Skip to main content

A Practical Guide to Writing While Quarantined

As a writer, I have felt a tremendous amount of pressure to get a lot of work done during this quarantine. What does a writer crave more than long stretches of alone time to sit and think and plan? Not much. So, I’ve sat in front of my computer on many a quarantined night trying to do just that and have come up short. Maybe you’re in a similar boat or perhaps your writer’s block has taken on a different form. Regardless, I decided to drum up a guide to help us both.

Glenn Carstens-Peters/Unsplash

Below, I’ve outlined some tips and tricks I’ve been using to get writing in quarantine. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, and what works for me may not work for you. But, it should give you a few tools to whip out the next time you’re feeling stuck.

Recommended Videos

Consider Your Writing Wish List

Before opening a fresh Google Doc or getting started on a character profile, think about your writing wish list. What stories/forms/ideas have you wanted to explore, but never felt like you had the time to? What is it that you want to say? How do you want to say it? I recommend blocking off an afternoon to free-form brainstorm for a while. You can write your way through this exercise, draw pictures, make maps, do whatever you want to do, as long as you’re giving yourself the space to sift through your thoughts before jumping into the writing process. More than anything, remember that you’re writing for yourself first, so only dive into projects that truly excite you.

Be Realistic

And while you’re brainstorming, make sure to keep it at least somewhat realistic. Instead of saying you’re going to write the next Great American Novel during the pandemic, maybe you say you’re going to write a stellar short story that speaks to your lived experience. Or maybe you challenge yourself to explore a different traditional form of poetry each week. The key is to produce things to completion so you can get that little creative kick without getting discouraged by your inability to produce the next Moby Dick. 

Set Goals

quarantine writing
Aaron Burden/Unsplash

To that end, I find it very, very helpful to set goals when starting a new writing project. Earlier this year, I was in a major creative slump. I felt like I didn’t have any good ideas and couldn’t find inspiration anywhere. So, I decided that for the month of January, I was going to write a poem a day. Style and length didn’t matter to me; what mattered was the simple act of writing itself. And I’ll tell you, I was shocked by how gratifying and empowering it felt to complete that goal. Were the poems good? Meh. But it got my cogs turning and allowed me to dive into deeper, more meaningful projects later on.

Do a Challenge

Having trouble coming up with goals of your own? Then check out some of the awesome challenges literary magazines, online forums, and bloggers are putting forth to writers during quarantine. My inbox has been flooded by 30-day challenges, writing prompts, and other creative fodder, so I recommend poking around the internet to see if there are any you’d like to take part in. Not only do challenges like this give you a kernel of an idea to work with, but they can help to hold you accountable when the going gets tough.

Join (or Start!) a Virtual Writing Group

Nick Morrison/Unsplash

Speaking of accountability, you may find it useful to join or start a virtual writing group. If you’ve never participated in a writing group before, it’s basically a meeting in which writers gather to share work, provide feedback, and support one another through the creative process. These groups are always useful, but especially so in this time of self-isolation. You could meet weekly, bi-weekly, or maybe just once a month to bounce around ideas and work out kinks in your project.

Be Patient

At the end of the day, the most important thing to do is be patient (and kind!) with yourself. Yes, you technically have a lot of “free time” right now, but that doesn’t mean you have to produce your magnum opus. You don’t have to write a poetry collection. You don’t have to create anything of substance at all. Drop the pressure and write because it feeds your soul, or helps you process this truly surreal time. Remember: Productivity isn’t the goal. Creativity is.

Need more quarantine advice? Then check out our guide to all the fantastic things you can do while isolating at home!

Cody Gohl
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Cody Gohl is a Brooklyn-based writer who enjoys covering a wide range of topics, including travel, fashion, literature, LGBT…
The first trailer for the final season of Squid Game is here
The show will return for its third and final season on June 27
The cast of season 3 of Squid Game.

After a long delay between the show's third and second seasons, the third season of Squid Game is coming less than a year after the second. Now, we've got our first trailer for the new season, and it follows up on the major cliffhanger that ended the show's second season. The second and third seasons were filmed at the same time and written as a single long arc.

The first teaser for season 3 suggests that Player 456 and the Front Man will meet one last time. It also reminds us that the show has more twists and turns to come, and promises to bring the story it started all those years ago to a satisfying conclusion.

Read more
Nina Dobrev talks love for F1 & the ‘electric’ feeling of race day
From Netflix to the paddock: Nina Dobrev on her passion for Formula One
Nina Dobrev holds a Peroni and smiles.

When Nina Dobrev first attended an F1 event over a decade ago, she went as a casual observer. Similar to many recent Formula One fans, she streamed Netflix's Drive to Survive and immediately fell in love with the sport. Fast-forward to now, and Dobrev is all-in with F1 thanks to her greater appreciation for the world-class drivers and their sensational teams.

This past weekend, Dobrev attended the 2025 Miami Grand Prix on behalf of Peroni Nastro Azzurro 0.0% to support their iconic partner, Scuderia Ferrari HP. The Vampire Diaries star is also friends with Lewis Hamilton, one of the greatest drivers in F1 history, who competes for Ferrari.

Read more
8 intense and gripping movies like Sinners to watch next
These movies are just like Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's hit
Michael B Jordan in Sinners

Sinners is the biggest original movie of 2025 so far. With an overabundance of franchises and retreads, fans have fervently crowded theaters to see Ryan Coogler and Michael B. Jordan's next collaboration. The movie follows twin brothers who must fight back against evil spirits in a Mississippi town after returning to civilian life following World War I. The mix of racial commentary, social analysis, and beautiful set pieces has transfixed viewers to the big screen so far.

Going to a movie two or three times is always a good antidote for your movie craving, but if you've already exhausted your Sinners allotment for the time being, it might be best to look for similar films. Vampires, period pieces, racial implications, and so much more feature in this wide array of movies like Sinners. We've got you covered right here.

Read more