Getting back into writing during a pandemic

I have had some serious brain fog recently when it comes to writing – like a severe mental block. I know what to do to get out of it, but as of yet, have not had the motivation to do anything about it. Well, I mean apart from now – which is the first step. I’m not going to say I’m an expert, or even particularly skilled at writing, but I am trying desperately to kick start my brain again, which has switched to zombie-mode in the middle of a pandemic.

I’m seeing plenty of creative people all around me sharing multiple forms of content across multiple mediums and all I can think is ‘I haven’t even read a book in at least six months.’ Not that I think it’s particularly helpful to compare yourself to others, but honestly, I thought that I would thrive creatively in the hermit lifestyle. Instead, I find myself reduced to watching the blandest content possible on Netflix and staring at my phone, thinking about what I should be doing, covered in dust from crackers. I also understand that we should not be overly concerned with our productivity during a pandemic – but c’mon now – it’s been nearly a year and I’ve only written one new blog post and honestly, it was like a long wet fart.

So here’s the process that I generally follow to get the juices flowing again with the auld writing business. Potentially this is useful for me to share with others, but at the very least, in the most selfish way, help myself get going again.

So here in no particular order is a list of things that I do to get it back into it.

1. Buy Stephen King’s book ‘On Writing’, regardless of how you feel about him as an author. I am currently repurchasing it as we speak. This book was a huge influence on me when I started trying to write and contains lots of useful tips on how things like editing, how to tell if your stories are actually good and persevering.

2. Start reading again. Personally, at the moment because my brain is full of farts, I am trying to read short stories instead. This is also because I aim to write more short stories – whether I do that or not, in the end, is highly debatable. Instead of turning on a boxset of shite that you will end up undoubtedly napping over the course of, take some inspiration from some fiction, articles or comics, and even if you have to force yourself to do it mostly (if not every day).

3. Make a writing playlist with instrumental music (lyrics can be distracting, for me anyway) to motivate while you write. Don’t take too long on this or use it to procrastinate you sneaky bastard – I know what you’re like.

4. Make a clean workspace that, if possible, is separate from where you sleep. Even if you can see your bed, you’ll probably try crawl over with the excuse of ‘just one minute’ so at least have your back to the area. Also, again, do not procrastinate by cleaning for ages.

5. Set aside a specific time for doing all the crap you don’t want to have to do which includes going to the post office or supermarket, washing, dishes, going for a walk and showering. Starting the day and getting that out of the way boosts your motivational levels and your sense of accomplishment, making it easier for you to free up your mind for writing.

6. Even if what you are writing isn’t good nobody can see it so use each as an opportunity for crafting words, learning expression and improving your vocabulary. I have been writing for years, but always feel that my voice needs to develop. Give yourself a time limit or word count every day, and other than for grammatical issues, do not review the content until a later date. Sometimes, I share this writing, however, even if I’m not super proud of it – like this – to motivate myself to do better.

7. Research some exercises online to get your brain working from different angles – I will post some exercises in the coming weeks that have been useful for me.

8. Step away from the TV and laptop. Read, talk to people, go for walks, listen to music, start crafting. Do anything to stimulate yourself and get ideas flowing. It is harder to come up with ideas when you aren't as sociable and relaxing your mind can allow ideas through.

Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed - just keep at it - it is a pandemic after all.