People-by-the-Sea (or Deena-by-the-Pond)

Tip of the Day: Lisa Schroeder's THE DAY BEFORE comes out in just 28 days!

Last week I went to Narragansett, RI for vacation. Wow. What a beautiful place! I'd post pics if a) Blogger was working properly, and b) I hadn't forgotten my camera in Newport. But I digress.

We were surrounded by water almost at all times, and the power of the ocean was relaxing, invigorating, and inspiring all at the same time. How I wished I could retreat there to write. Somehow just being around all that power made me want to sit by it, amidst the rolling fog, and let the words flow!

I was not there to write; I was there to hang out with friends and sight see and eat (yummmmm...Crazy Burger). Which was all good too!

Now I am back home, sitting on my porch in the awesome summery spring weather, with my pond and ducks and red-winged blackbirds and robins and sparrows, all of whom I love. But I still feel like the words would flow better if I were listening to the rush of the ocean instead of the traffic on I-390.

What about you readers? Do you find you write better in some environments than others?

And those of you who live on the ocean, do the words really flow like I imagine they would? Or does a change in scenery jumpstart creativity?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Writer's Block Cause #3 (or Distraction)

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

Distractions...UGH!

Tip of the Day: Check out Meg Cabot's Fiction Club.

I haven't been able to write in weeks. Does that ever happen to you? It's like my family life takes over and things are crazy and I just can't find any time to sit down and write. And I really need to! I'm supposed to be revising one book. I need to work on brainstorming new ideas. I started a book months ago, which I love, and I'm only like three chaps in so I really need to get back to writing it. But I'm so freaking distracted! I can't remember the last time I went into the coffee shop to write. So sad.

Maybe you can help me with one of my issues. My two-year old, my darling sweet two-year old, has gone loco. He's pummeling people with toys (balls, toy trucks, really anything he can) every chance he gets. The day care (he's only in there while I work out for an hour) is about to toss him. He's given my daughters bloody lips. And this weekend, we went for our Christmas pictures and the poor photographer was jumping around the room dodging the boxes and ornaments he was pulling off the tree and whipping at her head. I've discussed this with him repeatedly but he's two and, well, not paying any attention to what I say. SIGH. Any ideas? Is duct tape out of the question? I'm kidding. I promise I won't duct tape him. But I've got to do something!

Kristina, Miss See me on the Shelves