{"id":1334,"date":"2020-05-28T14:20:18","date_gmt":"2020-05-28T21:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=1334"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:42:27","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:42:27","slug":"the-challenge-of-creative-writing-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/the-challenge-of-creative-writing-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"The Challenge of Creative Writing During COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fusion-fullwidth fullwidth-box fusion-builder-row-1 hundred-percent-fullwidth non-hundred-percent-height-scrolling fusion-equal-height-columns\" style=\"--awb-background-position:left top;--awb-border-sizes-top:0px;--awb-border-sizes-bottom:0px;--awb-border-sizes-left:0px;--awb-border-sizes-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-left:0px;--awb-border-radius-top-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-right:0px;--awb-border-radius-bottom-left:0px;--awb-padding-top:0px;--awb-padding-right:0px;--awb-padding-bottom:0px;--awb-padding-left:0px;--awb-flex-wrap:wrap;\" ><div class=\"fusion-builder-row fusion-row\"><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-0 fusion_builder_column_1_3 1_3 fusion-one-third fusion-column-first\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:9%;--awb-padding-right:9%;--awb-padding-bottom:9%;--awb-padding-left:9%;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-margin-bottom:0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-image-element fusion-image-align-center in-legacy-container\" style=\"text-align:center;--awb-caption-title-font-family:var(--h2_typography-font-family);--awb-caption-title-font-weight:var(--h2_typography-font-weight);--awb-caption-title-font-style:var(--h2_typography-font-style);--awb-caption-title-size:var(--h2_typography-font-size);--awb-caption-title-transform:var(--h2_typography-text-transform);--awb-caption-title-line-height:var(--h2_typography-line-height);--awb-caption-title-letter-spacing:var(--h2_typography-letter-spacing);\"><div class=\"imageframe-align-center\"><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-none imageframe-1 hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"349\" height=\"523\" alt=\"Thomas Burger\" title=\"Joan-Speaker\" src=\"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Joan-Speaker.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-1321\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Joan-Speaker-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/Joan-Speaker.jpg 349w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 349px\" \/><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-title title fusion-title-1 fusion-sep-none fusion-title-center fusion-title-text fusion-title-size-two\" style=\"--awb-margin-top-small:0px;--awb-margin-right-small:0px;--awb-margin-bottom-small:20px;--awb-margin-left-small:0px;\"><h2 class=\"fusion-title-heading title-heading-center\" style=\"margin:0;\">Joan S. Peck<\/h2><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-1 fusion_builder_column_1_2 1_2 fusion-one-half\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:9%;--awb-padding-right:9%;--awb-padding-bottom:9%;--awb-padding-left:9%;--awb-bg-color:#0c0c0d;--awb-bg-color-hover:#0c0c0d;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-margin-bottom:0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-column-content-centered\"><div class=\"fusion-column-content\"><div class=\"fusion-image-element in-legacy-container\" style=\"--awb-caption-title-font-family:var(--h2_typography-font-family);--awb-caption-title-font-weight:var(--h2_typography-font-weight);--awb-caption-title-font-style:var(--h2_typography-font-style);--awb-caption-title-size:var(--h2_typography-font-size);--awb-caption-title-transform:var(--h2_typography-text-transform);--awb-caption-title-line-height:var(--h2_typography-line-height);--awb-caption-title-letter-spacing:var(--h2_typography-letter-spacing);\"><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-none imageframe-2 hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"778\" height=\"345\" alt=\"The Death Card Series\" title=\"4Books2\" src=\"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/4Books2.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-1339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/4Books2-200x89.jpg 200w, https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/4Books2-400x177.jpg 400w, https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/4Books2-600x266.jpg 600w, https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/4Books2.jpg 778w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 778px\" \/><\/span><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:50px;width:100%;max-width:70%;\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-1\"><h1 style=\"text-align: center; color: #f0dc7e;\">The Challenge of Creative Writing During COVID-19<\/h1>\n<p style=\"text-align: center; letter-spacing: 4px;\">By Joan S. Peck<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-separator\" style=\"margin-left: auto;margin-right: auto;margin-top:20px;margin-bottom:50px;width:100%;max-width:70%;\"><div class=\"fusion-separator-border sep-single sep-solid\" style=\"--awb-height:20px;--awb-amount:20px;--awb-sep-color:#ffffff;border-color:#ffffff;border-top-width:1px;\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-sep-clear\"><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-2\"><p>I\u2019m certainly not alone when I say that these are challenging times in so many ways. The sad part is about all those who have experienced this strange illness, or more so, have died because of it. It is also about those who are experiencing financial setbacks and even economic failure. Fear surrounds us, challenging us to do what we can, and have the faith to let the rest go.