Can't Travel? Can you write about being locked in?

 There are three basic plots, fight, flight and siege. We are in siege. Covid-19. In 2020. In the UK. 


In the USA, Singapore, New Zealand. Everywhere.

 If you want to write a trilogy, your life now has all the elements of siege. 

Characters

You have umpteen characters, in the UK, USA, China, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Israel. The powerful and political: the president and health minister and hospital chief. The middle tier of workers: doctor, nurse, policeman, train driver.

The family members: overseas American sisters and their Chinese boyfriends. The UK family split between two countries, UK and USA. The nurse, the unemployed and angry, the child without school friends, the teenager missing exams, the grandparent everybody wants to save. 

Suspense
The street patrols, the disguises behind masks, the stockpiling of food, the fights in the shops, the children bringing illness back to parents,

Plot Twists
The suspicion that the friendly nation sending help has caused the disease accidentally or deliberately, the fear that the government is hiding the true death toll,

Romance and light relief
 The singing from the balconies. The lovers on opposite sides of the street who cannot meet but signal messages. Their final meeting. 

Personal Stories
I have plenty of personal stories of my own. Flying from Singapore to the UK and from the UK to Singapore. Hearing that friends are in lock down.

Weddings
A family wedding postponed, then cancelled indefinitely. The catering, the invitations, the venue, the officiants, the insurance.

Secrets
My family overseas don't tell me they had the flu until weeks later because they didn't want to worry me. 

Who can write
If you don't want to write it, I can. Anybody want to join my weekly creative writing course class? Friday 10 am-10.30 for one person, to 11 pm for two or more, UK time. US $50 dollars (or equivalent) per lesson. Zoom, Skype, Learncool, whatever suits you.

Useful Websites
BBC news
Daily Mail
New York Times
China Morning Post

Author, Author! About the Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. (Not related to the actress.) See books and profiles on Lulu.com and Amazon, such as Wedding Speeches & Toasts, Quick Quotations, Who Said What When. Also watch videos on YouTube.

See other posts on singers and statues and languages and destinations.

Please share links to your favourite posts.