COVID-19: Writing Resources & Community Efforts
In the face of the overwhelming uncertainty surrounding us due to the COVID-19 pandemic we have two options:
Bitch about having to stay at home and wash our hands.
Get creative and science the shit out of this.
Let’s save ourselves the trouble and skip straight to number two, shall we? Now is the time to create. Will it be hard to sit down and write? Yes. Will there be ample distractions? Absolutely. But finding time to slip away and sit alone in a room for an hour or two is nothing new for us, and we can’t let this uncertainty stifle our creativity.
Writers, readers, small presses, indie bookstores, we need to support one another. While we may be distancing from one another physically, it is not the time to grow mentally and emotionally distant. We need to stay present and active in the Writing Community on Twitter, our blogs, Paetron accounts, and so on.
Of course, it’s natural and understandable to be struggling with anxiety or depression during times such as this. So if you’re in need of a pick-me-up, inspiration, or productivity hacks, here are some initiatives and resources to check out.
Bad Shakespeare’s writing prompts. Bad Shakespeare is taking weekly writing prompts to the next level. Every week, he’ll be posting prompts and if you send him your work he will publish it on his blog. This week’s prompt is:
Everyone in the world gets superpowers except one person.
Write about that person.
You can contact Micahel and Hamlet via Facebook or Twitter.
Audible Stories. Since schools started closing, Audible has started streaming titles specifically for kids and teens in six languages. You can stream the stories on your desktop, laptop, phone, or tablet!
Readings By Writers. Writing By Writers has recently launched Readings By Writers to help authors who have had to cancel their book tours due to COVID-19. In an effort to continue to “build community and boost book sales,” they are hosting a weekly reading series on Thursdays at 8:00 pm EST.
Forest Chrome extension. News updates, social media, kids, pets, snacks, our homes are full of distractions. So how do we tune them out and deepen our focus? This week on Bantam Tools: Engineering from Home engineer Mohit Bhoite and designer Sophy Wong, who have extensive experience working remotely, offered tips for working from home. Both of them agree scheduling designated time blocks to work on specific projects has helped them optimize their productivity.
During these blocks, they silence their phones and put them away. However, most writing happens on a computer, where it’s even easier to go down the web’s infinite black hole. Fortunately, Google has an extension for that: Forest. With Forest you can build a “blacklist” of sites you know will make you lose focus. You can then set a timer for how long you want to work. The moment you start a tree is planted and starts to grow. The longer you stay in the groove the more time the tree has to grow. But if you access one of the sites on your blacklist the tree will die.
LitReactor classes and workshops. Now is the perfect time to learn something new and hone your craft. While there are a number of craft classes out there, LitReactor has a good mix of class topics that are led by a diverse group of writers and industry experts.
Order through Bookshop. Indie presses and bookstores are taking a hit due to COVID-19. As a result, ordering directly from your favorite small press or local bookstore is a great way to continue to support them. You can also order through places like Bookshop to order your next book haul. The site’s mission is to “create an easy, convenient way to get your books and still support local bookstores.”
