A healthy strategy for handling life in quarantine.
I am handling the restrictions of lockdown better than anticipated. This morning, I figured out why and thought it worth sharing.
When so much of the real world feels like it’s out of control, writing has become a blessed escape. Fiction is a world which I control- the characters, their actions, the outcomes- it’s all something I get to decide.
Maybe it’s something you want to try.
Some fun ideas are:
· journal entries- documenting your life in quarantine as a millionaire.
· write about your favorite vacation destination or a vacation you would like to take, but when you arrive you find you’re forced to share a room with a stranger or find a dead body.
· write a short story about things you would have done that got canceled by quarantine, but add an unexpected twist.
Not into making up stories:
· make a list of funny things your kids have done and said.
· write down all the things you love about your spouse or significant other.
Be funny. Be serious. Be sad. It doesn’t matter. The exercise isn’t about the work product, but about training your mind to find happiness when there’s so much sadness around you. If you’re really brave, feel free to share what you write. I know how hard that can be, but I would love to read it.
We’re all in this together. I figured since I have something that is helping me, even if it only helps one of you, it’s probably worth sharing. Stay safe. Stay home. Stay connected.
Pro tip: The thing about being a writer is you must, first and foremost, be an observer. In order to create realistic characters readers can identify with, places people feel like they’ve been to, and memorable story lines, you have to be able to constantly take note of the world around you. What does it smell like? Sound like? Taste like?