It’s been a while since I’ve written anything on this blog, and while I have plans for some future posts and reviews, nothing is going as planned because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
So I figured I’d write a bit about that first, and then about how my writing is going.
If you’ve paid attention, you might have noticed I’m in Norway. If you’ve also read the news, you might have noticed that Norway went on lockdown (almost completely) March 13 (which happened to be a Friday, no kidding).
Every school at every level closed down. Every sporting event, concert, and big gathering was canceled. Gyms are closed. Pubs and bars are closed. Restaurants that serve food are allowed to stay open, but they have to be able to seat people 1 meter apart, and buffets are banned.
At the time it sounded like an extreme measure. At the same time, everything got very serious, very fast.
Many other things have closed down in the aftermath, not because they had to, but because of the economy. The customers are gone.
I live in a pretty small town. There’s one grocery store, and it’s the only thing that’s still open. I’m not quarantined, I still go to work, but I’m urged to stay away from people. Also, it’s winter and way below freezing, so going outside isn’t that appealing. Next week I’ve even been ordered to work from home (to keep the office less cramped), so by then I’m not doing anything.
I shop occasionally. I sit on my work computer. I workout in a spare room. Then I sit on my other computer.
All in all, things aren’t that bad. I’m a pretty solitary guy, and I’m actually enjoying the peace and quiet, and every excuse to not go out and meet people is a good one.
Oh, and also, my wife and I usually live apart but she’s stranded here with me now and I LOVE IT!
Let’s talk about the writing then. You’d think this situation would be ideal for catching up on writing, editing, and reading? Right?
I usually follow a pretty rigid schedule that says what I’m supposed to do when. I like order. I like strict rules. I need strong habits. So far, it’s been working great. Now? I’m nearly three weeks behind schedule…
Some of that I can blame on others. Blame might be the wrong word, but I’m waiting for some feedback. Until I get that, I’ve filled the time with working on short stories and I can’t really get to working on my main project. Also, it’s quite understandable that things might be delayed and take longer than planned considering the circumstances.
At the same time, I don’t understand where the time goes. I sit at home, almost all the time. There are a lot fewer time thieves, because I have nothing to do. Can’t go anywhere but the grocery store, like I mentioned, I can hardly go outside. No rushing back and forth between the gym.
Yet, I find myself out of time. Suddenly it’s late, and I haven’t managed to do what I planned.
It’s weird.
But it’s okay. I’ll let it slide, for now. Let’s just worry about getting through this crisis together. Everything else can come later.
Stay safe out there.
Trey Stone, Author 
Stay well and safe, both of you.
We’re self-isolating, and socially distancing as advised by the NHS. We may have the cleanest hands on this tiny island. 🙂
Where we live, on the south coast of England, we’re three weeks behind London in terms of numbers of those diagnosed with the virus – and the situation is likely to go on for anything between 12 weeks to a year. Strange times.
Best wishes to you and yours, Trey, from me and mine.
LikeLiked by 1 person