Isolation, Hardship, and Hidden Cost: The Dark Side of Going Off-Grid

The Harsh Realities of Off-Grid Living: A Fiction Writer’s Guide

Living off the grid sounds like the ultimate freedom—no utility bills, no nosy neighbors—but reality paints a different picture. In this episode, we’re exposing the hidden struggles that fiction writers must consider for realistic storytelling. How do characters handle medical emergencies when the nearest doctor is miles away? What happens when insulin needs refrigeration? Isolation, self-entertainment, farm chemicals, unpredictable weather, and the financial burden of repairs—all these elements shape authentic off-grid narratives. Every trip to town feels like an expedition, and survival depends on more than just grit. If you're crafting a story that hinges on realism, these overlooked details will elevate your writing.

#Worldbuilding #FictionWritingTips #WritingRealisticCharacters 

Transcript

Living off the grid sounds romantic—no nosy neighbors, no utility bills, just pure freedom. But what happens when reality sets in? In this second part of our series, we’re diving into the hidden struggles of off-grid life that fiction writers can’t afford to overlook. From the long trek to medical help—if medicine even exists in your world—to the challenges of storing insulin without refrigeration, self-entertainment in isolation, isolation itself, and the costly repairs that make modern conveniences a double-edged sword. We’ll uncover farm chemicals, why the weather can make or break a harvest, and how every trip into town feels like a journey in and of itself. If your story hinges on realism, these details will take your story to the next level.

Welcome to Writing Rural with Alley, the fiction writer’s weekly inspiration station for rural life and lifestyles, from historical to post-apocalyptic, helping you bring your rural stories to life! I’m Alley, and this is episode #108, Isolation, Hardship, and Hidden Cost: The Dark Side of Going Off-Grid. Stick around to the end to find out all the ways things could possibly go wrong in your story. Now, let’s get into this.

Last week we left off at medicine after an apocalypse, so let’s pick back up here. In modern times, if you’re off the grid character wants medicine, they will have to do one of a few things. Drive all the way into town. Or if they are far off the grid, such as the Alaskan wilderness, they will have to trek into a town, however far away that is. 

For this very reason, most of us stock up on basic medicine before we need it. Acetaminophen, aspirin, cold and flu meds, bandaids, hot water bottles, ice packs, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, allergy meds, and these types of things. In fact, one of my favorite baby shower gifts was infant Tylenol. I would have never thought to get it before the first time my child was sick. Something I never made the mistake of with the rest of my kids. 

Another important one is that if there is no electricity, how will your character keep any meds that need refrigerated cool enough? Insulin is the one that comes to mind, but some other types of meds need to be refrigerated. Small solar generators could be used to run a mini refrigerator. Ice could be used in a cooler, if they lived in an area where ice was accessible. Most gas stations carry ice, and rural areas do have gas stations unless they are too far into the wilderness. If it was winter, snow in a cooler would do. There are also ice houses, and spring houses that work like refrigerators, and would do. 

Other things about being in rural settings means, your characters’ will have to travel to find, do, or will just have to live without, include, but are not limited to, going out to eat, getting groceries and/or animal feed, new clothing, new shoes (as they wear out faster out here), tools, the DMV, or in historical times, to church or the general store. Most rural places, at least in my area, have churches that are not too far. 

All this is to say, going to town is or at least can be an ordeal, and most people will limit how many times they do it. Wilderness off the grid is normally only once or twice a year. Closer to towns are once or twice a week. Most people I know do one a week to once a month. It seems the older people get the longer between trips, but that might just be the people I know. 

Speaking of how far off the grid people are, this can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness. If your character is an extrovert and feels energized by being around people, this could be torture for them. I can tell you that even introverts can start to feel like this after a time. My father is one of those examples. He was thrilled to retire and not have to deal with people every day. He even did great only going to town once a month for years, but after a few years, he would be lonely and started looking forward to seeing people. One thing we all noticed is that without people there to speak with often less common words seemed to sometimes be forgotten, and he would use simpler words and phrasing. 

Another thing to consider is that people living in rural life (unless they are rich) need to know how to do a little bit of everything. Let me give you an example. If my water pipes sprung a hole, I would need to turn to be able to either water at the well house, or cut the power to it. Ok, I know, many city people know how to do that too, but did you know if I call someone out here to fix it, it is double the cost of someone in town, because we are so far away, and because wells have a different water pressure than city water does. 

Most of us find that ridiculous and so we learn to do most minor repairs ourselves. Personally, I can do pipe, replace toilets, replace copper gas lines, patch dry wall, paint any part of the house, install a porch swing, run fencing, set corner posts, gates, shingle a roof, replace doors, run a chainsaw if a tree goes down, vehicle and tractor maintenance, and a lot more. I’m even getting ready to learn how to install an electric fence. 

In modern times, we all hoard instruction books like the world will end. I literally found a sears hot water heater owner’s manual from the 1950s in a filing cabinet. I’ve known other people that found records of the horses kept on a farm since the 1800s, and all kinds of horse books, with new ones bought as new things came into use. By new things, I mean articles about antibiotics, and horse shoe metals. 

Honestly, it’s not a matter of if things go wrong or as we call it, go down, but when they will. Nothing lasts forever. If your character is smart, they will save the money they are saving on bills and save that for when things happen and they need it. 

However, if your character is in a historical setting, they would have to know this information themselves, along with many day to day things. This includes, but is not limited to, gardening, foraging, identifying edible plants, identifying poisonous plants, how to milk a cow, make butter, care for livestock, and how to preserve food for winter, and a whole lot more. 

