Having trouble writing? You’re not alone
by Shirley Holder Platt
Many authors are struggling to write lately, me included, even though I’ve always been a prolific writer. I began writing my first book in June of 2017. I now have nine published books, another written and in the final editing stage, and one more that is two-thirds of the way finished.
But COVID-19 has stopped me cold. I have a friend in the hospital with it. I have relatives working in hospitals coming into contact with others who have it. I hear horrific death counts, and I simply can’t write.
What can I do? What can any of us do? Instead of forcing myself to write when my mind is so taken up with overwhelming events, I am using this time to ‘fill my creative well,’ as Julia Cameron calls it in her book, The Artist’s Way.
How are you doing during this time? If you are having trouble putting pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, you are not alone.
What does that mean? It means I am seeking beauty and kindness in this world, staying in contact with loved ones, doing what I can for those less fortunate than me, reading books by authors who write in my genre, watching television series that are similar to my genre of books, and taking in as much of the outdoors and nature as the weather will allow.
All these things will mingle and stew in my brain. I trust that this unsettling time will finally become manageable across the globe. And when it does, the well in my brain will brim over with ideas for new stories, because I am taking time to fill it now.
How are you doing during this time? If you are having trouble putting pen to paper—or fingers to keyboard—you are not alone. Don’t fret or be unkind to yourself. This suspension of everyday life is a first in the world. It is all right to stop, smell your roses, and find things to feed your soul—and that is preferable over self-recrimination or excessive worry in my book, any day.
Shirley Holder Platt is the author of twelve romance, one chick lit, and one romantic mystery novel. She has one crime/comedy novel, Mama Needs New Shoes, that won the October 2018 Most Buzz Award. Several of her now-published novels appeared first on ChapterBuzz.