# New Chaotic Reality: Creative Writing Workshops for Long COVID Patients

## TL;DR

Creative writing workshops tailored for Long COVID patients can improve accessibility and engagement by adapting to their needs.

## Contribution

The study introduces adaptable, short-duration online writing workshops designed specifically for Long COVID patients.

## Key findings

- Short-duration online workshops increased accessibility for Long COVID patients with fatigue.
- Traditional workshop structures may deter participation in creative activities for Long COVID patients.
- Literary production can influence the experience and understanding of Long COVID symptoms.

## Abstract

In a widely cited 2017 study, Robinson et al. (2017) found that ‘emotionally expressive’ writing makes physical wounds heal faster when compared to writing that did not engage the emotions. The Writing Long COVID project at Aberystwyth University engaged similar territory in a recent pilot study. Participants’ writing activities explored how literary production can affect a person’s experience of this new chronic condition, as well as contribute to our understanding of its symptoms. In this short essay, I show how we designed a course of short-duration online workshops that increased accessibility for people with Long COVID-related fatigue. I also argue that future Long COVID creative activities should let their timing, venue, content, and structure be influenced by the preferences of the Long COVID patient. The preliminary study suggests that the traditional parameters of the writing workshop, including its duration, could deter participation in potentially beneficial creative activities.