For some people, self-isolation is hell. They can’t go out
and see their friends or go to their favorite café to sip their favorite brew then
post everything on Instagram.
.
For some others, self-isolation is heavenly. These people
don’t need to make major changes to their lifestyle since their daily lives are
practically self-isolation in the first place.
.
Whether you’re the former, latter, or somewhere in between,
there’s something you can do to pass the time — write.
.
Writing to Pass the Time
We’re not suggesting that you should do whatever you want
when it comes to writing. That works, but you’ll be more productive if you
follow these suggestions:
.
Stock up on books
Good writers are good readers too. It’s time to stock up on
books that interest you and the ones relevant to gather materials for your
writing. When stocking up on physical books is not possible, go with the eBook
versions. You may feel they provide different reading experience, but tough
times demand that you just make do with what you have.
.
Make it a habit to read works by other authors in your
genre. If you’re writing romantic comedy, read novels in the romantic comedy
genre. If you want to read books from other genres, that’s alright. You’ll open
yourself to more ideas when you step
out of your genre.
.
Learn from others
Online forums covering writing techniques are more lively
during this whole lockdown and self-isolation phase. Find a forum you’re
comfortable with and ask suggestions for improving your work. Other writers
will be more than happy to help you.
.
Please be specific
when you ask for help. If you need assistance with structuring your work, be
upfront and clear about it so others can provide concrete suggestions.
.
By the way, if you need help with grammar and spelling, you
can turn to the online spelling checker
for help. It’s swift and easy to use. It can catch errors that your tired eyes
just can’t see.
.
Be professional
Let’s admit it: staying at home makes it hard to stick to
any real schedule. You wake up anytime you want and do things without the need
to worry about deadlines. Well, that’s bad. Even if you don’t have a real
deadline, you should make one yourself.
.
As an example, you can aim to write at least two pages or
read at least two chapters a day. You can also set the schedule in hours as
usual. So you set two hours exclusively to write and another two hours to read.
.
The ideal time to write is early morning when no one is
awake to disturb you and the ideal time to read is when you about to go to
sleep. However, since everyone has different circumstances, feel free to set
the time to your liking.
.
Reflect
Once in a while, step back and look at your achievements or
lack of them. What works or doesn’t work for you? What problems you often
encounter when trying to achieve your goals? Is there anything you can do
differently to achieve better results?
.
—
OK, that’s all for your short suggestions on passing the
time by writing. Don’t be too fixated on writing, though. Be sure to exercise regularly and spend time with
your family. You’re going to need all that if you wish to be mentally healthy
during these tough times. Oh, be sure to keep physical distancing in mind too.
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