Queues and stacks are familiar to anyone who has studied computer science. It struck me a while ago that, to my detriment, I organise my life like a stack. Writing fiction is at the base of my stack, and I only get around to writing (and painting & music to much lesser degrees) once I’ve accomplished everything on top. I really need to change my way of operating from a stack to a priority queue. Lifelong habits are challenging to break.

After a very tiring handful of years (deaths of loved ones and career chaos), I currently have enough bandwidth to resume my novel. My stack is practically empty, which is eerie – but, hey, I’m not complaining. Although re-entering the workforce is something I have to do soon enough, for now I’m aiming to get the first draft down.

For me, there’s always been more joy in producing than consuming.