Happy New Year to all of the Round Robin Bloggers and those who follow us!
If you're not familiar with the Blog Fest, each month we go around the world - literally! - and answer the same great writing question put forth by our fearless leader Robin. This month's question is:
How are you dealing with the COVID pandemic in your contemporary novels/short stories? Not as a political statement or polarizing pro/con mask stance, but the way the COVD virus effects the day-to-day lives of your characters and appears within the story’s plot line?
So far the pandemic has not permeated any of my novels. I've chosen to keep them in quarantine where the virus can't touch them. There has been so much negativity and conflict as a result of all of these protocols that I didn't want to add to it.
The story begins in a gift-wrapping kiosk which is surrounded by Plexiglas and refered to by the two main characters, Drew and Harley, as a snow globe. When an agitated customer brings them a package to wrap that sets off alarm bells for them both, Drew sets off to find out where the man is going and what he's up to.
Funny enough, the whole desk idea was inspired by my desk at work. Where I used to work behind an oak desk in a historic building, during Covid my workspace was renovated and now very much resembles an Ikea desk-based fish bowl. (Long story!) To the point I'm planning to color some paper fish to decorate it with. When I told my boss about my plan, he nearly fell off his chair laughing!
Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/
Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea
Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com
Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/
Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2wY
Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/
Robin Courtright http://rhobincourtright.com
Hi Diane, I also stayed clear by being in the 19th century and I also wrote a contemporary short story which needed a Pandemic, if oblique, reference. Love your fish bowl. do hope ther'll be pics once the decoration is complete. anne
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hopefully we can have fun with the fish bowl!
DeleteI do have a contemporary novella I’m writing now, but have steered clear of the pandemic because it’s obviously fictional and would be hard for the all female wolf shifter rock band to tour, etc., if set in the middle of a pandemic.
ReplyDeleteI agree. There are situations where leaving the pandemic out is far better for the story.
DeleteMaybe in the future there will be a new normal to include in our stories, but you're right - this whole pandemic has become a political football with far too much animosity and stubborn refusal to consider others. I LOVE your idea of putting fish in your hopefully temporary fish bowl at work.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Part of it is definitely the animosity. Too many people have their own agendas and refuse to even listen to opposing ideas. I'll stick with the fish!
DeleteDiane, I can see where the mask reference would acknowledge the current culture without bringing it to the forefront in a reader's mind. I chuckled over your 'fishbowl' story :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI'm laughing. I was recently thinking about getting a small aquarium for some goldfish, but then thought my three cats would have made any fish's life miserable (and short). Enjoyed your post and agree writing about it might be better after it's over and the results known.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rhobin! My brother used to have a fish tank and two cats. Now he sticks with just cats. LOL!
DeleteOh, many stories have WW2, 911 and other historical facts as background or setting. To stay true to life, future writing will also often be infected with this virus, and no doubt future pandemics.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Thanks for the comment.
Deletewonderful article Books About Female Friendship
ReplyDelete