You call them distractions. I call them moments to allow my brain to think about how I want to say something. Whichever. They are times when I'm not actually writing even though I could be. (Or I'm sitting at the computer pretending I'm writing!)
And that's the clue to my number one distraction. If I'm sitting at the computer, I have access to the internet. I can check my email, I can surf the 'net, I can read any number of forums I follow. None of those are me putting words on paper. (Or on the screen, as the case may be.) But if I disconnect my computer from the internet, I don't have easy access to research whatever question might pop up in the course of my writing.
How do I deal with the conundrum? Not very well, thank you very much. Many times my willpower is lacking and I find myself studying the mating habits of penguins or the the lives of ladies-in-waiting in Queen Victoria's court. My only consolation is finding a way to use the new-found knowledge in my story.
Number two-family. Do they truly count as a distraction? It depends upon what mood I'm in and how well my writing is going. There are times I welcome the little interruptions they provide, and other times when I let them know they'll have to wait for a few minutes.
Number three-the dreaded housework. There's always housework that needs doing. Sometimes I can turn a blind eye to it and other times there's no putting it off. Does anyone really enjoy cleaning house?
Number four-I live in a gorgeous part of the country. On a nice day, I love to go exploring. Traveling the back roads presents the opportunity for stumbling across unexpected beauty. Flowers in bloom, wildlife when you least expect it, new mountain peaks. At least I can claim that the trips recharge my soul and make me a better person and writer.
Last but not least-other creative endeavors. If you've been following me for while, you know I do embroidery and needlepoint. I also got interested in the adult coloring craze. That one was fairly easy to solve—I don't keep my coloring supplies on the same desk as my computer. If I have to get up from my computer desk to get to them, chances are slim that it will happen.
What are your distractions? You can share in the comments.
And to find out what the other authors' distractions are, follow the links below. I suspect at least one of mine will be shared by my compatriots!
April 24, 2017
What Are Your Top 5 Distractions And How Do You Deal With Them?
Distractions aren’t fun, but sadly we have them a lot in our lives. Especially with the Internet. There’s always a distraction waiting around the corner.
Do you have a way of holding the distractions at bay? If so, share your tips.
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Well, I guess I'm a bit embarrassed that one of my distractions wasn't housework. (What does that say about me????) I have enough others thank you. I've never studied the mating lives of penguins - may have to check it out. :-)
ReplyDeleteLike Patti, housework is not a distraction for me either. I can happily let it go until another time. Brad does the dishes. I cook meals. The teenager puts dishes away and vacuums. What more do we actually need to do?
ReplyDeleteI've never studied the mating habits of Victorian ladies-in-waiting either. Since I don't write historical fiction or romance, I might skip that fascinating topic.
But I spent two hours this weekend using Google Street view to describe a street I've never driven on. Was that time well-spent? Authenticity can only help my books, I think, but maybe that's justifying a distraction. :-)