Disclaimer: No AI was used creating this post.

… literally

So I missed the post-once-a-month mark twice after I just recently announced my commitment to blogging more regularly. What happened? In short, I fell off my bicycle and broke my wrist. Let’s skip the details; suffice it to say nobody else was involved, and I had both feet on the ground right before it happened… (Picture me glowing up in embarrassment even now.)

One surgery and four days of enforced rest at the hospital later, it turned out a cast slowed me down a lot more than I thought it would. Every endeavor is more laborious with only one hand, and I am really glad that my stronger hand is still functional. Also, I can now appreciate much better what a huge difference opposable thumbs made in the development of humankind. For even when I could move my four other digits almost normally after three days, my thumb gave me a metaphorical headache much longer. Try holding a toothbrush with four fingers while you’re squeezing out the toothpaste with the other hand. See what I mean?

Physiotherapy is working wonders, and thanks to an implanted metal plate I was able to shed the cast after only three weeks. So I am typing this post with both hands, actually. But even with a wrist compression wrap, working my fingers isn’t that much fun after a while. And I have never been fond of writing longhand, either, so I am nowhere near my usual output.

… in a writerly sense

Which brings us to the current state of my ongoing project as in the second book of my new Urban Fantasy series (which I talked about in my previous post). By now it comes as no surprise that finishing it will take a bit longer than planned. Even in the best of circumstances, the end of act 2 in a novel is the most dreaded part for many writers. It’s where the main character’s spirit is lowest and chances of actually achieving their goal are practically nil. All their misconceptions about life, all their wrong decisions, and all their dubious actions now accumulate to haunt them until they must hit rock bottom, because only then will they muster up the courage to really change for the better (or the worse).

Naturally, as a writer who puts themself into the characters’ heads, this part always bogs me down. But it’s the writer’s privilege to make the protagonist take the fall in an entertaining way (for the reader) and devise and execute a clever way out of the pit. I’d like to think this is the most challenging part of any story arc. We gradually add more depth to the character’s inner and outer conflicts to find the solution within those very perimeters. Only then will the outcome feel natural and satisfying and unique to this story’s universe.

Luckily, we don’t have to make it all happen in the first draft, because that’s what editing rounds are good for. For now, I dust myself off, reach out a hand to my protagonist and limp toward the grand finale with her. I have high hopes for November! There will be drum rolls and excitement, there will be fireworks, and we’ll make all the hardship count for sure.

“And now for the weather…”

It’s the end of the year, which means in my corner of the world the trees are dropping their leaves, getting ready for winter. We had a wet and mild summer, and this carried right over through October. So what should have been a pretty display of yellow, orange and red is drenched in more rain, while the first strong November winds chase the shriveled foliage around.

As I write this, the world is still shaken by violence, and my heart brakes for all the innocent victims to the sick power play of a few. We feel helpless in view of the magnitude of it all. There seems to be little we can do–but it’s NaNoWriMo again! Let’s write with purpose and compassion. Even if I won’t be writing a whole novel this month, I’ll be cheering for anyone who takes on the challenge. When the days shorten and long nights are cold and dark, let’s cozy up in our hopefully safe homes and write stories that may change the views of some and help bolster the courage of many—to one day bring about a world of peace and harmony for everyone.

Go you!