Time to Rest
For the last two weeks, I decided to do something that sometimes feels surprisingly difficult for me: I rested. I stepped away from writing, stopped worrying about what I should be working on next, and permitted myself to enjoy some free time, and I played video games.
Gaming has always been something I love, but it had been such a long time since I had properly sat down and played without thinking about everything else I needed to do. It felt good to return to something I enjoy simply because I enjoy it.
Sometimes, when you're constantly creating, planning, writing, editing, promoting, and thinking about the next project, you forget that your brain needs a break too.
But this week, it was time to return. I went back to Before the Clock Stops, and after working on it again, I think I can finally say something I have been waiting a long time to say:
I have a draft ready.
There is still work ahead of me, of course. A finished draft doesn't mean the book is finished. There will be editing, changes, things I suddenly decide I hate, things I rewrite five times, and probably moments when I question every decision I have ever made. You know... the normal writing process, but reaching this point feels incredible.
Before the Clock Stops has been quite a journey for me. Stuart's story has taken me into some dark, emotional, complicated, and occasionally spicy places, and seeing the whole story finally come together is exciting. I'm not ready to reveal everything yet, but I hope I'll have much more news to share about the book in the future.
For now, I'm going to enjoy this little victory. Well, apparently I don't know how to rest for very long. Now it's time to start working on the third book in the Beyond Heaven and Hell series. Just writing feels exciting.
After spending so much time inside the world of Before the Clock Stops, I'm looking forward to returning to Beyond Heaven and Hell and stepping back into a world that has been such a huge part of my writing journey.
There are stories still waiting to be told, characters waiting for their next chapter, and plenty of chaos waiting for me. And if you know this series, you probably already know that "chaos" is almost guaranteed. I'm excited and I have a lot of work ahead of me.
But first, I'm glad I allowed myself those two weeks to simply stop.
Sometimes resting can feel like you're doing nothing, especially when you have a million things you want to accomplish. But maybe those moments when we step away are exactly what we need before we're ready to begin again.