What I Learned from Quarantine Life: The Icelandic Version by Villimey Sigurbjörns (@VillimeyS)

So, I’m pretty sure that everyone can agree that 2020 has not been a stellar year. Especially with this pandemic. It’s been hectic. It’s also been stressful for a lot of people that have had to stay at home in quarantine.

For me, it was a little bit different since I live in Iceland.

The pandemic really hit Iceland at the end of February—beginning of March. It was mainly due to the fact that so many were coming home from infected areas, such as the Italian Alps and the skiing countries nearby. But everything was handled professionally. Iceland’s task force which we lovingly dubbed “the holy trinity” held daily briefings, telling us what was happening and what countermeasures they were doing. It was to test everyone who had come from those places and if the virus was detected, they‘d be put in isolation while everyone who was in contact with that individual, would have to go through a two week quarantine. When the numbers spiked in March, the gathering bans began as well. It started with 100 people gathering at a time, then it was reduced to 50 and then finally only 20 people were allowed to gather together.

I got scared for the first time when my older brother was infected. I had a small mental breakdown, fearing for the lives of my family. But I called him almost every day to check up on him as well as my family. My brothers and I even played board games together online while he was sick. That kept me grounded and I’m thankful for that. He is thankfully virus-free now, but still feels the fatigue that comes along with it.

I work full-time at an office and art/crafts store. I was in the front lines (still am!) You’d think that working there would have been relaxing and quiet, but around that time, it got SUPER busy! Since the task force gently told people to stay at home most of the time, hundreds of families came into the store to buy something arts and crafts or puzzles or board games. It was crazy. We almost ran out of puzzles! 

Working the front lines or in any retail job definitely is stressful and during that time, my fuse was short with the customers, especially when I had to stand at the entrance, counting the customers and barring them from coming in if the number went to 20.

Even though it was stressful, I used it to my advantage. For some inexplicable reason, my creative juices were flowing. I used every little chance I got to sit down and write. I wrote during the mornings, when things got quiet at the store and when I got home from work. I put every bit of energy into writing. I started the first draft of my third book in February and I actually managed to finish it at the end of May. That’s how driven I was. I’m pretty damn proud of myself, if I can say so *pats on the shoulder*.

I have anxiety and watching the world unfold horribly as it’s been doing these past months hasn’t been great. But I’m glad that I managed to turn that anxiety into a goal that I could achieve during these hard times. I’ve definitely been way more productive than usual and I’m embracing every second of it. It keeps my anxious mind off things happening in the world.

The pandemic is still here in Iceland. But we’re continuing with our countermeasures, especially our personal hygiene one (washing our hands, using disinfectants and staying home if you’re feeling unwell)—since we kind of slept on our guard this summer, but I’m positive we’ll pull through. We’ll flatten the curve again. We can do it because we’re all in this together. So, we must work together.

If you enjoyed this piece, please follow Villimey Sigurbjörns on Twitter @VillimeyS

What I Learned From Publishing My First Two Novels in 2020 by J.R.H. Lawless (@SpaceLawyerSF)

Nobody said starting out as a debut author was going to be easy. Especially with a small, dynamic, but still relatively new press. I was prepared to put in a hell of a lot of work, between the launch of my debut SF Humor novel, ALWAYS GREENER (also here on audiobook), back in February 2020 (that was at least three or four years ago, right?) and the sequel, THE RUDE EYE OF REBELLION, launching in eBook and special edition hardcover on September 22nd, with the paperback and audiobook coming in early 2021.

But that all changed when 2020 attacked. 

Since then, it’s been a bit of a scramble to make the best out of the situation and limit the damage. Here are some of the tidbits I’ve learned so far. 

Patience Isn’t a Virtue, It’s a Survival Skill

Publishing has always been, and will always be, all about patience. Even self-publishing doesn’t seem to entirely escape from this rule, and it has certainly been my own experience through agent querying, publisher submissions, the editorial process, the publication process, and the fall-out, both in terms of marketing, reviews (which I never realized are so damn difficult to get!) and distribution issues in the age of COVID.

