Writing is a solitary and exhausting endeavor. It takes so much concentration that I find myself easily distracted. What are my five greatest distractions?
- My Children. I love them dearly, but they do demand most of my attention. Especially my seven month old, Lucy. So how do I deal with such distractions? I write when they have gone to bed.
- Reading. As do most writers, I love to read and it can be a tremendous distraction. I only allow myself time to read after I have written a certain amount.
- My Blogs. There is a need for us unknown authors to do whatever we can promote ourselves. Unfortunately this self-promotion takes the time that I should be using toward writing my next book. I try to write a blog post no more than every two weeks.
- Other Interests. I have always loved the arts and I have an insatiable desire to learn new forms of art; from watercolours to tapestry weaving. The best I can do is to push it out of my mind and create a new drawing every month or so.
- Everything Else. Cooking, cleaning, shopping, teaching, laundry… I have yet to determine how to conquer these distractions. Unless I find that I am heir to a great fortune I will just have to learn to work around them.
What keeps you from writing?
I hear you! We writers all wage this battle every single day! And so much of what takes us away from writing is internal — fear, anxiety, lack of focus, a tired brain, old traumas… It’s quite miraculous when the writing actually gets done, isn’t it?
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You’re so right. You nailed it with the tired brain, by the time in the evening when I am finally ‘alone’ I’m often mentally exhausted from the day.
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That’s why I like the late night, after dinner time to write. That’s when it’s comfortingly dark, distraction free, all the cares of the day can rest, there’s a little spurt of energy from the food consumed… My brain tends to settle down well to flights of fancy then. Some writers also seem to prefer the morning, I think. Before the day starts? I’m sure you’ll find your space and time! 🙂
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