Writing a novel is work. People seem to forget that. It isn’t like relaxing reading a book or watching Netflix.

I don’t know many people who did have an excess of solitude during covid lockdowns. People had kids at home who were supposed to be doing online school, were taking care of parents, were trying to work from home in less than desirable circumstances, were frontline or necessary workers, or were dealing with covid or mental illness. It wasn’t a break if any kind for a lot of people.