Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
The awesome co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!
Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
May 1 question – How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?
Or as they used to say in the office before I retired—Squirrel! That was the standard response to any of our IT experts getting distracted by a new project, which happened frequently. But it applies equally to my endeavors in writing as well.
Image by moonflower5 from Pixabay
It could be anything-going down a rabbit hole in research, spotting an interesting post on social media (I should block myself from Reddit) to one of the other people in the house tapping me on the shoulder to ask me a question. (Recently, I moved my desk to a more ‘public’ area in my house and I like to listen to music as I write, so with my headphones on, I’m easy to sneak up on.) Depending on the type of distraction, I might not return to my writing immediately, or I might need to get out of my chair and go do something else.
How derailed do I get? That depends on what I’m working on at how long the distraction lasted. If I had to make a run to the kitchen while I was working on a blog host, I likely will get right back to work. But in the case of something like stopping to do yardwork or run a load of clothes, it might be hard for me get back into writing mode.
That’s not always a bad thing.
A break gives me time to refocus my thoughts. If I’m working on a tough spot in a chapter, the answer may come to me while mulling it over as I do something else. When I get derailed while doing research, I may stumble across a fact that fits in with my topic. If I’m composing a blog post, a temporary absence may give my mind time to come up with other points I should cover.
Don’t let my post fool you. It’s not all sunshine. I might not get back into my writing groove for a week or more. It frustrates me, and I don’t have a consistent cure.
What do other authors have to say? Check out a few of their answers by following the links below.
As always, until next time, please stay safe.
I can go for a week or more without writing too. It’s not so much that I’m distracted. It happens when I overcommit in volunteering to produce plays for a community theatre group. I’m finishing up one now, and I hope I don’t agree to produce one again.
I’ve gotten better at saying no. It’s a learned art.
Giving your mind time…
That’s great – Not an excuse, a reason…
And sitting for hours on end is so unhealthy.
Totally agree that distraction isn’t all bad and can sometimes save you frustration. But there are limits! @samanthabwriter from
Balancing Act
Hi, PJ! I’m learning today that we all deal with distractions in unique ways. I physically find it difficult to sit, so I welcome a chance to get up and switch a load of laundry from the washer to the dryer or some other chore that allows me to move. I’m getting much more selfish about my time, so I’m learning to set boundaries and say “No!” more. Happy creating in May!
It isn’t selfish to want time for yourself. It’s self-preservation.
I like the concept of using the away-time to refocus.
Your post describes ‘distractions’ in a very honest way — from those every-day distractions to more serious ones that can cut the ground underneath your writing feet! Yet you turn that distraction into something positive when you remind us to refocus. Thank you! My current draft (section 3) was so messy, I literally could not ‘see’ a way to fix it. So, I printed just that section out. Wow! What a difference. I could more easily move scenes around, pick out duplicates, and add missing stuff. Another form of refocusing! Write on.