My Laptop Died and So Did My Career: A Dramatic Spiral

This is the End (Probably): On Writing, Crashing Out, and Questionable Financial Decisions

It all started with a buzz.

A faint groan. A flash of betrayal.

My laptop: my beloved, my battle-worn, my slightly-stickered companion: died.

And with it? Possibly, my entire writing career.

I did what any reasonable person would do in a moment of crisis:

I pressed the on/off button 7 times, Googled “weird fan noise + eternal sadness,” and whispered, “don’t do this to me, not now.”

But it did.

The Phone Writing Crisis

People say “you can write anywhere.”

Oh really? Can you write emotional betrayal and slow-burn tension with autocorrect turning “soulmates” into “soufflés”?

Have you tried writing your villain’s tragic monologue while your cat walks across your head and TikTok notifications remind you that someone just made a cake in the shape of a frog?

My thumbs weren’t made for this. My dialogue deserves SPACE.

Writing on my phone feels like trying to paint a cathedral ceiling with a toothbrush.

Meanwhile, in Financial Crisis Corner…

Naturally, amidst this breakdown, I did what any deeply logical, fiscally responsible adult would do:

I booked a trip to Japan. And Korea. Back-to-back. Solo. In style.

So no, I cannot currently afford a new computer.

But I can afford cherry blossoms, matcha, street food, and emotional healing under a Seoul city skyline.

Which is basically the same thing. Probably.

Is This the End?

My characters are in digital purgatory.

The group chat has gone quiet. The antagonist is definitely planning a coup.

My backup plan? Cry, drink tea, and type vaguely poetic notes into my phone until someone invents a typewriter I can carry in my tote bag.

Is this the end of my career?

Maybe.

Will I come back stronger, with aesthetic travel photos, three new story ideas, and a new era of mysterious author energy?

Absolutely. (But not yet, the trip’s not until next year, and I’m still emotionally recovering from the confirmation email.)

In Conclusion:

My computer broke.

My thumbs are overworked.

My finances are unstable.

My backup plan is vibes.

But my main character energy?

Thriving.

With love, chaos, and whatever’s left of my RAM,

Eleanor