It's been a strange time for all of us.
Many people are finding it difficult to read. There's a scientific reason for that. I read in an article on the Vogue website that according to Christian Jarrett, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in the U.K., “Research shows that chronic stress affects the way the front of the brain works—the area…[that] normally controls our ability to concentrate and switch attention from one thing to another.”
In other words, stress from the pandemic is making it difficult to switch into other worlds through reading, just when we need it most!
This won't last though. Many of us are adjusting to 'new normal' and for those finding that more difficult, lockdown won't last forever. It's difficult, more for some people than others, but there WILL be an end to it.
So, with that cheerful thought, I've managed to have a good writing day for the first time since this started. I've been managing a little here and there. At first 200 words was a strain. Then I made it to 500. Today I had what I consider a normal writing day, about 1300 words that finished a chapter.
I've also started my edit process. Near the last few chapters of a book, I start reading one chapter a day from the beginning and making any edits I deem necessary. Apart from catching most typos and any loose ends I've forgotten, this serves to make the continuity flow smoothly as the beginning of the story is freshened in my mind. Given the stop/start nature of the last couple of chapters, this process will be what prevents my story flow from coming over as jerky, despite the first draft interruptions.
It's flowing nicely to a satisfying conclusion now.
In the meantime, the Authors Give Back event at Smashwords has been extended to 31 May! So, you can still get any of the first nine episodes you might be missing for free in any electronic format!
Many people are finding it difficult to read. There's a scientific reason for that. I read in an article on the Vogue website that according to Christian Jarrett, PhD, a clinical psychologist based in the U.K., “Research shows that chronic stress affects the way the front of the brain works—the area…[that] normally controls our ability to concentrate and switch attention from one thing to another.”
In other words, stress from the pandemic is making it difficult to switch into other worlds through reading, just when we need it most!
This won't last though. Many of us are adjusting to 'new normal' and for those finding that more difficult, lockdown won't last forever. It's difficult, more for some people than others, but there WILL be an end to it.
So, with that cheerful thought, I've managed to have a good writing day for the first time since this started. I've been managing a little here and there. At first 200 words was a strain. Then I made it to 500. Today I had what I consider a normal writing day, about 1300 words that finished a chapter.
I've also started my edit process. Near the last few chapters of a book, I start reading one chapter a day from the beginning and making any edits I deem necessary. Apart from catching most typos and any loose ends I've forgotten, this serves to make the continuity flow smoothly as the beginning of the story is freshened in my mind. Given the stop/start nature of the last couple of chapters, this process will be what prevents my story flow from coming over as jerky, despite the first draft interruptions.
It's flowing nicely to a satisfying conclusion now.
In the meantime, the Authors Give Back event at Smashwords has been extended to 31 May! So, you can still get any of the first nine episodes you might be missing for free in any electronic format!
I do hope you're all staying safe and managing to find some escape in your reading. Whatever your circumstances, remember that things will change for the better before too much longer. We're a sturdy species and have beaten horrible diseases before. We will prevail again!
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