Keep Writing!!!! Unless This Kind of Thing Happens. Then Who Cares About Your Novel.

I’m writing this blogpost really late today. Why? Because my beloved younger sister went into labor on Monday night.

I’ve never had kids. So when it comes down to it, I’m no expert on what it’s like to carry a baby inside me for nine months and then go through hours giving birth. But from everything I hear, that latter part is not a fun experience. So knowing that my kid sister (not really a kid at 28 years old, but still) was going through such trials and travails was more than a bit distracting.

I did get 2,000 more words written to Designing America on Monday night. But Tuesday was an absolute wash. I was practically crying at my desk that morning, drove up to Pennsylvania (where she lives) that afternoon, and then waited and waited and waited some more that evening.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my novel-in-the-making. I love the time period (Revolutionary War), I love the historical details, I love the characters and – sure – I love my own creative process.

It’s just that I love my sister so exceptionally, overwhelmingly much more. So while my fretting away over her experience didn’t do her a single bit of good, I can’t say that I regret focusing on her instead of my story.

There are just some things in life that are more important than NaNoWriMo. And family is one of them.