No matter the distance and isolation, there are those who continue to be a beacon, allowing us to feel connected despite difficult times. SM Colgan discusses just this and more in today's chat about her pages penned in pandemic.
What does the pandemic currently look like in your city?
Where I am we're in a state of semi-lockdown with non-essential retail closed as well as pubs and restaurants. Non-essential travel outside of 5km is forbidden, but the schools are open though university is all online. The capacity on public transport is down to 25%, which makes is nerve-wracking on the days that I do have to go to my place of work in case there isn't space on the bus when it comes time for me to go home. It's a low-level hum of constant anxiety and I realize I'm more fortunate than many for the fact that I live in a rural area and have a small woodland within my 5km where I can go to walk and think.
What are some favorite books you've read during quarantine?
I've read so many books it's a job to keep track of them. Most of them have been history books, and two of my favorites have been History's Daughter by Máire MacSwiney Brugha and Terence MacSwiney: The Hunger Strike that Rocked an Empire by Dave Hannigan. I've read some novels as well, with two standouts being Valiant Gentlemen by Sabina Murray and The Art of Dying by Ambrose Parry. I've been reading some poetry, and the collection that's stuck with me the most has been The Apprentice of Fever by Richard Tayson.
Have there been any movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. that have helped keep you at ease the past few months?
I find it difficult watching films and tv shows at the best of times, but I did rewatch “Wynonna Earp” in anticipation of Season 4. The biggest thing that has kept me going has been a range of hyper-fixations over the last few months, ranging from different aspects of Irish history to WWI medicine.
How has the pandemic affected your writing?
The pandemic has given me space to explore ideas I wouldn't have had time to before. With both my university and most of my work having moved online, I found myself with a lot more time to read and think about different ideas which has fed into my writing. In July I gained the confidence to submit to lit journals and it proved somewhat more successful than I expected which has encouraged me to keep submitting. I have more confidence in my writing than I did before and have become more experimental with style and form. In some ways I feel freer than I used to, and have grown into my identity as a writer.
Are there any projects you are excited to keep working on? If so, can you give us any details (no spoilers please!) about your project?
I have several projects at different stages of development, with the main two being novels. One is on the 4th draft, the other is tentatively in the planning stages, and as it is a piece of historical fiction grounded in real events most of the work on it will have to wait until I can physically access the archives which hold the documents I need for research. The one that's on the 4th draft is coming on very well though!
If asked ten years from now what the past few months have taught you about being a writer, what would come to mind?
The fact that I've forgotten about being self-conscious. I've learned to write what I want to write and to do it in the way that I want to do it and not how I feel someone else thinks it should be done. Basically, I've learned the necessity of doing my own thing, and I'm happy to keep doing that for as long as possible.
Have there been any fellow writers or people in your life who have helped you stay connected during the pandemic?
I have a very dear friend who lives a very long way away with whom I've been in daily contact thanks to the internet. She's been an endless source of encouragement to me, especially with my creative projects, and it means the world to have someone with whom I can talk openly about these things.
Is there anything that excites you about the changes being incited in the publishing world in light of recent events?
All the new lit mags! It's so so exciting to see how many have blossomed at this time and the rich variety of them delights me.
Are you a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I'm somewhere in between when it comes to long projects. I plot a certain amount and see where it takes me and I'm never afraid to chuck an idea in favor of something else. This hasn't changed but I've definitely become more confident at doing it. For short projects I normally start with a line or an idea and see what happens. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.
Where is your favorite place to write? Has this changed during the pandemic?
I can write anywhere—I'm easy like that!—but one of my favorite places was always the café in the university library, which is lost to me now, as well as a particular pub. Who knows when I'll ever be back to them, but with the loss of them my favorite place to write has become my bed.
If you curated a playlist for writing life in the pandemic, what top 5 songs would be on your list?
1.) “epiphany” by Taylor Swift
2.) “Orpheus” by Sara Bareilles
3.) “The Iolaire” by Skippinish
4.) “The Windmills of Your Mind” by Sinne Eeg
5.) “If I Needed You” by Townes Van Zandt
Most of these are songs and artists I've only discovered during the pandemic so I'll forever associate them with it.
Without too many spoilers, what is your favorite scene you've written since the pandemic began?
I've written several little scenes about non-sexual intimacy and serious illness and I love each of them deeply.
While the future is just as unknowable as ever, what is something you are most looking forward to this year?
I keep dreaming of making a pilgrimage to the Connemara Gaeltacht, and I'll keep dreaming of it until such a time as it is possible.
Is there any advice you would give to young writers during this time?
If you feel like you should put words down, then put them down. They might not turn into anything right then, but once they exist on paper you can always come back to them.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
It's great to get a chance to reflect about these things!
ABOUT sm colgan
SM Colgan (she/her) is a bi writer living somewhere in Ireland. Her work focuses on emotion, history, sexuality, and relationships, romantic and otherwise. She writes to understand people who are and have been, and to ease the yearning in her heart. Her most recent prose pieces have been published with October Hill Magazine and The Lumiere Review.
To learn more, follow SM and her writing journey on Twitter.
Thanks for chatting, SM!
