Traveler Brain

Traveler Brain and Writer Brain are best friends, and no one can tell me otherwise.

I've spoken before about my ability to write while on planes and in airports and whatnot. Normally, I do pretty good in those areas ... when I'm traveling solo. While traveling with the boyfriend, it's a little different in airports. Instead of snagging one of the fancy bar stools on a flat surface so that I can charge my laptop as I write, I instead end up in the regular seating areas with him. As my lapt desk is often packed away in my checked baggage, the laptop doesn't often make an appearance in that setting. Therefore, I hang out with him and play games on my phone and whatnot.

On the plane is usually when my writing is able to take hold, because I have headphones and hours of nothing else to do. Bonus points if it's a night flight, because Scrivener has a composition mode that is white paper on a black screen. Therefore, it's kind of like a dark mode.

Alas, this time, I was unable to write much on the plane because the whole journey sucked. First, if you're someone that chronically leans their seat back, please know that I hate you. I understand you have the right to be comfy in the seat you paid for. But also, I hate you. Why? Because the space I had to open my laptop on that tiny little tray they give me is now gone. The angle at which the seat leans back doesn't magically mean that the tray extends farther out.

Guess what happened on both planes I was forced to take to get to Orlando? Yeah, the seats were both leaned back. Therefore, I could not write. It was a shitty time for me. (I know: first world problems. Don't care. It was a problem.)

All of that complaining aside, I got a shit ton of writing done that day. Between both of my current projects–because, yes, I made progress on both that day–I was able to write 2,379 words! I got into a groove and had a few hours to kill between waking up and heading to the airport. Therefore, I saw in a hotel room and just wrapped up two whole chapters. It was a great writin day. In fact, it was the best one I've had all year.

And that momentum is now gone. Part of it is the ability to go and spend the day doing other things. A larger part is that I wrapped up those chapters and have been sputtering ever since. I vaguely know where the one is going, so I've started the next chapter. At the same time, the transition to get there feels ... clunky. Definitely something I'll have to rework in editing. But it's a whole lot easier to edit a bad chapter than it is a blank page. So that's where we're at.

I miss my fluffins. I miss my kitties. Vacation is only ever too long when you don't have those you love with you. This vacation has been too long. At least the days are going by fast enough to where I'll see him soon. It also means I'll have to go back to work.

Guess I better use all this down time to get in all the writing I can. Which means ... back to work I go.