Normal
With July fast approaching, I really didn’t have anything to write about until yesterday. See, most of this month was the same as last month and the month before due to the events that have been going on in the world. Book events were still being canceled or postponed right and left and there was very little to do except to continue writing my second book of the trilogy.
In reality, life has been rather dull and, like many of us small business owners, I was getting really discouraged in regards to my books. Even my publicist was having a hard time finding ways of helping me get my book out there. But I had an epiphany yesterday.
My husband and I decided to venture out a bit from our hometown and we went to the mall for the first time in months. We had no idea what to expect, but what we didn’t expect was how relaxed it was. There were few people and everyone was keeping their distance and for the most part, everyone was playing it safe. It felt…normal!
For months now, I kept hearing from customers coming through my line at work, “This is the new normal”. And yesterday, on our way home, I got to thinking. What is normal? Is normal what we knew before the pandemic? Or is normal just a setting on a dryer (as the old saying goes)?
No, we are the ones who define what is normal in our society. Sure, my book events have been delayed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t push my book out there more through giveaways and virtual book tours. Sure, major fairs and upcoming holiday events are canceled, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a cookout for ourselves and make a “fair” in our own backyard.
We have so many options in our current situation, we just need to tap into the creative side we were all born with and try something new.
In reality, life has been rather dull and, like many of us small business owners, I was getting really discouraged in regards to my books. Even my publicist was having a hard time finding ways of helping me get my book out there. But I had an epiphany yesterday.
My husband and I decided to venture out a bit from our hometown and we went to the mall for the first time in months. We had no idea what to expect, but what we didn’t expect was how relaxed it was. There were few people and everyone was keeping their distance and for the most part, everyone was playing it safe. It felt…normal!
For months now, I kept hearing from customers coming through my line at work, “This is the new normal”. And yesterday, on our way home, I got to thinking. What is normal? Is normal what we knew before the pandemic? Or is normal just a setting on a dryer (as the old saying goes)?
No, we are the ones who define what is normal in our society. Sure, my book events have been delayed, but that doesn’t mean I can’t push my book out there more through giveaways and virtual book tours. Sure, major fairs and upcoming holiday events are canceled, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a cookout for ourselves and make a “fair” in our own backyard.
We have so many options in our current situation, we just need to tap into the creative side we were all born with and try something new.
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Yes, we're all in the same-old-same-old rut. I had to laugh at myself not long ago, when I wrote an email to my mother, opening with "not much to report here." Then I went on for many paragraphs. At the end, I said, "Wow! I sure had a lot to say, considering I had nothing to say!"
Personally, I refuse to accept the idea of "new normal." That means that we submit to these changes as permanent, when I believe they must be temporary. Shall we spend the rest of our lives in masks, never touching another person? For many of us having jobs and businesses that must fold because of forced closure? That would kill us sooner than the virus.
Everyone has a different opinion about all this craziness going on, but for my own personal mental health, I must believe that I will be allowed to hug and kiss my 95-year-old mother again before she dies (which, given her family's history of longevity, possibly won't happen for another 10 years - but one never knows - )
If I can find a couple of posts from blogs I subscribe to, which have highlighted practical tips for creative marketing in these times, I'll share them here on Goodreads.
I'm trying to get back into my work (around my 9-5 job, which I'm blessed to have!) on a non-fiction book. I'd love to be able to go do research and interview people who aren't getting any younger, but until I can, there are lots of other things I can do to prepare for when the bans are lifted.
In the meantime, keep on writing! It's nice to have a world in which to escape with your imagination - I hope your characters are your friends as much as mine are.