November 16, 2020
Has the pandemic affected your writing? If so, how? Have your writing habits changed in reaction to the ‘different’ world we are faced with?
I started working from home way long ago (back in March, but it seems like forever). My first thought was it would be ‘interesting,’ but was happy to think of all the extra time I’d get to write because I didn’t have to travel back and forth to work. All I had to do was walk downstairs to my computer.
At first, it was true. Sure, I missed the face-to face-interactions with my coworkers, but we got our work done, despite all the extra things thrown our way. What I didn’t count on was the pandemic lasting this long.
But here we are, nine months later, with things getting worse and no end in sight. Although I’m still writing, I’m finding myself become more reflective about the words I’m putting on paper. That might be because I’m working on the last book in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries and I want to make it the best of the series. Or maybe because I don’t foresee having the opportunity to participate in book signings, so I’m not in a rush to meet a deadline.
And I’ve given myself the month of November to ‘play.’ If you’ve never heard of it, November is NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. The idea is to try to write 50,00 words in one month. It’s tougher than you might think, especially for someone with a full-time job. I’m writing a story from Jake’s point of view (Jake in the anti-hero in the Harmony Duprie Mysteries) and he’s full of surprises. I don’t foresee there being a market for the story, but I’m writing it anyway.
The biggest difference I see in myself is that I’m finding it harder to keep my focus, in my writing, in my work, and in my personal life. And I miss interacting with potential readers at events. I should have been in Estes Park last weekend, at the Deadly Realities book show. And next weekend, I should have been at the Steampunk event in Loveland. Hey y’all, how are you?
What does all this mean for me when we get to the other side of this crisis? I don’t know. I hate making predictions. No promises, but I should have a new book ready for you.
And because I’m having fun with it, here’s a totally unedited snippet from Jake’s story, with an early interaction between him and Harmony. Please excuse any and all typos and mistakes.
“Can I at least get a goodnight kiss?”
He hoped she’d step off that final stair so they’d be on solid ground, but she stayed where she was. Instead, she took his face between her hands and stared into his eyes. At the moment when he couldn’t take it anymore and was ready to pull her into his arms, she brought her mouth down to meet his. It was a soft kiss, lips only, but it set his senses on fire. Her flowery scent enveloped him, the softness of her hands soothed him, the sweetness of her lips made him hungry for more. He wasn’t ready for the moment when she pulled away.
“Good night, Jake,” she said as she turned and ran up the stairs.
Any other woman he would have followed, but not her, Jake thought, as he swirled his bottom-shelf whiskey in the chipped glass.
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November 16, 2020
Has the pandemic affected your writing? If so, how? Have your writing habits changed in reaction to the ‘different’ world we are faced with?
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I’d find it too stressful trying to write a novel in just one month. I don’t really have the time or the inclination to do that, but well done if you can manage it!
I started with the expectation I wouldn’t make the goal of 50,000 words, but I’m enjoying myself. More so because I’m not writing it with the intention of selling it so I’m free to do more exploration.
We can be pleasantly surprised if we don’t expect anything.
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Will do!
I’m going to send you the POV bible. But first I am not going to let you do this to your work. Let the scene roll and get out of the way. Let us feel for him
“Can I at least get a goodnight kiss?”
She stayed on the stair, took his face between her hands and stared into his eyes. When he couldn’t take it anymore and was ready to pull her into his arms, she brought her mouth down to meet his. It was a soft kiss, lips only, but it set his senses on fire. Her flowery scent enveloped him, the softness of her hands soothed him, the sweetness of her lips made him hungry for more. He wasn’t ready when she pulled away.
“Good night, Jake,” she said as she turned and ran up the stairs.
Any other woman he would have followed. He swirled his bottom-shelf whiskey in the chipped glass, lingered in her essence. Any other woman…
Thought, wanted, felt… (for the moment) just tell it and let it be.
Good luck with NANO! I did that once, keept shooting myself in the foot. Some thing you need to outline and I hate that. But…
Yeah Covid –
I have people yell at me for not using he/she thought when I think it’s evident who is doing the thinking. 🙂 But you are right. This scene is better without it.
I’m gonna keep busting you to let your stories speak for themselves. There are times to feel through your characters, but anyone who suggests you add them needs to be shot. No professional editor I’ve ever known has done anything but redline that stuff and told me there was a better way with action. I used ‘felt’ one time about temperature and was told ‘she doesn’t feel cold, she is cold. Write me a shivering in her boots line and you get the hell out of the way.” There’s always a rewrite waiting for overstepping authorial 3rd p omni boundaries. Or so I’ve been told.
that works for me!
It is nice to have this small glimpse into your life, Patricia. I really enjoy learning more about people. There are very few useful author events in South Africa as books is not something people spend much money on here, so that hasn’t really changed for me. My marketing is largely on line. I am not surprised this pandemic is going on for months, that did seem logical to me at the beginning, given how previous world pandemics have panned out. The psychological impact on people is horrible and sad. It does feel as if people are descending into mild depression and inactivity. I just hang on to the thought that everything ends, eventually.