How do you avoid distractions? [Archive] - Absolute Write Water Cooler

E.G. Gammon

02-18-2005, 07:38 AM

To avoid everyday distractions (telephone, visitors, friends, etc...) I do most of my writing at night. It's quiet, I'm all alone, and I don't have to worry about any of those things.

TV
Tv is a huge distraction for me. Or it WAS, when there was actually something good on. Lately, the only real tv I watch is Sunday night (Desperate Housewives) and Wednesday night (Lost and Alias). Other than that, I just stick in a DVD of Friends or I Love Lucy, and let it play while I'm writing. So, it's not much of a distraction ANYMORE, but it WAS.

The Internet
MAN is that a huge distraction for me. And this message board is so great, I find myself visiting her often (don't know if that's good or bad). Plus, I like to check emails, chat with friends, and work on my website. So, the internet is my biggest distraction. I try and avoid the computer all I can. I recently bought an AlphaSmart Dana, and that's what I usually write on. Well, that and paper (with my trusty pen). If I write on my computer and get stuck, I'll be tempted to click that blasted "Internet" icon.

But, most of my distractions are people stopping by without calling, or people calling, or relatives suddenly popping into town. That stuff is good and all, but I'd much rather spend time writing then spending an hour on the phone or a couple hours entertaining friends.

HConn

02-18-2005, 07:39 AM

I've become one of those coffee shop writers. I don't have a wireless connection, so I can't go online.

So I work instead.

Trapped in amber

02-18-2005, 07:47 AM

I write in-between the distractions.

Actually, I'm lucky, I don't have too many distractions right now (OW, I just jinxed myself), and I've always been quite good at making myself get on and do something.

Eventually.

CACTUSWENDY

02-18-2005, 08:16 AM

:Headbang: ..........WELL...TILL ABOUT A MONTH AGO...THE INTERNET OR COMPUTER WAS MY PAIN IN THE BUTT.....(NOW ...DON'T TAKE THIS WRONG.....) BUT SINCE I FOUND THIS SITE....SIGH......YUP...YOU GUESSED IT.....SIGH.....IT HAS BECOME MY PIB.....(YOU DO KNOW I LOVE YA....RIGHT?)
I HAVE LITTLE OUTSIDE 'ACTION' RIGHT NOW IN MY LIFE...SO YOU ALL ARE 'IT'....:D .....I STILL PLAY ON THE PUTER....MY COP-OUT IS THAT IT HELPS CLEAR MY MIND....LOL.....SURE....UH HUH.....<<<CLEAR MIND HERE.....:cry: YOU CAN TELL FROM MY POSTS THAT I NEED A LIFE.....LOL....
IN THE BACKGROUND I KEEP THE TV ON SOMETIMES...BUT JUST FOR THE NOISE...:PartySmil

Mistook

02-18-2005, 09:39 AM

I live with my girlfriend and three cats. I love them, but they are my main distractions, which is why I don't start writing until 9PM when the love of my life goes to bed. I close myself in the office here, turn off the lights, and get to work.

Uncle Jim has said many times he doesn't advocate drinking and/or smoking while you write, but I go through about seven beers, and half a pack of smokes every night while writing.

For me, the beer and cigs take care of the final distraction - all the stress that builds up during the day, threatening to whittle me down to the point where I have no will to complete a novel.

I wouldn't exactly "advocate" such a practice either. To each his own, and if you're an alcoholic, you can't stop at six or seven, and you'll quickly be screwing up your life if you associate drinking with writing.

katdad

02-18-2005, 09:53 AM

I assume you meant distractions excepting the fine folks in this forum...

These days I'm quite lucky to have zero, zip, nada distractions, but I would welcome one or two occasionally. Like a woman to date and go to dinner with or maybe a movie and there's the opera we could attend and and and...

(Sorry, I got outta control there for a sec...)

I have a nice comfy apartment in neartown Houston. It's quiet, with only random gunfire across the rooftops most evenings. ha ha

Seriously, my apartment is dead quiet -- nice brick walls, central AC, long-term sensible neighbors, and a lazy cat who is content to lie there and watch me work.

