"Are you going to write about the pandemic? There's so much material!" a few readers asked me.
I smiled. "I will. Later. When it's entertaining instead of scary."
Yes, we're all living through a real-life medical thriller. The most frightening thing, as an emergency doctor, was watching people die in China, Iran, Italy, Spain, the UK, and the US, including medical personnel with inadequate equipment and vulnerable members of the population, knowing that SARS-Cov-2 was marching its way to Canada, and only our relative geographic isolation was buying us time. I frantically tried to educate myself, establish rational policies for our hospital, and advocate nationally for protective equipment and other measures (over 200,000 people signed our petition http://change.org/COVID19frontline.
Right now, Canada is cautiously reopening and encouraging people to keep wearing masks, washing their hands, and isolating themselves when possible. We're crossing our fingers to avoid more fatal surges as much as possible.
And I'm trying to write before the second wave hits.
In the seventh Hope Sze thriller, GRAVEYARD SHIFT, Hope politely interviews her first patient, who tries to strangle her with her own stethoscope—and it deteriorates from there. So it's not a cuddly read, but a page-turner that offers us some flesh and blood villains that we can see and fight and convict.
GRAVEYARD SHIFT
"This is the book I wanted you to write! I wanted to know about your work," said Rhonda, the head of our local book club.
"Well, it's not exactly a typical shift," I hedged.
"I like that Hope was able to solve it on her own, without her men," said my friend Jessica firmly. Although Hope's current boyfriend Tucker shows up in GRAVEYARD SHIFT, her ex-boyfriend, Ryan, has disappeared, and Tucker decides to find him because Hope is tethered to the hospital. So there is a love story, but an unconventional one.
Now I'm working on the eighth Hope Sze crime novel (tentatively titled DEATH STALKER), where Hope and Tucker travel to Egypt. Last year, I took a cruise down the Nile and holidayed on the Red Sea. I'm still learning so much about Egyptian history and culture and trying to pack it into this book.
It's Hope and Tucker's first adventure outside of North America, which Tucker envisions as an idyllic pre-wedding honeymoon. Spoiler: OF COURSE IT IS NOT. First Hope gets sprayed by an airport toilet (this actually happened to me), their travel representative doesn't show up, and then … da da da DAH! Chaos ensues.
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| NOTORIOUS D.O.C. |
Maybe I sound too lighthearted to you.
I know many writers who are blocked and struggling right now. It's hard to write when you are or are close to people who are fighting for their lives, or who've lost their jobs.
I lost at least a month of writing to COVID-19. I concentrated on working at the hospital and speaking to the media about how best to protect our health. But in the end, for my own mental health and well-being, I need to write again. So now I'm back in the saddle, lightly nudging my writing horse to stay on the trail and finish DEATH STALKER before the end of 2020.
I wish the same for you. May we all stay home, wear masks, and wash hands to protect our most vulnerable. May we work on the front lines and behind the lines as best as we can. And may we create and consume stories that buoy our spirits through sacrifice and hardship.
Bio: Melissa Yi is an emergency physician and award-winning writer. Her Dr. Hope Sze medical thrillers, written as Melissa Yi, have been recommended by Publishers Weekly, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, the CBC, and The Globe and Mail, and have been transformed into audio books by Kobo Originals. Yi was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for the best crime story in Canada and the Derringer Award for the best short mystery in the English language. 
THE ITALIAN SCHOOL
FOR ASSASSINS
Under the name Melissa Yuan-Innes, she has also won awards for speculative fiction, poetry, and children’s literature.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dr_sassy
Instagram: melissa.yuaninnes
8 comments:
Thanks for the interesting post, Melissa. Take care.
Canada is lucky to have you and all the other medical/hospital staff working so hard to fight this virus and save lives, Melissa. I hope you have lots of time to rest and recharge before that second wave.
I'm Team Tucker, and will get caught up on Graveyard Shift so I'm ready for Death Stalker, whenever you are able to complete that book. Glad you have time to write. Writing is a stress-reliever that lets you live in a moment in your head that does not involve this pandemic! Like reading, but more intense.
God bless you!
Good call to write about pandemic when we are in the middle of it! I'm glad you found your path back to writing and that is it a stress reliever for you. And I really appreciate you taking an advocating position about PPE's, safe practices in Canada. Looks like you were listened to.
@Lynn, you’re welcome. Take care of yourself too.
@Sarah, thanks for your kind words for hospital staff.
Ooh, a Team Tucker fan! Bless you, and thanks so much for reading and encouraging our creativity during a pandemic. Good inspirations for me to climb back into the writing chair. :)
I hope you keep writing too, my friend. Hard times, but better with us encouraging each other.
@Judith, hello! Thanks for your writing and PPE encouragement.
The trick is, of course, to keep up the safe practices long term. But in the meantime, we write and read and encourage each other. Thanks for providing a safe space here.
Great blog post! Your books sound amazing and I will definitely pick one up to read. Seems like I'm doing a lot more reading these days.
Quarantine=itis is hitting my husband and me hard. As I'm sure it is doing to many others.
Stay safe and thanks for all you do to fight Covid-19 and other illnesses.
Hi @Diana, thank you for picking up one of my books. I really appreciate it.
I know times are tough. Hope that you and your husband were able to get out a bit during the summer.
Stay safe. <3
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