What are Quarantine stories?
Quarantine Stories are a short collection of fictional romance stories that take place during the quarantine. Creatively I started to think about fictional scenarios where characters would be “stuck” together living through similar circumstances that most of the globe now find themselves in. These stories can be fun, heartbreaking, and awkward just like in real life right now. I had this idea in late March. I think this might be an interesting creative exercise to write a series of very short stories where the only rule of the story is that the characters must be stuck together in quarantine. The quarantine rules do not have to match current laws set by global governments, there is a bit of creativity here.
Why Quarantine stories?
Living through the 2020 Global Coronavirus Pandemic and related quarantine has been a shared global event. I have read so many stories of lives affected, and lives lost. For those lucky enough to remain healthy, we are trying to do our part by staying home, out of crowds to prevent further infection. Each of us will have a real-life quarantine story when we emerge from our isolation but until then, here are a few fictional ones that will hopefully entertain you during quarantine.
Introducing: The Insufferable Writer’s Podcast
The Insufferable Writer’s Podcast came about one afternoon, as I heard myself saying, “I don’t mean to be an insufferable writer here, but…” I am a writer. I can honestly be completely insufferable when it comes to writing, or better yet workshopping a book. If you are unsure if you are an insufferable writer, just…
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A Writer’s Year in Review: 2020
I like many am so ready to see the end of 2020. It has been a terrifying, heartbreaking, and odd year. It has also been a year of new opportunities for me as well. I started the year professionally, with a massive promotion to run the marketing department for a national company, and was chosen…
Life is Vivid, Rich and Creative Right Now.
So I finished another novel over the weekend. As cliche as it sounds, I dreamt this one too, or at least the basis of it. I am always fascinated in the ways that inspiration comes seeping up into my writing. I think there was a lot of influence from current events and the political landscape.…
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Being a Full-Time-ish Writer One Month On
Hello all. Boy time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? A little over a month ago I stepped away from my job in the corporate world to devote my time writing full time AND to assist my kids with their elearning. As the school year for my grade school aged children began, it was…
Quarantine Stories is now In-Print!
Dreams do come true, when you work for them. Today, Quarantine Stories launched in print edition for sale. I would imagine that any time that any author put out a book, self-published or otherwise, it’s a big deal. To me, today means so much more than simply putting my work out into the world, which…
How to Write a Book Blurb & An Author Bio: The Journey to Publishing Continues
Last week, I shared some exciting news, that Quarantine Stories is going to be my first self-published book. This week the journey continues as I work my way towards publishing what I hope will be the first of many successful books. Last Thursday, I sent my manuscript off to my copyeditor, all 96K words of…
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Quarantine Stories #20: Maggie, Greenly & Abel
“Come stay with us,” was how it had all started. If I could go back and change things I would, but I can’t. I’ve made such a mess of things. It all started with Maggie’s offer. She and I worked together and watched in fear and apprehension as the global pandemic spread. I was new…
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Quarantine Stories # 19: Charis and Ben
**** This story contains mature content and is intended for adult audiences only**** “You know, you could always stay with us,” Ben said. “I think this is going to be much worse than anyone is letting on. Have you seen the news out of New York?” I shook my head that I hadn’t as I…
Quarantine Stories #17: Julie & Luke
My husband of the past eleven years, and I would be officially divorced by midnight tonight. I stood in what had once been our kitchen as I looked over the paperwork. The house that I had painstakingly redone, going room by room was now his. I considered it a painful price for my freedom. Don’t…
Quarantine Stories #16: Taylor & Greg
Greg was a great dad to his three daughters, that’s what attracted me most to him. I met him and Kailey, Ellie, and Annie when I replied to an ad on social media for a nanny. I graduated from college mid-year, and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to put some money away while I was…
