As with every first Wednesday of the month, it's time for another installment of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. The group, which is the brainchild of Ninja Captain extraordinaire Alex J. Cavanaugh, is a writing exercise focusing on what makes us, as writers, insecure and what we can do to try to fix these things.
This month, I'd like to talk a little bit about distractions. First, though, hang on a minute while I go check my Google Plus stream and my Twitter feed.
O.k, I'm back....now, where was I? Oh yeah, right, distractions......
I once read that the best way for a writer to take care of all the things they have been putting off, was to start trying to write. Sit back and think about that for a minute :)
We all know distractions, especially in today's society of social media and the world wide web (do people still even call it that, anymore?) can really do a number on your focus when trying to get ideas out of the brain and onto paper.
I have dual monitors (a laptop and an external monitor) so it's twice as bad for me. I like to read, though, and I like to try to keep up on current events and I find it scary how much time I can waste going from one story to another. I know I waste too much time, even if I try to rationalize some of it by claiming "research". I guess it relates back to my post on being bored.
Hang on while I check my Tumblr....
O.k, I'm back.
So, anyway, for me it's pretty easy to get distracted and compounds my insecurity about writing. It's just one of those things I need to work on and realize when I'm doing it, so I can combat it better.
On a more positive note, I've managed to start editing my NaNo story from last year. I don't have an definitive ending yet....but I've started going through it and that's a plus.
I've also started outlining my story for this year's NaNo project as well as starting work on a short story in a genre I've always wanted to try.....mystery.
Now, maybe, if I can confine my distractions to those three things, I'll get at least one of them done??
Here's hoping!
11 comments:
I bet you get both done!
I have dual monitors at work, plus I bring my laptop so I can watch NetFlix movies and shows. Three screens going at once. And people wonder why I don't write at work...
Heh....thanks Alex, I hope you're right!
Maybe if you had three hemispheres to your brain, you'd get some writing done at work?? :)
Thanks for the comment!
The internet is so distracting!!!!
But I've written most of my stories sitting at the kitchen table with kids screaming in the background, TV blaring, and my husband keeping up a steady stream of conversation (I'm not sure about what exactly because I just nod a lot). So I think I am now impervious to distraction. Like a superhero. A distraction proof superhero.
What were we talking about again?
I need to really work on that "In the Zone" power myself....that'd be all kinds of awesome :)
I am the master of dist... ooh squirrel! Yeah. I've been known to give the cat a bath instead of finishing a chapter, I'm that dedicated to being distracted. Lately I've been taking my laptop into the library and working for a few hours there. I get so much more done in a much shorter timeframe!
Marsha is my superhero now, I was going to write short story but I had to keep coming back to read her post to try to be inspired to resist distraction ;)
Definitely lots of squirrels around when I'm trying to focus :) I think that, sometimes a 'change of venue' is a great idea when trying to focus and I'll have to give that a shot, as well.
It's great that you're doing NaNo this year and that you're taking the time to outline first. I know too many writers who don't and end up in a mess and then have to scrap hard-written scenes.
Good luck to you (and keep away from those distractions)! :-)
Thanks Lexa and, yes, I was one of the ones who didn't outline last year and I'm -still- paying the price for it. It was pretty tough to just 'pants' it and I don't want to go through that again.
Hopefully, I'll be able to discipline myself a bit more to help with my distractions :)
Tagged you on my blog! It's cool if you don't want to participate but I thought I'd give it a shot. Good luck to you!
I blame facebook for 99% of my troubles. and yes, it and many other things are major distractions - including blogging.
I'm yet another insecure writer, distracted today by other insecure writers. Cheers!
Hehe, yeah FB is an easy culprit to blame, for sure :)
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