Nita Sweeney, author of You Should Be Writing, has been featured in an article by Liz Barrett Foster on how writers have been affected by the pandemic.
How Writers Have Been Affected by the Coronavirus Pandemic
By Liz Barrett Foster
Writers and freelancers are used to a healthy dose of uncertainty when it comes to clients and income. You can be poor one month and rich the next.
So, when the Coronavirus hit, it was status quo for many writers. For others, work took a dip before rebounding. In the time in between, many writers dusted off projects that had been waiting on the back burner for far too long.
The latest Question of the Week at Eat Like a Writer was a call-out to writers about how their writing has been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Some writers have picked up writing for the first time, while others have adapted their writing to fit the current climate.
At the start of the pandemic, I lost two of my biggest clients. I panicked a bit, but focused on covering the pandemic and how it was affecting business operators. After a while, I gained two new clients, and started this website to boost the visibility of fellow writers.
In March, the senior editor of Writer’s Digest wrote that the only thing that could keep writers from carrying on their work during the pandemic was fear. With so many book festivals, conferences and book signings cancelled, writers turned to outlets such as Zoom to offer streaming book launches and tours (via Poets & Writers).
Everyone has been affected by COVID-19, some far more than others. The following is a small peek inside what’s been happening with writers.
“My pandemic life has differed a bit from those of my writing colleagues. Early in the pandemic, while my husband and I were on book tour, he had a ‘silent’ heart attack in a hotel. We flew five hours to get home and went straight to the ED. After double bypass surgery, he couldn’t swallow for several months and required a gastric feeding tube. He was in the hospital three times in three months. Instead of lamenting pandemic closures or planning pandemic prose, we were focused on his care. Now that he’s 99% well, we joke that his illness transformed me from an award-winning author into an accidental home health aide, a role for which I was not particularly suited. We both did our best. Now that our lives have caught up to the rest of the world, I’m introspective. What is really important? My first book, the running and mental health memoir, Depression Hates a Moving Target, was released in May 2019, and the second, the writing journal, You Should Be Writing, came out in June 2020. When I wasn’t traveling to promote the books, I was pitching to media outlets, influencers, and anyone who could help them gain traction. That’s no longer my priority. I’m much fussier now about the marketing, making things count. And I’m looking inward. What might be most useful to my loved ones, the world, and myself? How can I write something meaningful in light of how jarring and dangerous the world feels? I’m blogging more and practicing more meditation. I’m drafting a proposal for a new project close to my heart. I’m also connecting with other writers through interviews, which help us both. I crave the community and need to be useful. The results seem deeper, more authentic, and satisfying. Sad that it took a pandemic, but my direction feels more true.” —Nita Sweeney
Read entire article here.
you should be writing
A Journal of Inspiration & Instruction to Keep Your Pen Moving
Writing Inspiration from Incredible Authors. Gathered by Brenda Knight and writing coach Nita Sweeney, author of Depression Hates a Moving Target, You Should Be Writing provides you with writing wisdom from a variety of accomplished authors.
Writing Practice on Every Page. This journal is a must-have for writers everywhere. With quotes from a diverse group of historical and modern authors to use as creative prompts on every page, you’ll be able to bring your writing inspiration with you wherever you go. You’ll find plenty of great advice, such as Toni Morrison’s encouragement, “As a writer, a failure is just information. It’s something that I’ve done wrong in writing, or is inaccurate or unclear. I recognize failure—which is important; some people don’t—and fix it.”