Post Novel Ennui: Stage One

The thing about finishing a novel is, that after your crow of victory, you get up the next morning and you almost forget.

You sit down, you eat your breakfast, brush your teeth and think, "Okay, I need to write this many words today....wait. I don't. I'm done."

You lay back and you think, "Gah! Why am I laying around, I should be writing!"

Except you *shouldn't*. More than that, you don't have anything to write. You're done. There is no more to do. No scenes to add, nothing to work on (just yet).

Also, it's kind of like not talking to a friend anymore. It's for the best, but you're so used to having long, late night chats until 2am and working that in to your daily schedule. Now, you don't have to.

Huh.

Now I'm going to read like a fiend, let the tank refill, hope that my sister's wedding doesn't end up on YouTube for any reason that will bring shame and derision upon my family, and contemplate what to do next.

Also, I'm wondering if I now owe royalties for how utterly I've made the phrase "post novel ennui" a part of my vocabulary, both externally and internally. I can't help it, it's just sort of the perfect phrase.