Welcome to the page that houses the 2020
#GBWRITESWITHOTHERS
guest blogging initiative! Established in April 2019, it was created to help boost writers at all levels in their careers through pure community effort.
Views and topics are those of their authors.
What I Learned From Quarantine Life Changed Me Forever by Mariana Serio (@mstranslations)
I’ll always remember the look of terror in everyone else’s eyes when they heard they’d be under strict lockdown. Working from home while dealing with the kids? Was that a sick joke or something?
My family and friends were all freaking out. But I’m an introverted translator. “The joke’s on you, Coronavirus. I can handle this,” I told myself. And I honestly thought nothing would change.
What I've Learned From My Quarantine Life by M. Dalto (@MDalto421)
The most ironic part of writing a blog post about writing during quarantine is that these words will be the most I’ve written in succession since our State of Emergency went into effect March 16, 2020.
But when Gillian asked me to contribute, who was I to say no to the opportunity to attempt to put my thoughts and feelings about how this pandemic has affected me not only emotionally but professionally. It was a blog post I had considered writing for myself when this was all said and done anyway, but since we don’t see an end in sight anytime soon and this opportunity arose, I suppose now is as good a time as any to lay it all out.
So here’s my real talk: I can’t write anymore.
Rediscovering Self Worth by Brenton Barnes (@brentonsquared)
The beginning of my quarantine was sudden. It started in the middle of March and nearly every day since has felt exactly the same. My day planners, to-do lists, photographs on my phone, and hours logged on Animal Crossing say otherwise, but as a people, we have collectively existed in a state of unknowing. With no idea when this pandemic will end, we’ve reached the point where the past five months feel more like an abridged year with compressed and confusing experiences throughout.
Somewhere in that time, something occurred that felt a long time coming: I became uncertain of my value and self-worth.
A Desk With Calke Green Legs by Jamie Thomas (@thatjamiethomas)
I used to write in coffee shops. I used to write in classrooms. I used to write in parks, in libraries, at wineries, and, once, on a bus.
Now, I write at a small desk in my bedroom.
One Thing by E. J. Dawson (@ejdawsonauthor)
If I learned anything from COVID it was worrying about everything leads to getting a whole lot of nothing done.
I spent four months unemployed which I judiciously used to write or do writing related things. But I wont lie and say there wasn’t a couple of weeks were I did nothing.
Embracing the Drift by Frank L Tybush V (@FLTV_Writes)
A quick glance at my bookshelf reveals all secrets. What secrets might these be? That I have an insatiable interest in the history of exploration and human endurance. Books about Everest, Arctic expeditions, archeological searches in harsh environments… they are my jam. I obsessively read survivors’ tales and pieced-together accounts of doomed journeys. I cannot get enough of what humans will do, because they can.
2020 Writer Roster: #GBWritesWithOthers
For the first time ever, I am going to publish the roster of writers via its own post! This year, our theme (also a first…there has never been a theme before!) is “What I Learned from #QuarantineLife.” I believe there is a lot to be gained from others during this unprecedented year, so this is my effort to collect and share the knowledge, build our community, and foster cerebral bonds through the art of expression.