Relax, Imagine, Believe

This quarantine and the state of the country is a tough situation.

1. We can't go anywhere, like meet up with critique groups, or take classes or go shopping.
2. Book events and conferences are cancelled.
3. Social media is a minefield that is tearing apart friendships, casting suspicions, and making a tense situation worse.
4. I think the stress of confinement and the uncertainty of everything are making people angry and act out.
5. My agent is dealing with personal issues so I'm subbing- and not getting very far.

I could make a list with 100 points to complain. It's looking grim. I'm usually an optimist but yes, 2020 is taxing my supply of silver linings. It's time to stop and regroup.

 I have to (and I do) try to live by the above. So I'm going to relax, and the best way is to wander through my garden. New flowers are blooming:

Now that I'm relaxed, the next part is to imagine. While it's easy enough to imagine getting a book deal, it's not as easy to imagine that this quarantine will be over soon, or that we will find the answers to social injustice, or that we can soothe the festering anger. As writers, imagining is what we do. What would the world be like if we imagined a more perfect world?

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.”
― Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts On Common Things

And because we can imagine, we can believe.

I can imagine these brown-eyed Susans in full bloom. They will be beautiful. I believe they will bloom (especially since I put up a wire fence to keep the deer from munching on the buds). A part of believing in our imagination is doing the work to make it a reality.  For stunning blooms, I had to put up the fence. For a book deal, I have to do the writing, revising, and submitting. For social justice, we have to look deep at what's wrong and make hard changes. For a kinder world, we must be kind. For anger, we must imagine ourselves at peace, and strive for it. 

"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." - Eleanor Roosevelt

So let's get started.

Char

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How A Writer Spends Her Time When the World is Dangerous...

Photo by Lina Kivaka from Pexels

We're doing our part for social distancing and hunkering down during the pandemic. The hub is working on projects; repairing a bathroom wall, reworking the backyard walk, and cleaning the garage (although he hasn't gotten very far on the garage).

After being on vacation for a week, then being sick (I have a bad G I tract, not the corona virus), I'm getting back into my routine. With bell practice, church meetings, and book events cancelled, I have more time. In one week I've reworked one novel, and finished up revisions on another (except for the ending....). But too much time on the computer gives me migraines, so I need to step back. This is what I've done:

* Went through some stuff in the basement and designated which goes to the yard sale

* Went through some Christmas boxes and organized them

* Listed bedroom sets and H O train set for sale on Craig's List

* Sorted through some of my Dad's pictures of fighter planes and such (he worked at Grumman's) and listed them on Nextdoor for free.

* Checked in with NFL Network to see if Tom Brady and the New England Patriots worked out a deal (so far, no)

* Uncovered and scrubbed off the patio table and took dead plants out of my flower pots. Swept back porch/walkway to pool

What I have planned (because who knows how long we'll be in this situation):

*  Revise 2 other manuscripts

* Write some short stories

* Go through more stuff in basement- what goes to yard sale, what to keep

* Hopefully start cleaning out my gardens

* Bake

* Read

* Paint repaired bathroom wall

* Maybe start on repainting living room

* Connect with readers on social media (call/contact me....) to chat

Something else may come up (I'm almost sure it will), so I have enough to keep me busy, and enough variety to keep from getting bored with one thing.

What are you doing? Got a better suggestion? Hit me up! Let's all help each other to keep our chins up and everyone as safe as possible.

Char