And even the long-awaited successes, like the fantastic paperback order for ALWAYS GREENER my publisher secured from Barnes and Noble, are never set in stone, as the hundreds of copies still stuck in limbo in an Ingram warehouse somewhere in Tennessee go to show. COVID has set everything upside-down, and more than ever, surviving and succeeding as a writer can only be done patiently, step by step, writing the current thing, finishing the thing, and then moving on to the next thing. Even when running against galeforce winds, publishing is still a marathon.

Your People Are Out There

With so much going on, so many demands on our mental and emotional bandwidth, and so much strain on our basic hope for the future, it is little wonder that so many authors are struggling to remain creative and productive—which immediately just makes things worse, since keen-fanged impostor syndrome is always lurking in the margins of the page immediately to make us feel guilty about not living up to our normal expectations, and give us that much more to worry about and clog up the creative outlets. 

The only word of advice that carries any weight in my experience is that, when it comes to writing as much as in any other area in a time of crisis and strain like the present, we cannot and should not keep any sort of normal expectations. These are not normal times. Anything we manage to do in the present environment is a win.

Beyond that, I have found some ways that work for me to help maintain creative flow, which has been one of the best responses I’ve found, on the personal level, to the general despair of 2020. Obviously, everyone’s situation is different, and what works for me may not work at all for everyone else, but one unexpected part of 2020 that has been a major help for me has been the online support community of writers. For me in particular, the weekly SFWA co-writing sessions organized as part of the on-going Nebula Conference content has been a godsend, adding that extra dose of group structure and accountability to keep me creative and consistent over the past months. If you’re interested, I highly recommend you consider signing up here!

Virtual Conventions Are Your New Best Friend 

2020 hasn’t just made traditional book launches, signings, and convention appearances impossible. They’ve also opened up a whole slew of new opportunities in the thriving virtual convention scene.

Having been on programming for quite a few of these events now, from virtual-specific events like WriteHive, SaSCon, and Flights of Foundry, up to the virtual 2020 edition of major annual conventions like the Nebula Conference, the Aurora Awards held at Calgary-based When Words Collide this year, and the ConZealand WorldCon, I can bear witness to how positive the experience has been and how important these virtual events are—and, in my mind, will continue to be in upcoming years—for authors. 

Obviously, these virtual conventions are always going to compared to their traditional, on-site counterparts, especially for big events like the Nebulas or WorldCon. And while I naturally understand that the physical on-site experience is an important and deep-rooted part of many people’s lives, the virtual conventions have many advantages that should not be overlooked in the spirit of “getting everything back to normal after 2020”—if that even makes any sense, and is possible.

Beyond the obvious pandemic-related benefits of the virtual conventions (convention flu has always been a thing, and convention COVID will be even more so, even in the best of cases for 2021 and onwards), there are other, very real benefits:

• Accessibility, in particular for people facing reduced mobility challenges or medical and restrictions on travel;

• Inclusion of authors, readers, and industry professionals from all over the world, without restrictions linked to geographical isolation or financial challenges;

• Personal safety and at least some level of protection against the sexual harassment which has been an endemic part of the convention scene and culture for decades, particularly during barcons;

• Virtual convention events are usually all replayable and more easily accessible over a longer time to a wider variety of folks, even those who could not attend live.

Plus, you get to goof around with Zoom virtual backgrounds and green-screening objects into space! I’m particularly fond of my swirly book launch birthday space-top hat.

My stance in the discussions around maintaining the virtual side of things moving into 2021 and onward has been that thinking of on-site events and virtual events as rivals are probably the wrong way to go about it. They are two very different beasts, with their own strengths and flaws, and we should probably think of virtual writing conventions as their own growing, specific type of event that needs to keep growing to its full potential regardless of what happens with COVID and on-site conventions in the years to come. 

