A Story A Day Keeps COVID Away – The Past Reviewed and The Future Anticipated
In case you missed it, there’s officially a vaccine now.
This doesn’t mark the end of the pandemic – it barely marks the beginning of the end. In many places (including my country), case counts are higher than they’ve ever been, and only getting worse by the day. It will take time for vaccines to be distributed, and even then, it won’t mean the end of masking or social distancing. Not for a long while yet.
But it does mark the end of this.
“One story, every day, until a vaccine is developed for the novel coronavirus.”
Yesterday was the first day in 221 days that I did not write a story. (remember: 10/25/20 does not exist.)
It was weird, in a good way. I wrote part of this this post that day, but didn’t finish it, and just… went to bed.
Writing daily has taught me a lot:
I am not, by any metric, a pantser, and trying to be one will not end well for me.
Sometimes writing is a slog, but it’s alright if you have to really push yourself to get something out. It might be a sign that you need a break, but it’s not necessarily a sign that you’ve “lost your touch”. You just might need to try something different.
Compromise is necessary. For the sake of time constraints, your story, and/or your sanity, you might have to negotiate for something you never wanted, but really, really need. And that’s okay.
But as educational and enjoyable as this experience has been, I’ve been looking forward to the end. Not just because news of a vaccine is desperately welcome, but because it would allow me more time and mental energy to direct towards the larger stories I want to tell. Over the course of quarantine, I’ve had epiphanies that caused me to drastically rework plotlines I’d been thinking about for years, new ideas that consumed all of my attention for days on end, and grief over having to scrap certain stories that I couldn’t find a way to logically execute.
I want to start writing – not brainstorming, properly writing – some of those stories. And the thought of doing that excites me beyond words.
As for housekeeping: as I said in the (soon to be edited) about page, my accounts on all platforms will become personal accounts. Wherever my username is “astoryadaykeepsCOVIDaway”, that will be changed to “bvlavender”. The post rate on all these platforms will decline significantly, as I am generally a private person. Should I start releasing any of my aforementioned larger stories, information will be posted on my accounts. My profile picture and banner will also change – though I’m not sure to what at the moment. These changes will be somewhat delayed, as I’m in the midst of finals season and personal aesthetic isn’t exactly my top priority at the moment.
If you’re reading this: thank you. I’ve said that before, and I’ll keep saying it, because it’s true. I’m grateful that I did this challenge and for anyone else who witnessed it, whether you were one of the 60 followers I have right now, or a lurker, or someone who comes across this years into the future. Thank you. Thank you so much.
blakekathryn
yousharknotpass
janainaart
vaporwave
kaledo-art
origamiaround