Fog Emergency

So, COVID came to call on July 7. Initial symptoms passed quickly with medication and rest, but brain-fog and fatigue lingered for just short of two months. During that time, I ceased all writing activities–including this blog. Which is why I missed my deadline.

During recovery, I couldn’t entertain more than one muddled thought at a time. I was reminded of two things: 1) the ability to juggle multiple ideas at once is essential to writing, and 2) writing takes energy and courage.

Juggling myriad concepts while crafting a story involves thinking back and pondering what lies ahead. Is this character’s behavior consistent with, or contrasting with, previous actions and thoughts? How does what’s happening right now influence future action? Do these emerging ideas fit with earlier chapters and inspire the reader to wonder what comes next? Is this conversation impeding the action?

I found it impossible to entertain such considerations and was obliged to ride out the physical fatigue and mental fog.

While receiving COVID treatment, I found myself in the hospital bathroom where I encountered a rather handy device mounted on the wall. It consisted of a non-descript box with a modest oval button and a white cord dangling in easy reach.

“Reset,” it declared. “Pull for help,” it suggested.

Too bad this isn’t an option for mental fatigue. Stay safe.