The Struggle is Real (One Writer's Painful Hiatus)

"Where are you, Angela Scott?"
"When will  ANYONE ELSE? be released?"
"What's going on?!?!?! Tell me!!"

All good questions. All valid questions. Questions I hear repeatedly.

Also difficult questions to completely answer.

But you, my dear readers and friends, deserve answers. and that is why I am writing this post today. It's not fair to you, for me to be silent and keep you wondering, despite my hesitation to reveal too much.

So, here goes...

2016 was a roller-coaster ride of year. Plain and simple. I had plans to release ANYONE ELSE? by the end of 2016. But life had other plans in store for me. I won't go into a lot of details, for personal reasons, but I will try to explain what I can.

2016 became a year of demolition and rebuilding for me. The foundation in which I had stood upon all my life had painfully been kicked out from under me, and I was left struggling to find my place in this massive world. I questioned everything. Absolutely everything.

I couldn't distinguish between truth and lies. What was once undeniable, undoubted, a certainty, quickly dissolved and blew away with the wind--even as I held on with both hands, desperately trying to keep that from happening. But that wasn't even the worst of it.

What became even more painful was having my eyes opened to things that I once believed were horrendous lies only to find out they weren't lies at all. They were simply omitted truths, hidden from me, or whitewashed in such a way I bought into them without thought.

Now, I had to think. Really think. I was no longer fed someone else' truths (at this point, my mouth was clamped shut). No more. I needed to find my own truth, my own place of belonging, and understanding. I was on a journey  

That journey was all encompassing. I couldn't hardly function outside of it. Hours upon hours were spent in searching for truth and understanding in trying to reclaim my life. I'm talking each day I spent fully engrossed in trying to wrap my head around the mayhem.

Writing wasn't hardly even a thought.

I couldn't.

---

My life had shifted in such a way that focusing on anything else but the current situation was near impossible. 2016 slipped by all while in this horrible funk. My feelings fluctuated all over the place from anger to sadness and everywhere in between.

I didn't plan to lose that entire year, but it happened. And it sucked.

Now, I feel that things are in a much better place. It is still a work in progress and I still have my many up and down days. 2017, though better, has still presented itself with unforeseen challenges and setbacks. I think when a person's life changes dramatically, unexpectedly, this becomes the norm. Large chucks of time are devoured by the twists and turns life can throw at you. (See my post for one example of 2017 craziness HERE).

For some people, they can just roll with it and balance the ups and downs with everything else in their life. Apparently, that isn't me.

I apologize for this.

ANYONE ELSE? is being written. Unfortunately, it's been slow going. I didn't realize just how hard it is to jump back into writing when a large and painful hiatus knocks you to the ground and 2017 decides to throw its own punches at you.

But, I've climbed to my feet, brushed myself off, and I'm at it again.

It's coming, guys. It's coming. I promise.