Writing and Stay-at-Home Effect

How has the corona virus and stay-at-home or shelter-at-home affected your writing and maybe your life?

I’ve done the two weeks of self-isolation and then rolled over into stay-at-home. I’ve been doing stay-at-home for just over two weeks now, except for that brief visit to the hospital. Sometimes the day feels almost surreal. I get up and it’s like I meditate, do a few exercises, email, write – repeat.  Same as the day before.

I’m home all day. I should be pushing out the words and getting a book written. Instead I stare at the computer, do a little research, finally put some words on the page, stare at the page some more.  I feel brain dead. No inspiration. Okay, I’m going to write 500 words a day. Hopefully some of them make sense. But first I need to get something to eat. And maybe find a recipe I can make for dinner.

Okay, back to work. I get 300 words down on the page. My character feels wooden. Not sure how the plot is working. Maybe I’ll email a couple of people and see how they’re doing. I should check on dinner. After dinner I pound out another 100 words. I should watch the news and see how the corona virus is doing both in my area and world-wide. It looks like maybe it’s leveling off, but we’re going to be here for awhile. I figure at least another month. If I can get my act and mind together maybe I can finish a rough draft of my book in that time. Back to the keyboard and another 100 words. Done.

Okay, I got 500 words down. I’m not going to reread them tonight. Too depressing.  Maybe I’ll read a book for awhile. 

Tomorrow – repeat.

That’s a day in my stay-at-home. I grocery shop once a week or less, wear my mask and use disinfectant when I unpack my groceries. I find not having the freedom to go where, when I want and to talk to friends difficult. Phone calls aren’t the same as sitting with a friend. And it affects my writing. I’m not excited about writing. But I’ll keep writing and maybe I can finish a rough draft and when we’re allowed to go out a little more, I can revise, my mind will work better and I can turn it into a decent story.  

I’d love to hear how your days go and how it’s affecting your writing.