How to Write a Book in a Pandemic
Hint: ease off the pressure — we’re in a pandemic!
You might think that now is the time to write your long-awaited novel.
Makes sense. Many of us are skipping commutes and skipping happy hour, which means more time on our hands.
At the start of the pandemic, a mental montage coursed through my mind: I would sit at my desk for hours, penning page after page of epic storytelling, sipping coffee, and blasting Beethoven. Finally, I would be productive!
But that never happened.
I learned quickly that having more time doesn’t mean transforming into a magically productive writer overnight.
In my experience, writing during the pandemic has been similar to writing pre-pandemic. I’ll even say there are additional challenges.
I’m writing a book during the pandemic. Other writers — like you — may be too. I’m interested to hear how the pandemic has affected your practice, so please feel welcome to respond to this piece! As for me, here are a few concrete ways I have adapted my own writing routine to the pandemic environment.
1. Resist the urge to be unrealistically uber-productive.
The pressure to be extra-productive during the pandemic is real, as touched on by major news outlets here, here, and here.
I think this pressure gives us unrealistic expectations. A few extra hours in the day does not mean your goal of writing the next Great American Novel by next summer is realistic.
I’m not saying you should be lazy and not have goals. Just make sure your goals are actually doable.
Because while you may technically have more time now, your time will still be taken up by washing dishes, crying toddlers, health scares, laundry, day jobs, and every other normal-life-thing that hasn’t exited stage-right due to the pandemic.
Unrealistic expectations will only lead to disappointment.
2. Find a writing community.
Look, I was a big introvert even before the pandemic. I’m one of those weirdos who can go days without talking to another person and be okay about it.
But even the most isolationist of us need socializing, and writers — who are often associated with introversion — are no exception. Humans are social; it’s just what we are.
This year, I joined two new writing groups and have connected with more writers on an individual level. This is more writer-related socializing than I’ve ever done — and perhaps the pandemic has had a positive impact on me in this sense.
Writing communities — or even just a writing buddy — are amazing. Here are a few reasons why I think they are:
- They give you a space to bounce ideas off other smart people.
- You’ll build camaraderie with people in the same field, who have similar professional experiences and learning journeys. So, whether you need to vent or share a success, you’ll have friends who understand.
- Other people can keep you accountable. I find that once I tell someone of a goal out loud, I’m more inclined to stick to it.
- As practitioners of the same craft, we should work with each other, not against. It’s easy to feel competitive, but if we all give as much as take back, we all benefit and become stronger writers. This sentiment has been echoed by folks in my Medium Mastermind (shoutout to you guys!).
3. Have a timeline that goes beyond the pandemic (but also take the pandemic into account).
There have been several trendy pandemic projects this year, from baking bread to home improvement. However, I don’t see my novel as a “pandemic project.” For me, it’s a Charmaine project. It’s part of my life, my career, and not a brief dalliance.
I suspect other career writers will relate. I’m pretty sure my book will become a multi-year affair, stretching into a future where life is normal, whatever normal even means these days.
If you’re a writing hobbyist and diving into writing a book for the first time, just for fun to see where it takes you, by all means, make it a pandemic project.
But take it from someone who has spent a lot of time writing: if you get deep into writing a book, there’s a good chance it’ll take longer than it’ll take for a vaccine to roll out.
So, fit your writing project into the bigger picture. Sure, you can expect a faster timeline if you anticipate more time to write during the pandemic. But remember to think about how writing will fit into your life post-pandemic when commutes and cocktail hours come back into vogue.
4. Love the process, not the goal.
Fellow Medium writer Itxy Lopez puts this beautifully in her piece:
If you’re a writer, you’re not in it for the big bucks, the fame, or the glory. If you are, you’re here for the wrong reasons, friend.
We writers write because we love writing and because we feel compelled to do it. If we don’t — as Itxy says — it’ll “annoy [us] like those flies that manage to sneak [in] when you walk through the front door.”
So, if you want to write a book during the pandemic, don’t do it because you dream of seeing your face on the inside of a book jacket one day. Do it because you genuinely love writing, because guess what, writing is 99% of what it takes to successfully write a book!
5. Spend time not writing.
I’m a firm believer that not writing is part of writing. Allow me to explain.
My best, most creative ideas have often come to me when I was bored or doing something unrelated to writing, like chopping vegetables, scrolling through Reddit on the toilet, or walking to the grocery store. Indeed, boredom can spur creativity.
So, boredom is important. But so is spending time with people.
My social circle has been severely limited since March. I live alone, but I’ve been spending a lot more time with my parents because we decided early on that the three of us would form a closed bubble.
I’ll be honest; at first, I wasn’t too gung-ho about spending so much time with my parents. (I moved out because I wanted more autonomy and privacy.) Yet, I’ve grown to treasure time with my parents. I think we’ve gotten to know each other better.
And because familial relationships are a major theme in the book I’m writing, watching movies, talking, and going on walks with my family instead of writing supports my craft.
6. Finally, be kind to yourself.
One thing I find myself worrying about — and more so during the pandemic — is “not working hard enough.”
Perhaps it’s the fact that I now earn a paycheque in my pyjamas, but I constantly feel like I’m not writing enough, not working hard enough.
And I think this is toxic. Especially during a pandemic.
Because in case you haven’t forgotten, we’re in a pandemic! This is the most significant event in recent history, perhaps the most significant event in the lives of people alive today.
Some days, you’re gonna feel blah. Isolation, anxiety, and even witnessing systemic inequalities in our healthcare systems can make us less productive.
If this is you, be kind to yourself. Give yourself the resting space you need and don’t feel guilty about it. If your anxiety seriously bothers you and encroaches on your productivity, consider asking for help either through a family doctor, a therapist, or just someone you trust.
For example, I went back on antidepressants because my OCD symptoms were starting to affect my work and quality of life at the beginning of the pandemic. This isn’t surprising — the pandemic has seriously affected mental health in general.
Yes, I sometimes feel guilty for taking breaks, but I also know that if my mental health is suffering, I won’t be in the best position to finish writing my book.
Bottom line: writing a book — and during a pandemic, no less — is hard work. So, remember to pat yourself on the back once in a while for doing all this hard work. You deserve it.
Li Charmaine Anne (she/they) is a Canadian author and freelance writer residing on the unceded Coast Salish territories otherwise known as Vancouver, BC. Her work has appeared in literary journals and magazines and she is at work on her first novel, a contemporary YA about queer Asian skater girls. Follow Charmaine on Twitter (@ChartheShark304) or read more from Charmaine:
