You made it!
Ten months of pandemic living. Through losses and suffering. Bravo!
Hopefully you’ve managed to dodge the COVID bullet so far, or maybe you were lucky to recover.
If you’ve lost a loved one to this terrible virus, I offer a virtual hug and prayer for healing.
Thank you to those who’ve reached out to me privately. I’m okay. Anxiety and stress are creativity killers. Throw in a pandemic, a contentious election, remote schooling, job and family matters, dooms day news… who wouldn’t feel wordstuck?
We’re all relieved to close Chapter 2020, but the story is far from finished. There will be dark moments for us all to pass through as we turn the page.
Yet, hope now shapes the final chapter of this sad story.
As it happens, the end of 2020 coincides with my writing the final chapter of a novel-in-progress: a project that has taken too long for my liking. COVID time only deepened the chasm between my vision and its outcome.
When the warm weather finally arrived during Boston quarantine, my despair lifted. I became determined to see the project through. I tried to show up each day whether my muse accompanied me or not.
Somedays, I wrestled with words until my head ached.
Some days, I spent hours trying to spin chaos into order.
Some days, I was left with a mess I didn’t know how to clean up.
And some days, the jumble of words magically lined up, like a string of pearls for me to polish.
Still, I have no idea whether this book will see the light of day.
There is editorial interest and a grant backing me—a welcome vote of confidence. Yet the road ahead, like our New Year, remains uncertain. I have no control over the publishing market, or the particular tastes of an agent.
Luck factors in, too.
What I do have control over is the shape of my story—making it the best story possible. I can rewrite the beginning as many times as I see fit. The story’s ending is mine to tinker with until it feels right—“surprising, yet inevitable”.
We cannot write our own ending to the pandemic story. What we can do is try to write our own new chapter by focusing on taking good care of ourselves.
We can nourish our souls with art, music, words, and nature.
We can reflect on what matters most to us now. We can make revisions. We can get rid of the fluff—those details that no longer serve our story.
Writing and revising is a lonely endeavor. We need the support of others to offer encouragement and direction.
So, as you begin Chapter 2021, be sure to look for kindred spirits, whether nearby or over the virtual bridge, who will help you write the best story possible. ~
EVELYN KRIEGER 