10 Surprising Things Writers Have to be Grateful for in 2020

No one would argue this year has been a tough one.

Book launches were canceled or delayed. Workshops shifted from the fun and inspiring in-person variety to the less personal and not-as-exciting online variety. Book signings disappeared almost entirely. Agents and publishers closed their doors to new submissions.

But we will be celebrating Thanksgiving this week in the United States, which reminds us of how important it is to express our gratitude for those blessings we still have.

To get the ball rolling, I’ve listed 10 things writers have to be grateful for this year. What would you add to the list?

1. Mask mandates allowed us to people-watch even more inconspicuously than usual.

Part of a writer’s job is to spy on other people. It’s how we learn about human behavior, quirks, habits, and more. We watch, take notes, then insert our favorite characteristics into our stories.

But let’s face it. People feel uncomfortable when you stare at them. With mask mandates, we can spy even more frequently without people noticing. Half or more of our faces are covered after all.

It looks like we’ll be wearing these for at least another several months, so take advantage of the moment. Head out to the park or the grocery store and people-watch to your heart’s content, then write more realistically about your characters. It’s all in service of good art!

2. Government shutdowns gave us more time to write. (There was nothing else to do, anyway.)

When the majority of the government shutdowns occurred early in the year, many writers suddenly found themselves less busy than usual. With restaurants and theaters closed and concerts and sporting events canceled, many of us suddenly had more time on our hands.

It was natural to feel bored at first, but hopefully, you took advantage of the moment to get more writing done. Even if you didn’t then, you still have time! Many states have enacted new shutdowns, which is super sad for small businesses, but writers can think of it as another opportunity to finish those stories.

3. The value of vitamin D became more apparent.

If you weren’t already taking vitamin D supplements before the pandemic hit, I hope you’ve strongly considered taking them since. Writing and Wellness reported on studies early this year suggesting that vitamin D helped protect people from the virus while potentially making it less severe in those who contracted it.

Recent scientific research has also shown that low levels of vitamin D put you at risk not only for catching the virus but suffering a more severe form of it. If you’re not getting out into the sunshine with unprotected skin (minus sunscreen) for at least 30 minutes a day, consider taking a vitamin D supplement of about 1,000 IUs per day. (Always check with your doctor first.)

We don’t know yet if supplements will help, but if you can’t get outside or don’t want to expose your skin to the sun, supplements may be worth a try. Vitamin D is important for several health reasons, so this is one nutrient you don’t want running low in your system.

4. We gained precious time to exercise and get healthy.

The biggest excuse writers have for not exercising? “I don’t have time!” But exercise is critical not only for maintaining general physical health but for improving a writer’s focus and creativity. We must find time for it, and the pandemic granted us that.

If you haven’t yet started on an exercise program, why not now? Maybe you still can’t go to the gym, but you can invest in some home fitness equipment or simply take a walk every day. Let this year be the year you get in shape! Your writing will benefit from it.

5. We became even closer to our pets.

Our pets have always been important to us. They are the ones who are with us in our most focused and creative moments. They are our pals during the exciting and discouraging times, and they see us through no matter what.

This year, as we spent more time at home, our pets became even more important. They helped us chase away isolation while reminding us that there’s always something good about the day.

According to a recent survey from TD Ameritrade, 33% of Americans considered fostering or adopting a pet during the COVID-19 pandemic. You may have been one of them. Whether you have a new friend or simply got closer to the one you had, you can thank this year for allowing you to more fully appreciate your furry pal.

(For more on what pet is best for you, check out our post, “The Best Pet for a Writer’s Health and Wellbeing.”)

6. The world offered us great fodder for the imagination.

If you write fantasy, science fiction, thriller, horror, dystopian, or other similar genres, this year probably inspired a lot of new ideas!

I thought it was kind of humorous how all the “pandemic” movies came back during this time, including “Contagion,” “World War Z,” “Outbreak” and more. These were great movies that were fun to watch (when we weren’t actually going through it!), and I can’t imagine a writer who didn’t think up some new storylines amid all the chaos.

Everything is material to a writer, as they say, so when we can step aside from the many real tragedies that occurred to families and their businesses, we have the option to use what we’ve personally experienced in our work.

7. We realized how important it is to have a dedicated writing space.

For many writers, this pandemic made it especially clear how important it is to have a dedicated writing space.

Maybe you had to work from home for the first time, or your partner did, or your kids needed the home computer to do their online schoolwork. Many writers found their writing spaces taken over by the rest of the family out of necessity, and as a result, ended up without their usual writing nook. Others who regularly wrote in cafes and other public spaces found those places shut down and felt lost without a creative home.

If something like this happened to you, don’t be surprised if it drastically affected your output. Individual space is extremely important to the creative process. Hopefully, you found a new space or your original one has been returned to you by now.

Either way, you’ve likely learned to appreciate that “room for writing” even more than you did before. If you don’t have a writing space or have never had one, take the next few weeks to change that. If it’s time to update yours, check out our post, “7 Ways You Need to Change Your Work Area to Improve Your Writing.”

8. We learned to appreciate in-person signings and workshops.

What a challenge so many writers’ organizations faced this year when it came to managing workshops and conventions! With government guidelines limiting gatherings, most of them had to cancel their in-person events. Most also valiantly transferred to an online format, and continued their commitment to author education and networking with a lot of hard work and extra time.

We’re all grateful for the effort put in by these organizations and the people in them. But I think this year also made us all realize how helpful it is to gather with other writers in person. There’s nothing like the energy you feel in a room full of writers.

As someone who’s both attended and spoken at writer’s workshops, I know I’ve missed the personal interaction this year, and I can’t wait for the day when we can all meet in person again.

9. We understood the value of writing for writing’s sake—since no publishers were open anyway.

Agents, editors, and publishers pretty much closed their doors to submissions for most of this year. Those that didn’t simply took much longer to respond to queries and submissions, if they responded at all.

We’re seeing some start to open up again, but during this time, writers seeking traditional publishing contracts have had to face the prospect that they may not be able to see their work published for a very long time.

Self-publishers faced similar difficulties, though many were able to pivot more easily to online book launches and tours. But self-publishers experienced delays too, and many were discouraged by canceled book signings and speaking engagements.

Most of us kept writing anyway and had the opportunity to remember that the writing itself brings the greatest rewards. Publishing completes the process and can be very fulfilling, but it’s the writing that keeps us coming back for more.

Either way, we’ve all had a chance to think more seriously about what writing means to us in good times and bad.

What did you decide? Hopefully, you determined that writing is a part of your life, no matter what—even when the apocalypse is bearing down!

10. Our fellow writers! Who else would get what this year has been like for us?

The biggest blessing in our writing lives this year? Our writing buddies, of course! Who else knows what it’s all been like for us? Who else encourages us, supports us, and allows us to vent when we need to?

I think this year highlighted the importance of having connections with other writers. Many of us would have been much more isolated without our online and local writing friends, so here’s to our supportive community and all they do for us.

I’m grateful to all of you and encourage you to close out this year with your most productive writing period yet.

What are you grateful for in 2020?