Things to Do While Stuck at Home

During this time, Americans are stuck at home. Even though many states are allowing stores and other businesses to open, people are not flocking to the gathering places. They are still afraid to catch a virus or disease. Many people are bored and trying to come up with things to do. Here are some tips for you.

Home Projects

Now is the perfect time to tackle those home projects. You could do spring cleaning and declutter your home. If your project involves more than cleaning, you also could order from Home Depot online or another retailer and get materials for your projects delivered to your door. If you want to put up new shelving in your closet, you could get the materials and begin hammering away. Just avoid making disasters in your home.

Discover New Things

So many videos are available online that you could learn almost anything while you are at home. You could learn a new language or a new skill. I want a patio for my back yard. I am not handy. Neither is my husband. But, I want to learn how to create a patio in my yard and actually build it. When I have learned the new skill, I will be able to use that information for other projects. It will be scary at first, but it will be worth the effort.

Write a Book

Because this blog is for budding writers, I am including this idea. If you are afraid to leave your house, you can sit at your computer and write a book. It could be fiction or nonfiction. It could be designed to pass your stories to your children and grandchildren. The book might be a memoir or inspirational. The book might include characters that you have seen in your head for a long time. The topic of the book doesn't matter as long as it is something you want to pursue. You could write your book using notebook and a pen if you don't want to use a computer. You also could write it using your phone or a tape recorder.

Cook Something New

The Internet is full of recipes that you could try. However, The Dressing Table, a cookbook due out June 1 has a section of recipes inspired by the COVID-19 situation. Because grocery stores had empty shelves and pantries lack certain items, these recipes are ones that could be cooked with items you have on hand or remain on store shelves. You also can order these ingredients from stores online sites.

Therefore, you can find things to do while you remain at home. Search the Internet for other ideas on what you can do at home.

Comments

Settings Give You Time and Place

In addition to my editing , writing and marketing , I also coach writing for fiction and nonfiction . Many people are unsure how to start. I like to start with characters and setting. When you begin a novel, you have to decide on a setting. It is more than a place. Settings also include time of day, seasons and the year a novel takes place. Settings also could be a state of mind. For example, sometimes, novels are set in people's minds where the main character has created a world. Sci-Fi and Fantasy use people's minds as a setting a lot. Inception or Ready Player 1 are two movies that are primarily in people's minds. All my novels take place in Philadelphia in modern day. The times and seasons fluctuate depending on what the story is. Many are near the Delaware River, which is the above picture. In my latest book, The 1776 Soldier , I have two settings, one set in fall of 1776 and one in fall of 2023. This was my first time using two different settings. It was a ...

How to Save Money and Environment

For this year's Earth Day, I plan to write tips on how small businesses can help the environment and still save money. Usually, I debunk myths about the environment, but I have done a few of those blogs. If you want to read about those myths, you can click on the link. Buy Remanufactured Electronics -- Computers, cell phones, electronics and old gadgets are filling up landfills at a high rate. Most computer components and cell phones can't be recycled. With cell phone companies, they ask consumers to replace their phone every two or three years. Then, they choose not to support the older software, which means people have to throw away their phones for a new one even though they have one that works fine. Small business owners can buy remanufactured computers or toner to save money and the environment. These computers put newer components in older casings, which means they do not end up in landfills. They are usually several hundred dollars cheaper than those that are brand ne...

How to Write Characters in Your Fiction

Authors have to figure out their characters first before they begin plotting or creating a setting. Sometimes, the characters and setting come at the same time, such as a lady in Regency England. When authors determine the characters, they are able to fit a setting around them. Here are things to consider when writing characters . Sometimes, authors are unsure how many characters are enough for a story. The answer depends on the type of fiction and author's taste. Fantasy authors often use 10 to 12 main characters to build out a world while romance authors can stick to about four or five. Children's authors use one or two. You need interaction, world-building and suspense, but you also do not want to confuse your reader with two many characters. This confusion often shows up in movies when directors pack a movie with characters and fail to develop them. If you are unsure, let someone outside your genre read it to tell you. The most believable characters have ...

The LAST Word

Search This Blog