Rejoining the World

After finishing a project, and leaving the fictional world I'd been living in for awhile, I always spend at least a week in a confused daze as I grow reacquainted with the real world. My emotions are on edge and I can go from giddy laughter to verging on tears in seconds. I am simultaneously mournful that my time with those characters has ended and excited to get to know new ones. On top of all, I am bracing myself to confront rewrites on previous projects.

Oh, and speaking of the real world, usually by this point, my friends and family are wanting my company, and I also must reunite with this wonderful online community. There are blog posts to write, catching up with my buds on twitter, and maintaining my usual Facebook shenanigans.

The problem? At this stage in my writing I have no desire to talk to anyone. I feel like I just got off the longest and craziest amusement park ride on the face of the planet. I am shell-shocked and all I want is time alone to find equilibrium. Needless to say, I managed a blog post Monday and a few conversations, but Tuesday I basically told the world to go to hell while I reread Jane Eyre. I traumatized my drinking buddies at the Powder River Saloon when I came in, sipped a hard cider in silence, and left. They probably think their resident chatterbox was abducted and assimilated into the Borg....or whatever it's called.

Today, I'm a little better. I feel more connected during this blog post than Monday's. As I gear up to tackle my BRIDES OF PROPHECY series, I think of you all and how grateful I am to you for sticking with me through this arduous writer's journey. It is because of you that I've become a better writer and because of you that I improve daily at my craft. Thank you!

How do you feel when finishing a project? How do you rejoin the world?