I put on my Mozart or another beloved classical CD, sometimes modern jazz or blues. I'm blessed to own a great stereo, w. 100-watt digital amp and Bose 901 speakers, so I really get the good sound. I avoid opera (or other vocal music, like a Bach cantata) while writing because then I begin to sing along and lose track of my writing.

When my Muse descends, I put on the coffee, put on the Mozart, and write the hell out of stuff!

This afternoon for example I wrote for 4 straight hours. Got in some good words, too.

Kudra

02-18-2005, 10:23 AM

My biggest distraction is that I just HAVE to check e-mail every 5 seconds. I still haven't found a cure for that though...

pepperlandgirl

02-18-2005, 11:54 AM

The Internet, definitely. I'm really my own worst enemy.

I don't have a lot of other distractions. I live in a quiet apartment, and my husband works all day, and generally, he entertains himself when he's home. Playing Grand Theft Auto, or whatever. I block out the noise of the TV with my lovely MP3 player. Right now, I have all my Wilco albums on it, and I just listen to them.

Another thing I like to do when I'm in the middle of a project that's going well is create a soundtrack. Sometimes, it's just an entire album--the soundtrack to my last finished novel was Wilco's A Ghost is Born--the music and the themes of the album pretty much matched what I was writing perfectly.

Right now, my biggest distraction is homework. NOt much I can do about that. I have things to read, papers to write, etc. Unfortunately, my academic brain seems completely shut off from my creative brain, and it's difficult to maintain both at the same time.

TashaGoddard

02-18-2005, 12:10 PM

My main distraction is work, and I can't really avoid it. My husband and I work from home and will often have so much work on that we don't have time to do anything else, except maybe read for an hour or so before going to sleep.

My husband can also be a distraction. I am unable to share my WIP until it's finished (otherwise the story stops feeling like mine and I can't continue to write), so whenever he enters the room when I'm writing, I have to hide it. This is a silly reflex. He knows my feelings about sharing WIP and would never peek over my shoulder to sneak a glance. But I still have to do it. And this interrupts the flow. Sometimes he'll come into the room and start talking to me without realising I'm writing. And usually I'm too nice to say 'Go away. I'm writing.' so that interrupts the flow, too.

Another distraction is the dog, who sometimes decides to bark out the window at people walking past, because he doesn't understand that the whole town isn't his territory. Or he's being particularly cute and therefore needs to be cuddled.

And, of course, the other big distraction is the Internet. I could have been actually writing, instead of reading and writing posts here. Actually, I couldn't, because I'm still not quite awake and have no creative energy when I've just got up, but in theory I could.

I am currently scanning the small ads in the local paper every week, looking for an old and cheap laptop that someone wants to sell. That way I could still write on the computer, but not be distracted by the Internet. I would also be able to write in a different environment to where I work, which I think would make me more productive. I could go sit in the spare room, or hide in the basement, or go to a cafe or the library. Yes, I know, that's what pen and paper are for, but I don't write very well with pen and paper. I type a lot faster than I write, for a start, and I tend to do a certain amount of minor editing as I'm actually writing, which isn't so easy on paper. Paper doesn't have Ctrl + Z, either. Or a built-in thesaurus.

How do I deal with these distractions? I don't. I wish I could, and hopefully one day I will manage it.

Greenwolf103

02-18-2005, 12:19 PM

My distraction is a 3-year-old who thinks any time I sit at the computer is an open invitation for her to climb on my lap and fiddle with EVERYTHING within reach. I love her to pieces but it can get frustrating. I can't tell you the number of times I've been writing with her on my lap.