In any case, as authors, we have never had such a wide variety of opportunities available to us to get us and our work in front of readers. Not every appearance will lead to new sales, and not every event will fill up like you’d hoped it would, but it would be a mistake not to take part in the good things that have come out of 2020 in the writing community. After all, we don’t get to choose whether or not to take part in the bad side of things.

And last but not least, don’t forget self-care and laughter! Remember, we’re writers. We get to binge-watch whatever we want and write it down as narrative research! So keep calm, and write on.

If you enjoyed this piece, please follow J.R.H. Lawless on Twitter @SpaceLawyerSF.

What this Spoonie Learned During Quarantine and How it Can Help YOU Write by Winter Krane (@WinterKrane)

When I meet new people, I get asked one inevitable question:

"How do you find time to write with five kids?"

I'll tell you right now—This is small talk. They aren't actually asking, just like "Nice weather, huh?" doesn't require anyone's opinion. 

This means my answer can be equally simple. 

"I make it a priority." Bam! We're done here—next topic.

But WRITERS, they want to know. This 2020 quarantine had even me asking that same question. 

...Only this time, the answer was:

I can't.

Why I couldn't write

*If you want to know why I couldn't write, read on.

In a hurry? Skip ahead to: "Winter Krane's Writing Plan for When You're Not Writing."

I first heard about COVID-19 when I was sick in bed. 

Sick days are a relief. My body has something to fight that isn't me, and I'm dealing with symptoms that are—mercifully—easy to explain. 

I have an undiagnosed autoimmune disorder that started showing up around the time I was ten, getting worse with age. On my worst days, all my joints lock up, taking my mobility, and leaving me helpless until fatigue takes over, knocking me out.

TRDL: I'm a Spoonie. 

Now before I go on, please know I'm okay. I have doctors and an amazingly supportive husband who battles this with me. He brings me my medications, goes to my appointments, holds my hand. He's my alpha reader, my cheerleader, my encourager. We also have five kids that we homeschool. Lucky for me, they take after Daddy—always checking in, making dinner when I can't—telling me to rest.

If I had one complaint about my situation, it would be that my husband works—a lot. 56-hour work weeks aren't uncommon. That makes it harder for me to find time to write but—to put it simply—the kids and I miss him.

So! There I was, sick in bed when I heard about COVID-19. Let me be clear—I'm broken-hearted over what the world was going through, BUT selfishly I had reason to be excited. I imagined family time—my husband home with us. I could already see prolonged bedtime stories with my kids as we all huddled up in blanket forts. Or two parents helping with school, that would mean work done in half the time!

And for me, that would mean time to write.

Oh, summer-child. 

How 

 wrong 

     I 

was. 

Somehow my imagination glossed over the fact that my husband is an essential worker. And he was working with people who were assumed to have the ‘Rona. He started sleeping in a different side of the house not to expose us, showering as soon as he got home. Good morning kisses were replaced with more overtime. 

Fantastic. 

There I was—in the middle of quarantine with five kids—antsy kids who couldn’t see their friends, go to the park or beach, and we all missed dad. 

I still tried to write, but my computer’s appearance was the pavlovian signal for disaster. Then somewhere between picking gum from my daughters' hair and re-climbing Mt. Laundry-more, I'd get a ping on my phone. What else could it be—but a notification on Twitter from someone's mawkish tweet about how "You’re only a writer if you write." (Queue inward screaming).

And then my health took another turn. Over half my teeth became loose. No cavity, no visible problem with my gums. Just teeth planning an escape route to the tooth fairy. There I was, chewing carefully as a cow because—everything hurt—and all I wanted for Christmas was my two front teeth. This made me popular with a whole new set of doctors. But hey—even if my teeth don’t want to stick around—new friends! 

Social secret: My unknown autoimmune disorder is my wingman—getting me all the phone numbers...of doctors I need to call...but still! Digits!

Any time I had left over was divided between homeschool, appointments, sleeping or—more importantly—being Mom.

