.jpg)
We’ve talked about this in the past. Writing is a solitary
effort whereas publishing is more of an “it takes a village” thing.
But unless you’re a writer, it is really hard to understand
that need for quiet space and time to think. Writers are always writing. It’s
in their blood. They might not be penning their next novel right in front of
you, but that far away stare and the odd facial expression they give while
zoning off are a clue that the mind is working.
Constant interruptions however, kill the writer’s mental
state and can stall out a novel just as fast as writer’s block. Now, we cannot
all write 24/7. We store our ideas, maybe jot them down, or make mental notes throughout
the day, but when it comes time to sit down and start dumping them on to the
page, there needs to be quiet! Peace.
Alone time. With no distractions!
Nothing derails a great writing session like constant
interruption. And it doesn’t have to come in the form of kids, dog, or husband
bugging you. Sometimes you need to do a quick bit of research for a scene and
you just want to pop on to the internet for a moment…. Three hours later after
Facebooking, Twittering, and whatever else you’re doing on the internet, you
see that blank page staring you in the face with nothing written down.
Even now, I have this happening. In the span of writing this
400-ish word blog, I have had children interrupt me, and I dared to open
facebook and enjoy a lively discussion on Vaccines… So, rather than a quick
half hour to jot down my topic… here I sit nearly two later, struggling to
finish it.
What’s the answer… Shut the internet off and lock myself in
a room where no one can find me? Probably not feasible. But maybe a little more
self-discipline is in order. Shutting down the internet is key. That’s the
biggest distraction. Setting ground rules for the kids not to bother mommy when
writing might help too (but they’ll just ignore that as they always do.)
You have to find your own fit for writing and have a little
self-discipline to go with it. If you know the kids will be at school mid-day
and that is when you will be able to write, set that time to be internet free
and don’t let distractions stop you from hitting your target word count. If
writing time comes later in the evening, like for me, you have to store your
ideas all day and prepare to dump them the moment your fingers hit the
keyboard. Same rules apply. Make some internet free, kid free, distraction free
time and do it. Thirty minutes to an hour a day is sufficient to get in a
decent word count and is not that long a time to be away from your precious
internet. Trust me, I’m cringing as I say that. The internet is calling me as
we speak… but, it can be done.
Now, go away! I’m writing….