We’re well and truly locked down now. It’s deep. We’re up to our shoulders in it. I hope it’s like an unexpected blanket for you all, rather than something tarry and thick.
But we are locked down and we’re locked down for good reason: this virus, this killer, doesn’t move on its own, it needs bodies to spread it and while we’re all being sensible we’re slowing it down. Honestly, I hope you’re all coping. I think I am. I guess I’ll know better once it’s safe to come back out. While I’ve been as busy as ever, I have missed things, and most have been pretty non-specific: strangers, writing on trains, being in front of people. But we adapt. We adapt because we have to – this is medicine and we have to take it for a greater good (people not dying).
And there’s been loads I’ve had to adapt. I’m running more than I’ve ever run before. I’m pleased I’ve had the chance to cook properly (getting in at half ten at night doesn’t lend itself to the most dazzling culinary show). The thing I’m super grateful for is still being able to do what I’m good at – it’s just being done in different ways. (And a massive, massive thank you to those organisations and individuals who’ve gone out of their way to make sure I am, and others who work with them are, okay – these are really, really tricky times for all of us, freelancers and authors included.)
Anyway, back to new and different ways. I’m writing at an actual desk for one.
I’ve been working hard running online sessions as part of my Writer in Residency for Sheffield’s Year of Reading and we’ve done some amazing work. There are still a couple of spaces for my Writing For Competitions for Beginners workshop next Tuesday if anyone fancies it. I’ve seen some really amazing feedback from last week’s masterclass and I can’t wait for this one – I’m very grateful going digital has worked (and that I’ve not gone 100% Alan Partridge).
It’s also been amazing working remotely with younger writers at Hive South Yorkshire’s regular groups – we’re about half a dozen sessions in and still going strong. If nothing else, it’s given us plenty to think about and more time than usual to explore those thoughts. On that note, Hive are offering a series of small commissions to budding journos and non-fiction writers. For all details on HOME FRONT Words From Lockdown go here...
It’s been great fun editing stories for my residency at Leeds West for First Story – again, absolutely blown away by the quality of the writing and the scale of people’s imaginations.
A couple of reminders…
The massive Hive Writing Competition is OPEN for submissions. Open to the WHOLE of Yorkshire (and Scunthorpe)… CLICK HERE.
STREETCAKE’S EXPERIMENTAL WRITING PRIZE is open now too (I’m judging and mentoring a winner). 18-30s, anywhere in the country. CLICK HERE.
And there are THREE competitions for Sheffield’s Year of Reading – all the details here.
There’s loads more I could tell you but it’s just turned half past midnight and I’ve only just stopped work and I’m going to treat myself to a Lockdown glass of wine and a book. Stay tuned, there’s more to come. More importantly, stay safe.