At first, I cried. I was facing an amputation from creativity. But self-pity is a dangerous horse to ride, especially as a Spoonie. Not only does depression take away spoons, but it likes to get comfortable and stay longer then you invited it.

And so—it was time to write—without writing.

—I present to you—

Winter Krane's Writing Plan
for When You're Not Writing
In seven easy steps!

Step One: Accept that you're still a writer when you're not writing. 

That’s NOT an inspirational tactic- it's crucial. 

Most people would disagree with step one’s statement because they confuse "can't write" with "won't." The reason they do that is “won’t” often is the real problem. It feels like everyone I talk to wants to write a book “someday.” 

I’m not talking to someday writers. I’m talking to writers who are in a season of their life that won’t let them write. This kind of “you just won’t” mindset ignores those struggling with loss, depression, health—the people who would write if they could. 

So! If you know you want to write, but it’s not possible right now, then you’re still a writer—words on the page don't dictate you. 

—Still think that’s bogus? I know—I sound like I’m promoting Professor Hill’s “Think System,” but look at ANY other creative craft, and you'll see what I mean. For example, an opera singer is still an opera singer when they're not on stage, AND THEY KNOW IT. They treat their voice with care like hydration, constant temperature for their vocal cords, practicing scales. Their voice is their instrument. You, my dear writer, are your own creative instrument—the words that you write are the performance.

Step Two: Be mindful.

Ever read a tweens poem about love? They’re painfully generic because they’re at a stage in life where they haven’t truly experienced romance. 

If life is getting in the way of your writing, then you—my writer friend—you’ve hit the jackpot. It means you’re in the middle of REAL-LIFE EXPERIENCE—this is the stuff novels are made of. Don’t tell me your life is boring. Boring things are beautiful when someone captures them in words. And no: “I write about X, so it won’t help.” Even if you’re writing holographic unicorns in Candyland, all writing relates to life—and right now, you’re smack dab in the middle of it. Pay attention. Keep mental notes on what you see, smell, feel, think, and taste. Hold on to that, because each experience makes up your voice. 

Step Three: Force new experiences.

When you run out of things to pay attention to, it’s time to make new things happen. I don’t know what you’ve done in your life, or how many years you’ve lived, but new experiences are everywhere. You’ll never know what will help you in your writing later. It can be as simple as picking up one food you haven’t tried when you go shopping to waxing your armpits. MAKE yourself think of possibilities. 

What did I do? I shaved my head. 

...I had no idea that my skull’s five o’clock-shadow would feel so prickly when I slept. 

Step Four: Write with your mind.

Okay—now that you’re mindful and worn out on all the new things—you can’t take it anymore. I understand. Life can be too real. You need to escape. How about an imagination vacation?

I don’t think writers use their imagination enough. We all accept that our minds create books, but when was the last time you played pretend? Judge me if you want, but I write all day, every day in my head and I’ve been doing it since childhood. When I was a kid doing dishes, I pretended I was Cinderella washing up after my stepsisters. As an adult, I’m envisioning chapter play-by-plays as I stir soup over the stove. When I CAN write, I type them up, but for now, I just start over, repeating the story in my mind. Sometimes I imagine it in a whole new way. Sometimes I’m repeating everything to be sure I don’t forget.  

Are you a plotter/outliner? Go over your outline, expanding where you can. Are you a pantser/discovery writer? Imagine your characters, have fun figuring out who they’ll be. Have aphantasia? Speak your story! Bonus points if you record yourself because you could use text to speech and have actual words on a page to work with later!

Remember in step one we established that words on the page don’t define you? Now’s your chance to be a writer without words, even if you don’t get any books written down, you’re exercising your mind, teaching it to think in story. 

Step Five: Add OTHER PEOPLE’S CREATIVITY to YOUR WELL. 

One of my favorite writing songs is “Mof the Story” by Watsky. I recommend you check it out...if you don’t mind foul language. The best line in the song?

“If I need to—I’ll go through you—and absorb your ******* powers.”

