IWSG Post: Dealing with Distractions
It's the first Wednesday of the month--time for the IWSG post.
Why? The IWSG is here to share and encourage, to offer a place for authors to admit their insecurities and offer help and support to each other.
How? The official IWSG posting day is the first Wednesday of every month. Hop around the list and see who has worries, triumphs, and news to share.
Every month we have an optional question to spark discussion.
Our motto:
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.
The awesome co-hosts for the April 3 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?
Okay, IWSG--way to hit me with a question that cuts right to my biggest weakness! I get distracted by *everything.* Including actual squirrels, since they run all over my yard, visible from my computer where I am probably staring out the window instead of working.
My best weapon against this is my Accountability group. Three mornings a week, we pledge to work, and check in 3 times to ensure that we are. It doesn't always stop me from deciding that I need to do the laundry right now, or fix this or that, but it does a pretty good job of keeping me more on track than I am the other days.
Here's the deep dark truth: writing is work. It's usually rewarding work, and sometimes fun, but getting started can be hard each day, and when things aren't going well, it's easy to see many things to do instead.
Since most of my distractions aren't the internet (though sometimes incoming mail or whatever leads me astray), controls on that don't help (and I want to be able to research stuff as needed, so keep the internet on). I think my best solution has just been to learn to go with it and be as disciplined as I can be, and forgive myself for the rest.
How about you? How are your squirrels?
Oh, yeah, and I've been away for a couple of weeks, so no progress on the writing front, nor the photo-editing. I'll be back this week with one or even two photo posts to try to catch up!
Topi
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That's great that you have a writer's group that helps you stay focused. You're right that writing is work. It can be hard to plod on sometimes.
ReplyDeleteHard at times, and so much fun at others!
DeleteI like squirrels. I have one living in a tree in front of my window. It is so cute. Watching it is always fun.
ReplyDeleteYou accountability group is a great idea. Maybe I should find mine too to keep me writing.
The squirrels are fun to watch. I'm less excited about what they do to my veggie planters.
Delete"forgive myself for the rest" - I think that's the key to sanity.
ReplyDeleteWell, it's not like the salvation of the world depends on me finishing this mystery by a certain date!
DeleteHa! I'm easily distracted unless I have a goal, such as word count. Because apparently I am goal oriented. LOL. I took my laptop out on the deck today to write my newsletter and had all sorts of distractions. The hummingbirds feeding, the doves in the birdbath, and of course my phone. But such a beautiful day!
ReplyDeleteDitto! And a beautiful day in spring is a good reason to go outside and play.
DeleteAccountability groups are an excellent tool to get stuff done. Happy writing!
ReplyDeleteThanks! You too.
DeleteAdmiring little squirrels is always nice though in the end its just distracting. Have a nice day :)
ReplyDeleteAt least I have something nice to watch while wool-gathering. Or thinking.
DeleteSquirrels distract me, too :-) Yeah, so many things to think about and do, it takes real discipline to stick to just writing.
ReplyDeleteRonel visiting for IWSG day Adventures in Audio: An Introduction to Audio Production
Getting started is a hurdle of often struggle to get over too. But once I do, I am off to the races.
ReplyDeleteThat's great you have a group that keeps you on track.
ReplyDelete