Why write now

These are times that none of us could have predicted or prepared for. Coronavirus, pandemic, lockdown, social-distancing, stockpiling, these are things that two months ago would have been virtual experiences we’d read about in a science fiction novel, watch in films or TV series, find as the scenario in a video game. Many of us are sitting around at home with more time on our hands than we’ve had since we were children. Many of us are sitting around wandering how we arrived here and what happens next. As one world closes and another world opens, all of us are afraid. This is like being in a story, right?

Whether you’ve never written before, you’re an experienced writer with work in progress, or you’re coming back after some time away, writing as part of your daily routine has never been more beneficial and online writing groups never more useful.

Five reasons to join an online writing course during the lockdown

Whether for beginners or experienced writers, online groups provide a sense of community, of helping one another, of being in it together. When we’re all atomised and isolated, the weekly online gathering of like-minded, friendly people helps keep us connected and supported.

Stories tell the truth, make sense of things, find patterns, show how one thing leads to another. We are beset by strange images, of empty supermarkets, deserted streets, blank cities. Writing allows you to keep a record and bear witness.

Learning how stories work, how we can develop an idea from initial glimpse to polished draft can help us interpret the world about us. The writer’s essential building blocks of character, plot, setting, dialogue, theme allow us to make emotive and truthful dramas in both the short story and the novel. It has never been more necessary to find the complicated truth of the world.

Writing just isn’t about learning new skills or becoming a literary sensation. Writing is also calming. Regular practice, journaling, spending time quietly writing with others is good for your wellbeing. You may well be finding that things are getting on top of you. You may have a lot on your plate or not as much space as you’re used to. Spending some time playing with words and your imagination is a great way of being mindful, of looking after yourself.

In uncertain and traumatic times, stories remind us that there is always hope, that bad things end, that there are happy endings, that we are all connected, that a better world is possible and is worth fighting for. Writing your own story is part of that overcoming, the resolution that we all so desire.

We have online courses, for beginners and experienced writers, starting in August and September.