Writers luck out. We can digest the work of our peers and those who came before us by opening a book. I can’t write before I fall asleep, it wakes up my brain, but I can read. You can’t read right now? I get it but...

If I can’t read, I can listen to audiobooks. 

If I can’t dedicate myself to all those hours, I can watch a movie.

If I can’t watch a movie, I can change the background noise by letting writing classes and book breakdowns play on YouTube, listening repeatedly, picking up random parts. 

—Off the cuff, I’d recommend: 

Brandon Sanderson’s lectures on writing

A series of college lectures about Science Fiction and fantasy writing that are so in depth I’d recommend them to most fiction authors- no matter their genre. 

Film Courage

Interviews with Screen writers—talking about the craft. These have a plethora of in-depth, eyeopening information on craft.  

Mynamesismarines

Marines is a booktuber—a person who talks about books they’ve read, reviewing them on YouTube. There are so many people that do this all with different tastes and thoughts, keeping us writers connected with readers and keeping up with books we might want to enjoy or avoid. *Warning- watching booktubers may make you drool over all the books you discover you NEED in your collection. 

Vivien Reis

A young adult fantasy writer who posts “Writerly” videos for writers. 

The Write Channel with Nicola Monaghan

This is a smorgasbord of creative writing videos, from top tips with famous writers to vlog chats with Nicola herself on her process. I’ve linked her video that starts off with my favorite Neil Gaiman clips. 

Kate Cavanaugh

Kate has an amazing series where she follows writing routines from other authors and tries them out for a day. She often has me laughing. 

This is in no way an exhaustive list of people I watch, let alone people who upload writer content. Feel free to add your favorites in the comments, not only of other writers, but for me! I’d love to hear suggestions! 

Step Six: Do something that reminds you you're a writer.

The first time I couldn’t write, far before COVID-19, I got a cheap box dye and made my hair red. Why? Because it reminded me of my favorite fictional writer, Anne Sherly. (Did you really expect an answer that made sense from me?) Every time I looked in the mirror, I saw myself and a little bit of Anne. 

As silly as it was, this kept me hyped for the times I’d get to write later.

I don’t know what this means for you. Maybe you need to get yourself a pretty journal to fill when you get a chance. Perhaps doodle “I’m a writer” on post-it-notes and stick them on your fridge. Or maybe it’s as small as hanging your favorite writing cardigan next to your chair. 

This can be the equivalent of dressing for work even when you don’t have a job. You’re letting yourself know you have plans when you’re out of this slump. 

Step seven: Reach out.

I remember a post I found from a writer who was struggling. He was a new father, and his wife was going through a serious health scare. In between his job, caring for his wife and his newborn, all his free time was used for sleep. In an open post he asked other writers how they write through times like this. The majority answer was—we don’t.

But you know what—after getting confirmation that there are times life kicks you away from your desk—he wasn’t alone.

Whatever you’re going through, it’s okay to talk about it.

That concludes my list. I do have one more thing to say—but it’s dangerous. You must keep trying to write. Sometimes the act of trying when you can’t will cause a spiral of depression. But this isn’t something to beat yourself up over. Making attempts is far more important than success. I repeat: DON’T BE HARD ON YOURSELF—not yet—save that part for editing.

Because you will write again.

*All artwork used throughout this piece was created by the writer.

If you enjoyed this piece, please follow Winter Krane on Twitter @WinterKrane. 

From Friends to Words: Things Found in a Pandemic by Alexa Rose (@roserhigo)

As an extrovert with 30-some years of experience being an introvert, remaining apart from the world during a time of global crisis should be easy. I can keep myself busy with writing and editing, video games and movies, cooking and baking. But this time of pandemic and stay-at-home orders is different. I’m not staying home because of PTSD or undiagnosed gender dysphoria. Rather, I am home because I am medically vulnerable, and going into public means risking my health.

