How to write when fact is stranger than fiction.
I’ve seen chatter on the writers’ forums that some people want to embrace the times by writing about a pandemic or some kind of worldwide catastrophe. Not me. I prefer escapism, and my preference has made writing my regularly planned blog post here a little tricky. Luckily for me, the publishing industry seems to be shying away from purchasing new dystopian fiction, at least that is according to Publishers Weekly. I guess that is evidence that others agree with me that we are facing quite enough apocalyptic news these days, thank you very much!
The original plan was to use this space to plan my non-fiction book idea about lawyer career dissatisfaction and law school myths. I have been planning this idea since about the middle of my first year of law school. See my previous post. But the threat of millions of deaths and global recession has made this idea seem much less important and useful. About as useful as a fish with a bicycle.
SO, instead of trying to be serious and getting down to business, I’ve decided to dive into the distractions. For me, this means reading the books accumulating on my nightstand, catching up on my streaming backlog (YES to Season 2 of Dead To Me!!), and plugging away on my fiction WIP–which is a middle grade fantasy about elves and a magic tree. I’ll keep you posted on that.
Despite all this extra time I have on my hands lately, I seem to be having quite a lot of trouble focusing on my personal fiction. If anyone is similarly having trouble with focus or energy and wondering WTF that is all about, I have gathered a few helpful resources for you to peruse.
- Purpose And Productivity Aren’t The Same: Embracing A New Metric During A Pandemic, Rebecca Fraser-Thill, Forbes.com
- 10 Ways to Get Motivated During the Pandemic, Lynn Taylor, Psychology Today
- The Psychology of Why You Go Stir-Crazy, and How to Cope, Anna Medaris Miller, BusinessInsider.com
- 17 Totally Normal Things to Feel Right Now, According to Therapists, Anna Borges, Self.com
Right now, I’m focusing on feeding myself and my family, staying safe and at home, and just getting through this very unsettling time. I did make the kids a “digital learning” schedule, but it turned out to be rather far-fetched in practice. The first week or two went fairly well, and then my 9 year-old son figured out that he could get away with skipping multiple school assignments while the teacher was distracted setting up digital tools and I was trying to summarize various state stay-at-home orders for Littler.com–which is a fantastic resource for HR professionals and employment lawyers alike, by the way.
For today, it’s cold and dreary outside and I’m going to enjoy my flickering candle, my peaceful family, and the warm electronic glow of our individual screens. Wishing you all love, health, and safety in this time of madness.
