Are you having problems settling down to write these days? And is it incredibly irritating?

You are not alone.

My experience

As soon as the pandemic began to take over our lives, I found it really hard to settle at my computer and produce anything at all. This was not as anticipated. While others worried about potential boredom in self-isolation, I breezily said I would be OK as I could write. Indeed, I planned to finish my current book and give it a hard edit. Free time is not empty time for a writer.

But I found instead a complete inability to sit down and focus. All of my normal self-discipline disappeared. This was not good for my output and definitely bad for my morale. As several authors I knew were proudly saying they were making great progress, I felt even more inept.

The experience of others

I posted a short note about my predicament on two Facebook groups for writers, including BooksGoSocial (BGS). I expected ten or so replies, with mixed experiences. Instead, well over 100 authors responded on each site, almost all saying that they, too, were stuck. The hoped-for productive period was just not happening.

What is going on? The problem isn’t time. We clearly have that. No, it’s a matter of emotional stability. We are worried about the health of our friends and relatives, as well as our financial long-term future. We cannot settle. Our minds are not still.

Of course, some also have practical problems. Having children at home who need to be amused or, indeed, educated is very demanding. Even having a partner around the house is distracting. Normal work habits are lost.

A few comments illustrate the reactions:

“I was determined to write today…but failed. My mind can’t get there. I do get moments, but they are fleeting.”

“I’ve had a really hard time getting into a good head space to write, edit or even beta read.”

“For some reason, having all the time in the world to write also comes with all the time for making excuses not to.”

“I’ve had to force myself, writing a few extra words each day. I managed 3K today, but they are absolute rubbish, so I’m probably wasting my time”

A few did say they were writing well. Getting away from the news helped. And some noted that the ability to produce fluctuated markedly:

“I’m having very fruitful days and then I have very dry days. It is difficult.”

“When my emotions are in balance, I’m fine, but when the anxiety overwhelms me, I can’t write a word.”

How to cope

And how do writers cope with the situation? Some were simply distracting themselves, with no attempt to be creative for the moment. They were doing jigsaw puzzles, cooking, playing music or planting flowers (“binge gardening”). And, of course, reading. It was best to accept the situation, they said, and not be too hard on oneself.

Some had temporarily changed their focus. Fiction writers turned to non-fiction, short stories or even poetry. Some had started a journal or were writing blog posts. A number said they could edit or revise. A few argued that they set a fixed schedule or a low word count just to get some words down.

Others were undertaking activities that would help in future – taking training courses, doing relevant research, thinking about their plots or characters or, simply “observing”.

And it was often said they were so glad to learn they were not alone. That is the main reason I wrote this article. Ironically, it got me writing again!

My thanks to all the contributors to the BGS Authors Facebook page, both for making me feel less alone and for offering so many helpful insights.

Ann Richardson writes books using passages from interviews to illustrate thoughts, experiences and emotions. You can read about her books here