Writing isn’t always easy at
the best of times, and I think you’ll agree with me that what the world is
going through right now with the Covid 19 pandemic doesn’t even come close
to the best of times. Most of us have day jobs or, if we’re full-time freelancers,
we cobble together a living from different types of writing and writing-adjacent
activities. We’re used to having to squeeze in our creative writing when we
can, and we give it what energy we can muster.
But writing is even harder
during times of great stress. A pandemic – with its health and economic effects
– is obviously one of these times. But are there are more than enough personal
stresses that we must confront in our lives. Illnesses, divorces, troubles at
work, problems with our children, difficulty paying bills . . . It’s not a
stretch to say we’re always dealing with stress of one kind or another in life,
and while some creative people may thrive in the midst of stress, many of us –
maybe most – find stress to be a creativity-killer.
So if you’re having trouble
writing during quarantine (or any other stressful time in your life), here are
some ideas that might help you get the words flowing again.
Before I continue, I should
say that I’m well aware that I have it much easier right now than a lot of
people. I’m an English professor at a community college in my day job. I’m full-time
and tenured. My college closed down several weeks ago (like so many schools) and
the faculty are working from home, teaching remotely. I’m still getting paid my
regular salary (with its attendant health benefits), and there’s no reason for
me to worry financially. Even so, my wife and I have some money saved up for
emergencies. Not a ton, but some. My wife is great at managing money – me, not
so much – and we have very little debt beyond house and car payments. We have a
home to live in, and we have no reason to think we can’t continue paying the
mortgage until things return to normal (or return to a new normal, whatever
that might look like). I’ve also been writing and publishing for a long time,
and I’ve had a lot of experience writing through hard times in my life – death of
family members, my divorce, struggles with depression and anxiety . . . That
experience is helping me keep writing now.
Plus, while we haven’t been
officially tested, our family doctor thinks my wife and I had Covid 19 already.
For me, it was like a medium-bad flu. It was more serious for my wife. She has
asthma and other health issues. But we’ve both recovered, and we’re relatively
confident that we’re going to make it through the next few months okay.
I don’t pretend that I know
what your life is like right now and what you’re dealing with. It’s easy for me
to give advice when I’m doing okay. I know that. But I hope some of what I offer
might be of help to you.
And let me say this: you don’t
have to write. You’re probably under a shitload of stress right now, and
you don’t need to add more by thinking that if you’re sheltering at home you should
be producing a ton of work. It’s okay not to write for a while. When things are
better, you’ll write again. However, if you want to write during these
trying times – if you find writing a good coping mechanism/release/escape – read
on.
- Don’t
tell yourself you have to produce a specific amount. If you decide you should write five pages a day,
every day, and you don’t make this quota, you’ll feel like a failure and get
down on yourself. Mental and creative energy is hard to sustain during extended
stressful periods. If you write ten pages one day, two pages the next, and none
for the next five days, that’s okay.
- Write
when you can. You might not be
able to follow a set schedule for one reason or another. If that’s the case,
fit writing in when you can. Try to write something between the time you wake up
in the morning and the time you go to sleep for the night. However much it is,
whenever you produce it, if you get it done before your head hits the pillow,
that’s all that matters.
- Write
in short bits of time throughout the day. If you find it hard to concentrate for any length of time, write for five
or ten minutes, then go do something else. Come back later and do another five
or ten. Repeat this as many times during the day as you can manage. You can also
set yourself a schedule: write ten minutes every hour (or every two hours or three
hours). Set an alarm to help remind you.
- Write
small stuff. Write flash
fiction or poems. Write one paragraph, one sentence. Writing small can not only
relieve the pressure to produce a lot of work in one session, it’s easier when
you can only concentrate for short periods as well.
- Write
something that’s not for publication.
Forget the markets. Write something for the sake of writing it. Write something
that’s just for you. Write something fun. Maybe it’ll turn out to be something
you’ll polish and submit to a market later, maybe not. All that matters is that
you’re feeding your creative self.
- Write
for (and maybe with) your family and friends. Connecting to our loves ones during difficult times
can make all the difference in how we get through those times. If you have kids
and they’re home all day, write a story for them. Write a play for them to act
out. Write stuff with them. Collaborate on a story with a friend. Do a
round-robin story with a group of friends.
- Keep
a quarantine journal. If all you can focus on is Covid 19,
then write about it. Write about your thoughts, fears, hopes . . . If this is all
you write, that’s okay. You’re still writing. But if you get your feelings out
in your journal – especially if you write it earlier in the day – you might
clear enough mental and emotional space in your head to write your creative
work later.
- Write
to your new biorhythm. If your
daily schedule has changed, your biorhythm might have too. Maybe you used to write
at night before bed, but now you can’t. Try writing first thing in the morning.
Or if mornings used to work for you, try nights. When do you feel you have the
least stress during the day? Try writing then.
- Try
something new. The old saying “A
change is as good as rest” applies here. If you normally write fantasy, try
writing mystery. If you normally write fiction, try nonfiction or poetry. Write
song lyrics. Write a script. The novelty of trying something new might give you
fresh creative energy. And don’t worry about how good or publishable this new
stuff might be. Just write it. Use it as therapy. Have fun with it. Learn from
it.
- Write
outside. I’m not big outdoor person,
but my wife is. She needs to be outside every day, even if she just goes into our
backyard and putters in the garden. If you find yourself getting depressed
during quarantine (and unable to write), maybe you should try writing outside
and see if that helps. If nothing else, it’ll probably be good for your soul.
Whatever you do, don’t put
pressure on yourself to be anything than other than who you are at any given
moment, and don’t put pressure on yourself to work more than you can at any
given moment. Be good to yourself. Take care of yourself. The writing will
follow when it follows.
DEPARTMENT OF
SHAMELESS SELF-PROMOTION
The Forever House
Released
My new horror/dark fantasy novel
from Flame Tree Press came out on March 26th! I’m extremely pleased at the
response the book has gotten so far. Here’s a sample:
“The horrors inside the Eldred
house are spectacularly realized . . . Waggoner’s tale delivers some solid
scares.” – Publishers Weekly
“By and large, The Forever House
works on multiple levels. It is a meticulous character study, a well-written
social commentary without becoming overtly heavy-handed, and ultimately, a
terrifying horror novel filled with creatures out of nightmare that will stay
with you long after its astonishingly semi-hopeful yet dread-inducing ending.”
– iHorror
“Fast-paced, hair-raising, and with
a twist ending with enough spin to make you rethink who the real monsters are,
The Forever House is the sort of phantasmagorical terror that keeps you reading
through gore, grit, and grime until the very end.” – Seven Jane
Here’s a synopsis:
In Rockridge, Ohio, a sinister
family moves into a sleepy cul de sac. The Eldreds feed on the negative
emotions of humans, creating nightmarish realms within their house to entrap
their prey. Neighbors are lured into the Eldreds’ home and faced with challenges
designed to heighten their darkest emotions so their inhuman captors can feed
and feed well. If the humans are to have any hope of survival, they’ll have to
learn to overcome their prejudices and resentments toward one another and work
together. But which will prove more deadly in the end, the Eldred . . . or each
other?
You can order all three versions –
hardback, trade paperback, and ebook – at the Flame Tree Press website here: https://www.flametreepublishing.com/The-Forever-House-ISBN-9781787583184.html
You can order from Amazon here:
Trade Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-House-Fiction-Without-Frontiers/dp/178758318X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=tim+waggoner+forever+house&qid=1583455298&sr=8-1
Anathemas:
Warhammer Horror
The Black Library has started
publishing horror fiction set in their Warhammer universes. I’ve got a
Warhammer 40K story called “Skin Man” in their latest horror anthology Anathemas.
Check it out!
Newsletter
I send out a newsletter every month
or so with information about new releases and writing tips. Most of the time I
try to present different tips than I do here on the blog. If you’re interested
in subscribing, you can do so here: http://timwaggoner.com/contact.htm