Being a Writer in the Time of Coronavirus
As a writer during the spring of 2020, the Dicken’s quote about “the best of times/the worst of times” comes to mind.
Pros of writing during a pandemic:
- I still have electricity and wifi, so I am typing away like always.
- I worked from home even before the quarantine, so there’s no change there.
- Since so many events have been cancelled, I have more time than usual to write.
- I also have more time to read.
Cons of writing during a pandemic:
- People want to connect via computer or phone which includes seeing too much of myself on video and an inordinate amount of shouting.
- People who suddenly have lots of time on their hands think I do, too.
- My day job is more stressful, which is cramping my creativity.
- Worry about family members not under my roof is also distracting.
Listening to fellow writers, (mainly by lurking on Facebook) I don’t think I’m alone in being less productive than I thought – or wish – I could be. Instead of proper writing, I’m doing a lot of organizing, cleaning and prepping, all of which are also important to the manuscript I’m currently working on, but don’t require as much creative thought. My hope is that laying this groundwork will 1) be a good foundation for actual writing and 2) be a calming activity so I can do some actual writing.
Here’s a big bonus for writing during this time of COVID-19: When I need a research question answered, folks are eager to help. I’m working on a non-fiction project and frequently I find that Google isn’t giving me the information I need. So I contact museums, experts and hobbyists. Many are working from home so they can’t access all the information normally available to them, but they are so happy to talk with me. They share what they know and introduce me to other people who might be able to help. I think they are grateful to think about anything that’s non-virus-related. I know I am.
This is a pretty unique situation for all of us and we’re learning a lot. One thing we’ve learned is that you can teach old dogs new technology, so embrace that both for yourself and for your readers. Tech tools for writing, marketing, publishing and so on may have scared you off before, but necessity has made all of us better at using them.
Another thing we’ve learned is that people are social creatures, even as we are forced to practice “social distancing.” This could be a great time to make connections with reviewers, librarians, bloggers, news outlets and others who could help us get our books into the hands of readers. Blatant sales pitches are probably inappropriate right now, but building relationships is always a great idea.
Eventually this time will end. It would be nice to end it with a win of some kind that we can put in the “best of times” column. I’m working toward that and I hope you are, too!