I haven’t posted in awhile because I’m not sure what to say.  Something unexpected has happened.  Let’s call it “the upheaval”.

On the surface, “the upheaval” is Not Good.  Beneath the surface it may reveal itself to be a positive change or a neutral one, or just different.  It’s too soon to say.  In the meantime, it is unsettling and stressful and feels not quite real.

What has happened is not, in of itself, the point.  The point is that it feels weird and trite to be posting writing updates and book reviews as if everything is normal —  which is a stupid reaction because, of course, life goes on even when bad (or positive-disguised-as-bad, or neutral, or different) things are happening.  My dad would probably remind me that, in fact, those things *are* life.

I don’t like to whinge about my problems, mostly because I feel that my problems usually don’t warrant the title.  I’ve lived with Honduran families in houses with no electricity and a dirt floor who considered themselves very lucky compared to their neighbors down the street in the house made out of cardboard boxes.  Viewed in that light, it feels pretty unseemly to complain about the disappointing things that happen from time to time in my otherwise-charmed life.

So, I’m not writing this entry to complain but to share a happy discovery that has emerged from this week’s special brand of bleck:  writing is a really good way to get through a hard time.

Escaping into the imagined worlds of the novels I’m writing has proven an excellent cure for getting through a situation I can’t personally do much to effect (cupcakes, hot cocoa, and ice cream also appear to be viable treatments). In fact, during “the upheaval”, I’ve gotten more writing done than I have in months.  Even now, when things seem a little bleak, its nice to find that writing isn’t just something I love to do but something I can take solace in as well.  That’s pretty cool.

Maybe “the upheaval” can even be seen as an inciting incident, the start of a new story.  I certainly hope so.

In the meantime, pass the cupcakes.