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, on the other hand, this pandemic and our period of separation has allowed us the time to re-group, get back to the basics of living, and become clear on what really matters to us in life. A cleansing of sorts, although unintentionally forced upon us.<\/p>\n<p>As a writer of fictional romantic suspense books and a novel with an eye on human trafficking, I find myself spending much of my time trying to drown out what\u2019s going on around me. You might ask, \u201cIsn\u2019t that what writers do anyway? Don\u2019t you get lost in your work, in the different worlds you have created?\u201d The answer, of course, is yes, but it\u2019s not the same for me now.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s true that I can get lost in my writing to the point that four or six hours have passed before I realize it. It\u2019s usually only when my dog comes to me wanting to go out that I stir from my computer. And, yes, I\u2019m indeed thankful to escape into the story I\u2019m in the process of creating with characters who are fast becoming my temporary family. I\u2019m grateful for that.<\/p>\n<p>But what is it that\u2019s happened during this Covid-19 period that has changed writing for me? I\u2019m finding myself wanting to create less stress and more love between the characters and a greater kindness\u2014almost incredible compassion\u2014in the book I\u2019m currently writing. That, in itself, you might think, is not a bad thing. However, for someone who is writing a mystery series (or any novel), there needs to be an antagonist or two that the hero\/heroine can overcome! For most of us who write, we want our books to be victories for our main character because real success is an unseating of the struggle. Today, we all seem to be living in the energy of \u201cwaiting for the other shoe to drop.\u201d Because of that, I find a greater need to surround myself with the goodness of people both in my daily life and in creating my fictional characters.<\/p>\n<\/div><div class=\"fusion-image-element fusion-image-align-center in-legacy-container\" style=\"text-align:center;--awb-caption-title-font-family:var(--h2_typography-font-family);--awb-caption-title-font-weight:var(--h2_typography-font-weight);--awb-caption-title-font-style:var(--h2_typography-font-style);--awb-caption-title-size:var(--h2_typography-font-size);--awb-caption-title-transform:var(--h2_typography-text-transform);--awb-caption-title-line-height:var(--h2_typography-line-height);--awb-caption-title-letter-spacing:var(--h2_typography-letter-spacing);\"><div class=\"imageframe-align-center\"><span class=\" fusion-imageframe imageframe-none imageframe-3 hover-type-none\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"417\" height=\"625\" alt=\"Angels Out of the Dark\" title=\"angels\" src=\"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/angels.jpg\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-1337\" srcset=\"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/angels-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/angels-400x600.jpg 400w, https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/angels.jpg 417w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><\/span><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-text fusion-text-3\"><p>It is uncertain times we are living in right now. I believe the struggle for most of us during Covid-19 is to find that balance between the upset the entire world is experiencing and the goodness that people are demonstrating one to the other. And it is this that I struggle with while writing my books. But just as I do for myself, I give my characters the belief that they will overcome their struggle and survive to live a better day, a better life.<\/p>\n<p>Learn more about Joan's <a href=\"https:\/\/deathcardseries.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Death Card Series<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-layout-column fusion_builder_column fusion-builder-column-2 fusion_builder_column_1_6 1_6 fusion-one-sixth fusion-column-last\" style=\"--awb-padding-top:9%;--awb-padding-right:9%;--awb-padding-bottom:9%;--awb-padding-left:9%;--awb-bg-color:#0c0c0d;--awb-bg-color-hover:#0c0c0d;--awb-bg-size:cover;--awb-margin-bottom:0px;\"><div class=\"fusion-column-wrapper fusion-flex-column-wrapper-legacy\"><div class=\"fusion-column-content-centered\"><div class=\"fusion-column-content\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"fusion-clearfix\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a writer of fictional romantic suspense books and a novel with an eye on human trafficking, I find myself spending much of my time trying to drown out what\u2019s going on around me. You might ask, \u201cIsn\u2019t that what writers do anyway?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1337,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2360,4521],"tags":[2826,2870,2982,2984,609,2985,2986,2983],"class_list":["post-1334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-health-and-wellness","tag-author","tag-covid-19","tag-creative-writing","tag-creativity","tag-joan-s-peck","tag-overcome","tag-struggle","tag-writer"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1334"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10890,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1334\/revisions\/10890"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}