The coronavirus pandemic has made almost everyone worldwide suddenly slow down. Many people feel like their life has come to a halt, especially those that lost their jobs or are furloughed for the time being. While the devastation can be felt just about anywhere you go, this is a great time to embrace your passions and pursue other dreams you’d otherwise be too busy to consider.
Writing is one such passion. In fact, now is the best time to pursue this passion because you probably have so much time on your hands. You have more time to be creative, do research, and truly create the stories that up until this time, you’ve kept in your head. Today it’s easier than ever to sell stories by self-publishing, so why not get started?
Just how do you get started during this pandemic? Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Choose a genre. What’s on your mind right now that you are most passionate about? This will help you choose a genre. You want to choose an area that you are passionate. Remember, writing during this time should help ease your mind, giving you somewhere else to ‘go’ while we wait to go back to normal life.
- Do some research. Researching in this respect means getting inspiration. Are there authors you already admire? Check out some of their work to get yourself going. This isn’t copying – instead, it’s giving you inspiration or areas to think about for your own story. As you research, take notes or jot down ideas that pop in your head. Remember, this story should be something everyone wants to buy.
- Set a routine. If there’s one thing many of us are missing during the pandemic is a routine. Don’t just leave your writing to ‘when you feel like it.’ You may never feel like it if you leave it to chance. Instead, set a routine. When are you most creative? Use those hours to do your writing and let the ideas flow.
- Talk about your writing. Social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t talk to others, especially online. Share your ideas, struggles, and triumphs with other writers. Get motivation from one another and even bounce ideas off each other. The best ideas often come from the most obscure places and at the most inopportune times.
- Write short stories or blogs. If you’re looking for more immediate income or results, consider writing short stories or blogs to help give others something to do during this time. You can share creative stories that are uplifting and inspirational during this time that everyone is searching for ways to feel better.
- Work with an editor. Whether you write a book, short story, or blogs, make sure you work with a top-quality editor. You need someone looking over your shoulder and giving you feedback. You have the ideas and the craft to write, but an editor has the skill and the ‘distance’ from the work to nitpick the work, making it even more amazing.
- Play with different ideas. Honestly, this is a time to pursue all of your passions. Maybe you had an inkling to be a mystery writer but upon getting started, it’s just not panning out. Go ahead and try another genre or style. Play with styles you never even thought you would choose. You may find you have skills you didn’t even know you had until you tried.
The most important thing you can do during the pandemic is be creative. It’s an outlet for your mind, body, and soul. You probably don’t realize how much you need it until you start. We are all so programmed to be ‘busy’ and put our passions on the back burner, but now’s the time to make those passions a reality for yourself.
If you’ve always dreamt of writing a story or book, now is the time. You never know when you’ll have as much time as this on your hands again. Take advantage of the ‘downtime’ and show the world your amazing skills. Turning your ideas into a book or story can help you make money, turning a ‘bad’
situation into something better, by creating a new avenue of income for yourself.