Thankfully, I am adaptable. That has been a strength throughout my life. Whether I was in the military, moving from state to state, or coming out as trans, I have adapted. So, here’s a look at the things adaptation has taught me during this pandemic.

The Importance of Friends

For a year, my Twitter friends were mostly met through the lens of likes, comments, and the occasional DM. And then, as social spheres shrank and the threat of going outside increased, the need to connect became pervasive. By means all their own, numbers were exchanged, and texts, iMessages, and phone calls became a thing among wonderful people I’m so happy to call my friends. In an world where six feet might as well be a mile, a phone call has renewed importance. It is socializing, and I love it.

What do we talk about? Work, sometimes. Video games, here and there. Hardships, feelings, passions, and goals come up often. We laugh a lot. There have been tears. But now these are shared experiences unfiltered through a screen and without the best guesses of autocorrect.

Where once I was content to return home, lock the door, and sequester myself behind the autoplay drone of Netflix or the colorful chaos of a video game (I’m looking at you, Final Fantasy 14), I now look forward to these texts and calls with friends.

And there are local friends, too. I see them from time to time in town, but we mostly stay connected through social media, texts, and emails. Frankly, it’s good to know new and old friendships can endure this extended period of limited contact.

Skills I Had Thought Lost

Through my friends’ encouragements, I have rekindled lost passions. After being listless and disinterested for so long, I nearly forgot the joys I had once done for a living. Years of depression had told me I was not good enough, but now, friends tell me that voice was a liar.

I’d spent three months learning 24 college credits’ worth of public affairs material in 2009, and I’d worked in public affairs until 2012. From then to 2020, those skills had gone unused. But I love working in public relations and marketing. So I was thrilled when I was asked to do contract work managing two brands and helping to build a third. I know I have a knack for talking with people. My design sensibilities usually hit the right notes. And I love writing, so drafting site or ad content is always a pleasure. But I especially love that, after a day of design and toil, I have a unique creation to give to my partners, friends, or clients. 

I also found my lost love of short fiction. I wrote my first short story in 1998. Oh, how flat the characters and ham-fisted the narratives, but some moments stuck with me. Back then, I’d written about a woman who was an agent for a shadowy intel organization. She was commanding, unfettered, and a complete and total anti-hero. I’d go on to write intermittent short stories through seven years of university studies and six years in the military. And then I turned my focus to narrative fiction in novels. I enjoy what I wrote during that time, but none of it has stuck with me. The short stories I wrote this year were my first since I’d graduated college in 2012, and I think they turned out well.  I submitted all three for publication. One was accepted, and I’m confident the other two will find homes.

Writing Reflections of Today

The stories I write now are fundamentally different from those I wrote two years ago. In that time, I have transitioned, been through other life changes, and watched as this pandemic has swept across the globe. My stories have more edge to them. They are darker, but there is also a steady pulse of hope flowing through their lines. 

Pre-pandemic, I wrote a fantasy/lite-romance manuscript. It took me eight months to world-build, write, and revise, and as I write this, I am awaiting a beta reader’s feedback. The story had conflict, friendship, and love. It was part of my transition, and it will forever be special to me.

Now, I am world-building a cyberpunk story. It is dark and oppressive by design. Set a hundred years in the future, I envision a corporate dystopia that builds from where we are today. Pandemics are part of this tech-ruled world. Social distancing is commonplace due to global access to wireless and satellite internet. There is a recurring theme of isolation.

The last short story I wrote was set in 2020, and it discussed the pandemic. My characters had found ways to remain happy despite the threat of infection. Like me, they were isolated, found joy in limited company, and embraced their work and hobbies. They were mirrors of my identity, and they helped me understand how I was coping with these changes to society and life.

Identity in a Pandemic

I had worried this continued isolation would wreak havoc on my mental health. However, the inverse happened. I am happier now than I have been in years. 

While the pandemic is certainly a crisis, it sits on one side of the scale. The other side holds my transition, my writings, and my growing list of friends. I talk and text with wonderful people every day. We support one another, and we make each day about something other than the pandemic or social issues. We don’t discuss politics. We do find reasons to laugh.

