Do you anxiously await the dryer's end-of-cycle buzzer? Are you relieved when the phone rings, or someone bugs you with a question? Do you end up wasting hours hopscotching from blog to blog? I can totally relate. Chore that I normally dread seem compelling when I'm looking for excuses not to write. Then, I waste my most productive time when I first sit down to the computer. I have a couple ways to combat this:
I don't have wireless internet. I have to plug in. That way, if I just move to a different location in the house, I have no online distractions. Such a simple solution, but it works well. Yes, it would be convenient to check my email from bed, but seriously, I need to have some places in the house where I can't be reached by the long arm of the internet.
I try to schedule blog posts in advance. It's the days when I don't plan ahead that I end up stuck at the computer far longer than I'd planned. Michael Hyatt has an excellent post on how he writes his blogs. I've also heard advice to have a small stockpile of blog posts just in case there's an emergency or something else unexpected. Think of it as a savings account for blog posts.
I lock myself out. If I'm in a place where wireless is available (like a coffee shop), I turn on a program called Freedom, which locks my internet capability for the time period I've chosen. I posted about it here. There are other programs that do the same thing. I also like Dr. Wicked, which encourages only writing.
As far as the chores go, I'm trying to save those for the afternoon, when it's harder for me to write anyway. And I try to use that time for brainstorming plot and character ideas, so I'm getting something extra done, too.
And now it's time for me to get back to writing! How do you keep from getting distracted by chores or online surfing?
I disallow access to the internet for the period I'm writing for. It's the surest, simplest way to ensure I'll actually write (oh, and the only game on my computer is chess, where I'm regularly thrashed by the computer... which discourages me from playing it).
ReplyDeleteYou have revealed my weakness! I like the lockout idea...I need to try it. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteIt's so easy to get to a 'stuck' place in writing and decide to just 'check' email or Facebook for a minute. Before I know it, an hour has slipped by!
ReplyDelete~Debbie
Funny that I'm reading this today, a day of distraction for me. What works for me is to take my Internet-disabled netbook to a coffee shop and write there. I have too many distractions at home to write consistently, which I see as a weakness. It wasn't always this way.
ReplyDeleteI always joke that if my house is clean, you know I'm blocked in my writing. Amazing how compelling scrubbing the kitchen floor can become when you're stuck. These are some great resources, thanks. I'm especially interested in Freedom.
ReplyDeleteJanet, I love going to a particular coffee shop that doesn't offer internet. I get so much done that way!
ReplyDeleteCharlotte, my house has been getting more cleaned and organized than usual lately. You can guess how much writing is getting done!
~Debbie
When I write I cannot have anything up except my document. No email. No twitter. No anything! Plus, I don't work on a laptop. Everything needs to be done on my desktop. Yes, very old school, but it helps!
ReplyDeleteYou know, Amy, I think going old school style is the way to go. I'm determined to do more pen & paper this summer.
ReplyDelete~Debbie