Tip of the Day: Treat shoveling the driveway like a workout. Stretch first, don't strain yourself, stretch after, drink water. Then possibly go for a massage.
OK, my manuscipt is open on my laptop, my tea is beside me, I'm ready to go!
Oh wait! I forgot to start the dishwasher and the washing machine. Be right back.
All right, ready to go for real this time! Except this Wii game is due back to the library tomorrow, so I should play PacMan one more time to get it out of my system.
Eaten by the ghosts. Ah well. Back to the manuscript. Is that the phone ringing? It's the parents, better answer. Might as well noodle around on the internet while chatting.
Ah, yes, Mom and Dad are good. Toggle back to Word from LiveJournal. I was working on my book...or something...right?
DISTRACTIONS! There is no avoiding them...or is there? How about the writer's block that hits me when I have too much else on my brain?
Now that I'm in my house with a self-claimed Writer Room, I found that the best way to get around distractions is to go to the designated writing area, away from the rest of the household, including the phone, the chores, the TV, etc. If I can turn off the internet while writing, even better!
Something about the habit of associating my brain with a certain place and activity keeps me focused on the task at hand, and keeping that momentum can kick me out of writer's block. The challenge is getting off my booty and up to the Writer Room because face it, it's easier to let yourself be distracted and not write. Writing is hard. Fun and in my blood, but it's not easy. But like Em said yesterday, it's like exercise. Train your brain and body to need it in a certain place at a certain time and let the words flow.
How do you avoid distractions that lead to writer's block?
Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing
House chore distractions are tough. I try to reserve starting the dishwasher, vacuuming and folding laundry for when I'm stuck for the next line. Getting up and walking to another part of the house can get me thinking again. But basically I try to stick to the rule "Don't spend time you get to write doing laundry." Just keep saying it over and over.
ReplyDeleteI do that too Kate! Last weekend I wrote a thousand words, went to shovel, then back for another thousand words.
ReplyDeleteI find it nearly impossible to write at home, unless it's after 11pm and everyone else is asleep. But that means I stay up too late and turn into a zombie.
ReplyDeleteSo I do most of my writing at Starbucks with my earbuds in, coffee close, and a nice helping of as*-glue (can I say that online? :)
Good luck!