Hey cHEwY gum gums!

I’ve always been a fan of watching sport and it doesn’t get any bigger than the Olympics. I have fond memories of the Sydney’s Olympics as a teen, and ever since then, I’ve been sleep deprived every 4 years, glued to the TV. Tokyo’s time difference has been quite kind, so all the good stuff is in prime time. And when I say prime time, I mean all the time.

Sydney lockdown means I can have the Olympics in the background and it’s really helped my writing routine during the day. After the 11am press conference with the NSW Premier, I dash to watch the swimming finals and then random sports in the afternoon and evening, chipping away at my current manuscript. Thanks to the Olympics Channel 7 app, I can tune into whatever sport I want to, so I’ve been watching volleyball, fencing, weightlifting…random sports that I would never watch outside of the Olympics.

Normally I can’t write and watch TV at the same time. I prefer to listen to something, whether it’s talk-back radio, YouTube or podcasts, so my eyes can focus on the laptop. But this is a special occasion and it’s the best kind of distraction. As I watch these athletes perform and display a whole range of emotions, it feels like for a moment, that the world is kinda normal again. If only for a moment. That’s enough for me, as we still have a fair bit of lockdown time left.

So will my own manuscript be influenced by the Olympics? Haha maybe, we’ll find out. Seeing these athletes train all their lives for a shot of Gold and glory is pretty cool. But I’ve been enjoying the underdog stories even more, the ones who are just happy to participate and be a part of it. I’ve got characters in my current story who want a gold medal of sorts. As a writer, we absorb everything and I’m sure subconsciously things will seep into my next story.

Call it good timing, but I’ll keep enjoying the Olympics and Paralympics, which will take us to Spring…and hopefully a step closer out of lockdown 🙂

So writers, have the Olympics inspired your own writing?

O.W