. A lawn that needed to be done.

Friends, I didn’t want to do any of it.

Obviously, I was tired.

Probably exhausted, really. The book had been a lot of work. A bigger challenge than I had realized. (Aren’t they all?) So I had planned on being tired. I had planned on resting. I wasn’t going to do anything that really took a lot of energy. But, I was adrift. I couldn’t land on anything. Even watching TV was sort of meh. I would catch up on a show or two, but then I’d want to move on to something else. (I was raised on TV. TV took care of me. It should be everything…)

Resting, but restless.

I have a theory. I was exhausted. Not quite burnt out, but I was tapped. But — and here comes the theory — I had been so focused on one thing for so long I don’t think my brain was in a place to do anything but that thing. Somehow my brain had gotten locked into creative output. Gotten locked into crafting sentences. Gotten locked into plotting and thinking about the book. But, with nothing left in the tank, nothing was going to happen.

So…

What to do? What did I do? Nothing. Friends, I did nothing. I’m still feeling restless. I’m still unsettled. I’m still picking up books and putting them down. Watching a bit of TV. Practicing piano. I’m sticking my fingers in all kinds of pies.

OK, I lied. I did do something.

I’m saying to myself, this is OK. This dipping in and out, it’s OK. Because I’m not working. Rest doesn’t have to look like one thing. This is me winding. This is my system finding ease.

Just in time for the editor to send me notes…