Quarantine Stories #15: Meyer and Nathan
“So, groceries have been ordered and should be here before four. You’ll be able to reach me by phone, text, the normal. Let me think, is there anything else?” Meyer asked as she recounted her mental checklist. She stopped speaking at the sound of Nathan’s phone ringing. Meyer had taken the job as Nathan’s assistant…
Quarantine Stories #14: Ellie & Henry
I’m here by choice, I kept telling myself. You have a home to return to when this is all over. You decided to come here, and look after your parents through this, you’re here by choice. My mom and dad were older when they had me, Ellie, short for Elliot, their only child. They were…
Quarantine Stories #13: Isabel & John
“You’ll be fine they assured me, just get in, close the deal and you’ll be home in no time,” Andrea had said. I was dumb enough to believe her. Ignoring the media, and the risks I got on the plane and flew to Detroit to close this deal. There was a lot of money on…
Quarantine Stories #12: Katie, Paolo & Ken
My phone buzzed again; shit I knew it was him. As the woman wasn’t, I supposed to be the overly attached one in this scenario. I stood in my perfect kitchen, in my perfect house, baking cookies during quarantine, playing perfect wife and mother to the life I had built. Well, quarantine life was not…
Quarantine Stories #11: Hailey & Adam
“Stary, start night,” he sang to me softly in the darkness of my bedroom that had become our bedroom. I hated that I needed him this much, but the truth was I did. His voice soft and gentle, soothed my ragged nerves. Six months ago, my whole life was different; the child moving inside of…
Quarantine Stories #10: Lily & James
“Hi, is this seat taken,” I asked jokingly as I stood at a mostly empty bar. The one man sitting in the terminal bar looked at me with a confused look on his face, and I laughed. He smiled, and I took a seat two places away from him. The bartender came around to our…
Quarantine Story #9: Ava & Aaron
(DISCLAIMER: Today’s story is intended for mature audiences due to language and adult content.) Katie and I saw it coming, the quarantine. We work together at the corporate offices of a national insurance company. The afternoon the closed the offices, Katie and I rode the El back up to my place. We had met on…
Quarantine Story #8: Ella & Trevor
Ella glanced at her watch. It was ten p.m. Her neighbor, the doctor usually arrived home at around ten pm. on the dot each night, but not recently. The rhythms of life are what she missed as a global pandemic took hold, and life slowly came to a halt around her. She had paid…
Quarantine Story #7: Drew & Nathan
“Stop peeking, he’s going to see you.” Drew said. “So what, he’s just so weird.” Anna replied, “Leave it to you, my sister, to rent the loft to the weirdest guy on the planet during a pandemic.” “Seriously, get away from the window, it’s rude. Besides, I think I remember my beloved sister telling me…
Quarantine Story #6: Mia & Luke
Mia stepped into the elevator with a weak cup of coffee from the sad pot in her hotel room in hand. She’d get proper coffee after the meeting. Her stomach flipped nervously as the elevator descended. She said a small silent prayer that it would not stop at Luke’s floor. Last night had been awkward;…
Quarantine Story #5: Lindsay & Sam
My body shook. It was too much emotion all at once, and it seemed to ooze out through my body physically as I trembled. “Get out. I never want to see you again!” I shouted. Sam just stood there dumbfounded, in disbelief that I was kicking him out. “Linds, please let me explain, it’s not…
Quarantine Stories #4: Heather & Ellis
Three dots blinking, that means he’s typing. Heather thought to herself. Heather chewed her bottom lip as she held her phone, its glow the only source of light in the dark bedroom. Her husband, Chris slept snoring softly next to her. Heather looked away from the blinking dots on her phone at Chris as he…
Quarantine Stories #3: Lisa & Harry
Lisa crimped the crust tightly on the edge of the cherry pie. Since the quarantine had started she had cooked a lot. It had been a goal to learn how. She always told herself she’d learn when she had a family to cook for. The only other living being in her condo was her old…
Quarantine Stories 2: Ally & Lex
“So you’re staying here then,” Ally asked? “Yeah, I guess, better than going back to my place. If I have to spend the next God knows how long listening to my upstairs neighbor practice for whatever theatre show she’s hoping to be in, I’m going to blow my brains out.” Lex made a gun gesture,…
Quarantine Stories: A Creative Exercise
Gemma woke as Mark’s arm pulled her in closer to him. She opened her eyes not believing it was morning again. She surveyed the yellow walls of the studio apartment, from the futon where she and Mark had spent all weekend in each other’s arms. She rolled over slightly and his eyes opened.