All of these would likely be needed after an apocalypse, too. Physical books to read and refer to will be invaluable to characters. People with these skills will be highly sought after, and could even be kidnapped and forced to do as told by groups of people. Sadly, forced compliance would be a huge risk in an apocalypse. 

And let’s not forget that no matter when or where you are writing, your characters will not always have to tools they need for the job, or the correct tools. Digging a hole for anything in rock country (a rocky landscape) is insanely difficult without a rock bar. I know because I have sadly had to do it. Many times your characters will be forced to improvise, adapt and overcome. In fact, this can sometimes lead to better outcomes than if it was done with traditional tools or techniques. Get creative here, because I promise you people are. 

A modern thing is that many rural homes (ok, more likely an out building of some kind) have a lot of chemicals in them. This can be cleaning supplies, fuel, oil, herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, paint, PVC glue and cleaner, fertilizer, antibiotics, lime, ethylene, and disinfectants are the most common. Your characters will need to know when and how to use them safely. If there is a fire, these areas can burn much hotter than normal fires. 

One important thing to note is true: living off the grid in modern times can be very challenging to sustain in the long run. Yes, it can be done, and the Amish are living proof of that, but it’s not as easy as people believe. Amish have learned how important community is in a way that most people today do not understand. 

It can become even more difficult if your character is farming outside of a community of farmers. Farming can come with years where they have a bumper crop. Bumper crop means that the crop is bigger than expected and they are able to bring in more money. Other years, the entire crop can be destroyed by heat, cold, insects, diseases, or many other things. This can mean they don’t even brake even. Here in the US, we have some protections for our farms to help with this, but they didn’t in history, and are not likely to after an apocalypse. 

Now, depending on where and what era you are writing, your characters will be doing a lot of walking, riding a bike, riding a horse, or driving a wagon or vehicle. Riding a bicycle into town could take hours of a person’s day in modern time. Many times people can walk long distances even on their own land. I have a smaller amount of land for my area, and it would likely take me a good hour or more to walk all the way around it. Something that can be needed for fence lines, checking cattle or the even to check for poachers. Something that is sadly more common than most people realize. 

Now let’s cover a few individual downsides that some people love, and other hate with a passion. These will be more exclusive to the individual character. 

First up is setting your own schedule. I personally love this, but I know many people who do not. The lack of structure or routine for the day can be hard for some people. They can be overwhelmed by all that needs done, and are not sure how to structure things, so they get everything done in a timely manner while not taking on too much. Others need accountability to get things done. Many times, people who need these things can suffer from crippling to overwhelming anxiety, and will look to anyone or anything to tell them how to do things. If they think they are failing, they can feel depressed, and it can be a nasty spiral. Characters like this would do best with other characters that could help them understand how to set a schedule, or could just set a schedule for them. 

If your characters are doomsday prepers, it is best that they test all of these things before the apocalypse. Something most dooms dayers do. They also tend to work in groups, so understanding the inter-person dynamics before the end of the world as we have known it, will be valuable and help them to work together better.

Another thing to remember is that if there is no electricity, you are the entertainment, or more accurately, your character is the entertainment. Wither they are playing board games, telling stories, playing tag, teaching a skill, or something else, it is important to remember they now have to entertain themselves. Trust me, people will do just fine if they can’t use a phone, because after the teenage whining they will not sit around twiddling their thumbs. 

The last very individualized thing to know is that everyone will hate something different. My dad would have hated to sit around and knit all day. While he liked knitted socks and hats, sitting still was not something he enjoyed. Personally, I hate gardening. I know everyone else loves it and finds it relaxing. I still don’t and still don’t know why they do. Sure, I love the produce. That’s why I garden, but I do NOT like it! Now, this is likely true in every aspect of life. You like some things and hate others. Your characters will be the same, and knowing what they dread doing, and what they can’t wait to get started on, will add realism to your stories. 

One quick reminder before we get to all the ways things could go wrong in your story. To help others find this content, pop on over to Apple podcasts and leave me a review. Or if you are watching on YouTube, drop me a comment and say hello, or ask a question. This is the best way to help others find my content. 

Now, for everyone’s favorite part, what could possibly go wrong in your story? 

Likely to go wrong: Your character didn’t think to get medicine before they needed it and is forced to drive into town when they are sick to get medicine for their fever. 

Likely to go wrong: Your character’s truck breaks down and they can’t fix it themselves. They have to have it towed to a mechanic in town, and the tow cost a large chunk of money for driving that far. 

Possible to go wrong: Your character is fixing a burst pipe made of PVC. They try gluing the new pipe on, and accidentally glue it to their hand. 

Possible to go wrong: Your character did not store gasoline correctly, and the fumes leak into the home with a fireplace for warmth. This could be deadly. 

Unlikely to go wrong: Your character spends so long off the grid that their vocal cords are permanently damaged from lack of use.

Unlikely to go wrong: Your farming character has been injured. Without a community to help bring in the crops that are ready, the crops will rot in the field. 

Improbable but still technically in the realm of possibilities: Your character survives the apocalypse and needs to learn how to survive. They are forced to use an old encyclopedia set to learn how things worked in an effort to recreate some sense of normalcy and shelter. 

Improbable but still technically in the realm of possibilities: Your character joins a doomsday group, and everyone hates to garden. When the apocalypse happens, no one knows how to garden.

Thanks for listening! Until next time, happy wordsmithing.