Six Weeks into A New Routine

In Alberta, we are six weeks into a new routine, thanks to the pandemic lockdown. For a lot of people, this has been a difficult adjustment period. On a personal level, the changes haven’t been too out of the ordinary for me. I was homeschooled up to the end of junior high, and I have been freelancing for six years. The past has almost tuned me to being at home all the time. Now that it has been a month and a half. People are beginning to adjust here in Alberta and across Canada. New routines and finances are being taken care of – sort of – and a whole lot of video calls are happening. As writers, the isolation is not an uncommon thing.

Welcome to Another Edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

Usually, the Calgary Comic Expo would have happened over the past weekend. Not attending this year has created a strange sense of confusion. Normally, I’d be able to go and see all of the expo friends, fans, and familiar faces. There would be the regular routines that I have had during this period, like the ordinary morning diner I eat at to load up on carbs for another 10 hour day. I would have also launched a new book in the spring, and the book would become the primary focus at book signings and conventions. Fire, Pain, & Ruin is still launching, just digitally. Most of the world is moving to a digital realm. I read an interesting article on BookBub that expanded on readers’ buying habits during the pandemic. E-books have gone up in popularity, and so have free books.

More Time Being Six Weeks into A New Routine

All the time that I spend preparing for conventions, driving, attending, and the follow-ups afterward, are no longer relevant. Six weeks into a new routine has allowed me to write, read, and enjoy some leisurely time. From writing perspective, I am still going forward with a number of projects that are on the backburner. Aiming for Mortal: Mental Damnation IV to launch in the summer. Most of these releases, unfortunately, will have to be digital until all of this is over. Short stories happening on the blog, where the two-year mark since launch occurred this April. There are some anthologies I am submitting to, and new novels in the works. Maybe I can partake in NaNoWriMo this year!

Hobbies & Routines

In addition to the writing, I am beginning to explore music again. All the chaos and hustling from last year prevented me from composing anything new. That bugged me. By no means do I expect to make a career from it, but that is not the point. Some things you must do just for you. They feed the soul. Doesn’t that sound like hippie-dippy nonsense? It is true though. Anyone who has a hobby knows this. Hobbies are healthy. They allow you to break away from your regular thought patterns and to explore yourself.

Around this time is also when the contract work starts to slow down. April is always busy, this year was no different. May is a different story. After six years, you can begin to see patterns happening, yet no one saw a pandemic happening. We will see what May has to bring. If I am busy with contract work, then I will keep us with the routine. If it is quiet, that just means I get more time to write and share exciting stories with you all. Also dive deeper into the audio realm of music.

For now, we should keep ourselves occupied with staying in contact with our friends and family, hobbies, and building new routines. Having a purpose really helps us get up in the morning, otherwise he will just lay bed, frustrated, sad, and unhappy. Now that we have had time to adjust, six weeks into a routine six weeks into a routine, it’s essential to keep our heads up. Trust me, the days off that I have, I don’t want to get up either.

Beer Note: Alleycat Chili Lager

The chilli lager is an exclusive beer from Alleycat only available at DaDeo restaurant. I’ve had this beer plenty of times and LOVE it. Usually you can only have it at the restaurant. Considering the pandemic, they are offering curbside pickup with growler-sized drinks to go. So, of course I got it. If you’re in Edmonton, give this one a go. It’s not too spicy but offers enough of a kick to add some flavour. Easy to drink and makes you want a second.