May - End of June 2020

The first week of may started strong, but the stress of the Covid-19 crisis was taking its toll. The social isolation and inability to pursue work as I usually would eventually caught up with me. Even writing, which has been a refuge from the stress, seemed too daunting to pursue. In the end, I ended up unable to write for a few weeks in May, the rest of the time I managed to get some writing accomplished, but my word counts were down compared to normal.
 
In the first week of June, progress was made. I was able to focus more on my writing and being more productive again. While I’m all in favor of staying productive if there are times you’re unable to be? Try to take time to rest. I know living our entire lives in a capitalist society; if you’re not producing, it can really take a toll on your mental health. Take care of yourself first, if you have that ability. For artists, our mind is our most precious resource, and it needs to be taken care of.
 
Something I’ve also struggled with amidst all the stress of Covid and the immensity of the next Joan Hudson book is how long it’s been since I’ve last released a story. It’s not as if I’ve not been working for towards it for most of this year. Still, the development of the second Joan Hudson series has been intensive and lengthy, so I took a break to further develop a reboot I’d been working off and on for some months to write the first of the new Kelsie Copper series; Cavern of the Writhing Floor.
 
It’s a departure for me to write a horror story, but I’ve been interested in doing so for years. The old series was definitely a dark one, but not what I would consider horror. I’m excited to go forward with the series while I work on the Joan Hudson Series. 

- Claire