Corona Virus Blues

My Maxine calendar today was: “I need a new house. This one’s out of toilet paper.” It should have read, “I need a new store. This one is out of toilet paper.” Because, in case you didn’t know it, people are hoarding toilet paper. One person was trying to sell a 12 pack on Amazon for $200 (but Amazon took the page down).

The whole thing is very bizarre. If you read Dean Koontz’s book, Eyes of Darkness, it’s pretty creepy to see “Wuhan 400” and “attacking lungs and bronchial tubes” referenced. As writers, we can come up with millions of plots using real news, or making up our own. The thing about fiction writers, hopefully, is our readers know we’re making things up. We may take our plot idea from the current news, but where the story goes is all in our heads. I’ve seen several references on writer forums about using COVID in stories, and I predict there will be a raft of self-published “killer virus” stories that come out in the next few months and a bunch more from traditional houses in the next year or so, because, why not?

What I think is really important right now is that we all stop and think before we “pass along” something we read, or were told, or overhead, regarding COVID. There are some really great articles, written by knowledgeable, official sources (i.e. the CDC) that tell us what we can/should do, how the virus works, where it’s at, etc. And that’s where we need to be looking for REAL information. Let’s leave the “not real” news to our fiction writers in thriller, mystery, medical, etc., and keep it out of our social media feeds as much as possible.

Oh, and by the way, I was in China last November. I DID NOT GO TO WUHAN. This is NOT my fault. I wash my hands quite often. I don’t hoard toilet paper. I did, however, find a totally forgotten 3 pack of Clorox wipes and a (likely expired) can of Lysol in the back of my laundry room (no, they’re not for sale – they’re my kid’s inheritance!).

I know many events have been cancelled or postponed (including the RMFW Annual Event) so we can all practice social distancing. I, personally, have been practicing social distancing all my life – it’s called being an introvert – so I’m an expert at that. Remember, though, just because you can’t sit or stand next to your friends and family, you can still (gasp) pick up the phone, or at least e-mail or post on social media about what you’re reading, the great movie you watched, that new recipe you’re going to try out, or other things that are actually really “social” and might be of interest to them.

Let’s not be those people from the movies who are running in all directions, screaming and crying and stepping on each other, or the ones who resort to threats or violence (or vitriol on social media or anywhere else) to get what they want, or those who have to shove politics into the middle of the mess when it serves no purpose at this time. Be the kind ones. The ones who share what we have with those in need. Who remember that it’s not just you you’re trying to keep from getting sick – it’s all those around you – friends, family, or strangers. Take care of yourself. And write. I’ll look for your name on the first killer virus books. As always, let’s Write On!