Blogs

It's hard to isolate creativity - even during a pandemic.

In February Terri Reinhart's family moved from Colorado to Massachusetts, just weeks before a stay-at-home advisory was issued. In an effort to feel more connected to their new neighbors, Terri and her daughter began "publishing" a newsletter, which they email to a small, but growing, circulation list.

"Once we became homebound, I decided our neighborhood needed its own newspaper," she writes. "My hope is that when this is over and we can all get together, we'll have more of a connection."

In New York City, Jessica Delfino, comedian, musician, writer and mom, is staging a free couch concert, jam and sing-along on Facebook Live every night. Los Angeles-based actor/comic Mayur Chauhan has started doing stand-up comedy from his kitchen, based on audience-suggested topics. From Northern California author Diane Dean-Epps is producing daily, energetic dance videos.

Check out these free webinars and online classes:

Humorist Judy Carter, author ofThe Comedy BibleandThe Message of You, is offering her comedy and speaking courses free of charge.Sign up here.

1 p.m. (EST), Saturday, April 4: free webinar, "How to Get Published Successfully," hosted by Arielle Eckstut and David Henry Sterry, "the Book Doctors." Join here. Anyone can watch, but to participate in the group chat and ask questions, you will need to sign into YouTube using a YouTube/Google account.

10 a.m. (Pacific), Saturday, April 18: Jim Azevedo of Smashwords is offering a free online Author Education Day. "It's a one-day intensive on ebook publishing best practices," he says. Topics include publishing trends, the secrets of ebook publishing success and book launch strategies. For more information or to register, visit https://www.smashwords.com/authorday.

Other free resources for #WritersAtHome:

Writer's Digest is offering free access to its tutorial sites for a month. Click here for all the details.

Scribd is providing free access to its audiobooks, ebooks and magazines for 30 days.

Fleetwood Onsite Recording, the workshop's recording service, is offering a number offree recordings for streamingto help writers hone their craft, laugh - and be inspired. From Phil Donahue's heartfelt, funny memories of Erma to creative writing professor Shannon Olson's advice on writing anecdotes,these eight free recordingswill lift your spirits while homebound. If you like these and want more, Fleetwood is offeringpackages and complete workshop conferencesat discount pricing, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the workshop.

For struggling writers:

AuthorsPublish.comhas compiled a list of emergency funds for writers, some set up specifically for the current public health crisis.

Be well, writers!

- Teri Rizvi

Teri Rizvi is the founder and director of the Erma Bombeck Writers' Workshop at the University of Dayton, where she serves as executive director of strategic communications