How do you write creatively when you’re living through a pandemic? Is it even possible? I spoke to a lovely bunch of writers who gave me their top tips:

1. Try to set a routine, and carve out some time away from other demands. @mserinkelly wakes at dawn so she can cram in 3 hours' work before the kids get up. @callytaylor writes between 3pm and 7pm, 'having got home-schooling, exercise and lunch out of the way.’

2. Shut off the internet. Or at least find an app that blocks certain sites. @radiomukhers says ‘Set aside a few hours when you can keep distractions to a minimum. Switch off the phone and the internet and the Zoom, lock the kids in the basement and just write.’

3. Don your ear defenders. I invested in a decent pair a while ago and they were worth every penny. Others prefer to listen to music, cafe noise, or even white noise to put them in the writing zone.

4. Find diversions for the kids. This sign I stuck to to my door had no effect. @mredwards' advice is: ‘Buy your children lots of new video games and don’t let them into your office with a NERF gun while you’re trying to work.’

5. Work in short bursts. Many use the Pomodoro technique, writing in twenty-minute bursts. @Toryscott says, ‘I have young kids, so I'd snatch 20 minutes while they were eating, or playing outside, or watching TV. Setting a timer for 20 mins seems to help, too.’

6. Find ways to motivate yourself. Angela Clarke has broken her days into 4-hour blocks, and shades in what she’s done. @LadyGrimdark has changed where she works and is focussing on ‘writing the bits I want to write, rather than ploughing through chapters that aren't coming'.

7. Lower your expectations and give yourself a break. @LWilsonCrime says, ‘Manage your expectations - if you can only do half, or even a quarter, of your normal word count, so be it.’ It seems many of us were unable to write for the first month.

8. Go outside, walk, run, jump, dance. I go running (not very fast) four or five times a week. Other writers go walking, cycling, or just spend time outside. I think it’s probably essential for mental well-being in general but it makes a big difference to my writing.

That's it. That's all I've got. That and 'get the men doing constant drilling outside your house to stop goddamn drilling.' If you have any top tips, I'd love to hear them.