My identity has rallied around these friendships. It has been bolstered by my writing. And it is wholly wrapped up in my transition. Despite the divisions that keep people apart today, I am happy to be a friend to so many wonderful people. I am delighted to be a writer. And I am forever overjoyed to be me.

If you enjoyed this piece, please follow Alexa Rose on Twitter @RoseRhigo. 

Making the Best of COVID: Re-Evaluating My Habits by Renée Gendron (@ReneeGendron)

My brain broke during the second month of self-isolation. There was a tipping point between a grey and miserable spring, the heightened societal anxiety about COVID, and me trying to complete a first draft of a novel that was a struggle. I went from writing 3,000 semi-decent, unpolished, words in an evening to 500 garbled words. 

I’m a big picture thinker. I like systems, processes, and patterns. It’s one of the reasons I write ridiculously long series—they have long arcs, nuance, and complexity. 

When you look at systems, they atrophy. They are built up (think of a new car), they hit peak performance (within the first two years of the car’s life), and then they start to decay (need maintenance until they are no longer repairable). 

During COVID I learned that principal applies to thoughts, as well. How I was approaching writing prior to COVID had run its course. My performance peaked and then declined. 

COVID gave me time to rethink. Prior to COVID, I viewed myself as a fantasy romance and historical romance writer. I never touched contemporary because I write stiff dialogue. 

I switched genres. I gave it a shot. I was surprised at how well the words flowed. If I say a small Canadian town in 2020, you have at least a vague idea of what that means even if you’ve never been to one. 

If I say, the Chaslise of Aliepi is needed for the Ritual of the Third Moon, well, that requires world building. A few sentences here, a few sentences there and pretty soon I’m in the long grass of world building and info-dumps. Then I need to go back and hack that down to two lines. Not having to world build allows for a completely different thought process. Without having to do that much front-end editing, the words flowed better.

Don’t get me wrong. I love writing fantasy romance, historical romance and alternative history romance. And when I grow up, I will publish books in those genres. 

By switching genres, I changed what I had to think about to get the words on the screen. That simple change unblocked me. I was back up to my pace of one complete (but better draft) in one month’s time. 

Routines are patterns that work well until they don’t. Like everything else, they atrophy and no longer suit their purpose. 

I changed the routine of my local writer’s club. For almost 10 years, we’ve met once a month to discuss a 10-page contribution of a member. We’ve done a few social things together, but our purpose remains focused on the writing. 

Well, during self-isolation, we started having a social meeting through an online chat program two weeks after our “writing meeting”. It’s expanded our relationships, we laughed when there wasn’t much to laugh about in the world, and we’ve continued with the online “writing” and “social” sessions. 

I’ve re-evaluated other patterns in my life. I’ve extended by one hour how long I sleep. Most of the time I sleep the entire hour. Sometimes I wake up one half hour before the alarm goes off, but those extra thirty minutes were something my body needed. And I didn’t know it needed it. The extra sleep has had tremendous benefits on my concentration and overall energy levels. 

I experimented with my schedule. This spring was particularly cold and grey and made exercise in the morning difficult. I switched to doing some in the afternoons and that gave me a boost to see me through the rest of the evening. With the summer, I changed my schedule again, to take advantage of the sunlight and exercised in the morning.

There were a bunch of small things I did that sapped my time and mental strength. I switched when I did laundry so it flowed better with my day. I found simple recipes I can make so I’m not always eating tuna from a can or salami. By simple recipes I mean frying peeled shrimp, buying pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and eating with it kale, and no-bake baking. It’s a bit of variety, enough to make each day different. 

What did I learn because of COVID? I re-learned the importance of re-evaluating my routines and habits to ensure they were working for me. 

COVID or not, I refuse to rot. 

You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength. —Marcus Aurelius

If you enjoyed this piece, please follow Renée Gendron on Twitter @ReneeGendron. ‬