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X Maeve James

Writer's block can be a bitch. Especially in the early morning hours, three a.m. to be exact. Here I am sitting at my desk doing my best to keep going on my current story and I have my deadline due at the end of the week. It's Thursday.

A deep sigh escapes my mouth as I chug down the last bit of the energy drink. Nothing was coming up and the book I've been working on was at a stalemate. I was not going to meet the deadline. I could call Devon and tell them it won't be ready at all but I doubt they're awake at this ungodly hour. Most people I know are sleeping like a rock.

Against my better judgment, I called and left a message. They'll see it when they wake up.

I sat at my desk for another hour until I knew Serena would be up and getting ready for her work. I could always count on her to get my creative juices flowing. I called and thankfully she picked up after the second ring.

"Good morning? Or should I say just morning considering the sun hasn't even come up yet and you're calling me," she said over the line.

"Ha ha, it is a morning considering I haven't slept since, I don't know, Tuesday. It's this story... I just can't seem to get it going anywhere."

"What are you stuck on? If you're thinking about doing a third act break up again, don't. You did that in your last one. I don't think your readers would like it if you did it again."

"I can't do two break ups in one book. Some reviewers on TikTok would lose their mind and probably find something wrong with me. They'd probably think I'm some kind of masochist."

"Yeah. you got a point there. But they all loved your first book. Romance can only get you so far and you've just started this book right? You can always switch up genres."

I stayed silent for too long when she asked that. I was smack dab in the middle of the story and Devon has seen it. Edited and all.

"Girl, don't tell me you're in the middle of it..."

"Yeah, I am. This deadline is important and... ugh! Nothing is working. I want to cry until I can't breathe. I don't know what to do. I called Devon and they'll probably call me when they wake up. So I may as well wait till then."

"Yeah, but get some sleep. You sound like you're getting sick. Drink some tea."

"Okay, mom. But thank you for some help. Have fun at work."

She hung up and I went back to the computer screen. The same scene I've been stuck on staring back at me. Maybe I should scrap this entire thing and start new. Devon would kill me.

I had to close out of chrome and do something else until they called. I couldn't go to bed, I'm too much of a heavy sleeper and sleep through them calling.

It took everything in my power to get up and go to the kitchen of my tiny apartment in Washington DC. Surely I had something in my fridge that was appetizing enough for five in the morning. Thankfully there was a plate of food my mom brought over from the boat. She and dad practically forced me to meet them over at the National Harbor just to see me. It's not like they haven't seen me in a long time. They came over the week before Memorial Day weekend. They know how much of a work-aholic I am.

I checked the calendar and it was mid June now. Huh, yeah it actually has been a while. Whoops. Writing deadlines are more important to me than a social life right now.

It had been probably hours since I called Dion and they finally got back to me. Ten a.m..

"Hey, starshine. I got your message. What do you mean you won't have it done by Friday? You're usually on top of things," they said.

Champagne Supernova || L.T.Where stories live. Discover now