Post novel ennui

Last week, I sent the manuscript for Heart’s Master in to Circlet. That makes my third complete novel in just over a year and a half.

And now my brain is feeling it.

I have that whole laundry list of things to work on, and I cannot settle on ANY of them. I started to work on The Willow Sword, and that went exactly nowhere. So I went to work on the synopsis for Holy Orders, which will be the NEXT Drum Mage book. Got halfway and stalled out. Had a new idea pop into my head while putting together a short piece for an anthology call. But I don’t know what happens there yet, and the Muse is apparently on strike. The creative mind had dried up.

Now, I knew this could happen. I knew I was probably overdue for it. Elizabeth Bear talks about post novel ennui (which is actually a scientifically proven phenomenon!) But I’m not used to being idle — not after a year and a half!

So, I’m trying something new. I’m taking a few days to just be. I might do some research. I have reading to do for contest judging. I have a hat on the needle for a friend undergoing chemo. I’ve been wanting to hit the Morse Museum and see the Tiffany wing. And I have a lunch date for Thursday.

The one thing  I’m not going to Do? Force words — if I do, they will more than likely be crap. Time to be gentle to the writer.