I try to squeeze in my major writing time in early morning and late at night. If I've managed to get a good chunk of work done for the day, I come here to play. Or try to catch up on my more than 700+ E-mails!! :faint:

SJB

02-18-2005, 01:31 PM

Greenwolf, if you have to be distracted, that does sound like the most adorable way in which to be. :)

Amongst my distractions are such elements as:

the internet, but that's a given for all of us, because we're here, right?;
my collie, Shania, for whom two walks daily are never enough;
my fretting over the fact that I should be out looking for a part-time job as my full-time summer employment ended last week; and
the blue acoustic guitar that my brother left here temporarily and which I have appropriated as mine, mine, mine. (In the name of Wallace Stevens, we need a blue guitar icon.)
Luckily, university starts up again on Monday and writing will once again become my distraction. :D

veinglory

02-18-2005, 02:31 PM

If I really need to write I don't depend on self-control. I give my flatmate my moden cable on Friday (or whenever) with stricty instructions not to return it until Monday.

Hang of Thursdays

02-18-2005, 04:42 PM

I am currently scanning the small ads in the local paper every week, looking for an old and cheap laptop that someone wants to sell.

Try www.tigerdirect.com, a guy I know got his computer there and although it's a very pricey one, they have good deals on a lot of barebones systems, especially PCs. They don't seem to have any really low-priced laptops that I can see just by scanning the site a bit, but a while back they were running a special on some in the $200-$300 range, which isn't bad.

As for avoiding distractions? My primary way of avoiding them is to get moving and not stop. I come home from work, clean house a bit, then pop in my chair and fire up the word processor. I just don't stop long enough to think: "Hm...I sure would like some brownies..."

I don't watch TV, so the internet's my only real distraction, but if I get to work right away it's not a problem.

Jamesaritchie

02-18-2005, 06:18 PM

Shiny_Penguin

02-18-2005, 06:20 PM

Mine is similar to Greenwolf's except he's 5. (the little monster in my avatar) He's at Kindergarten in the morning, so I have that time. Next year he'll be all day like his brother so I'll have until 4. Of course there's the dogs who think I am here to play all day with them. Then there's housework that never gets done.

I haven't been dealing with it very well lately. Haven't written much fiction in the last week or so.

dblteam

02-18-2005, 06:35 PM

I also have the children factor as my main distraction. I have four of them. The older two are at school during the day, but the younger ones are 3 and 2, respectively. I find I can't write when I have one ear tuned for whatever they're getting into now :)

Unfortunately, I'm a morning person and my creativity goes away around noon. So any writing I do has to be early, early in the morning before the kids get up.

Valerie

maestrowork

02-18-2005, 07:02 PM

Things like TV, radio, and internet aren't distractions for me. People are distracting. Highly so. The only wyas I've found to solve this problem is an office with a door that I close, and a stern warning that when I'm working I need to not be bothered unless it's something truly important.

Barring this, I go somewhere else and write. In good weather, I'll often go camping for a few days, or just to the park, if I don't want to camp. Our library is close to a small restaurant, and I can write at either of those places.

But most of the time, it just comes down to closing the door to my office, and making sure everyone understands that a closed door means I'm working.

I'm completely the opposite. TV/radio/music (even if I don't watch or actively listen to them) are very distracting. The Internet is evil. But people don't distract me -- actually they energize me. I find myself unable to work in a closed room. Stephen King said he closed the drapes and let loud music blast in the background -- I tried it and it DID NOT work one bit. I got really stir crazy and just needed to get out and breathe some fresh air and see some people.

I don't work well in libraries either because it's too quiet.

I work the best in coffee houses or restaurants. Some of my favorite places: Starbucks, Bruegers, and Panera Bread, during non-peak hours. (Too many people can be really annoying)

reph

02-18-2005, 08:20 PM

My husband can also be a distraction. I am unable to share my WIP until it's finished (otherwise the story stops feeling like mine and I can't continue to write), so whenever he enters the room when I'm writing, I have to hide it. This is a silly reflex. He knows my feelings about sharing WIP and would never peek over my shoulder to sneak a glance. But I still have to do it. And this interrupts the flow. Sometimes he'll come into the room and start talking to me without realising I'm writing. And usually I'm too nice to say 'Go away. I'm writing.' so that interrupts the flow, too.

We must be married to the same man.

I think sticking with writing would be easier if writing weren't so sedentary. One gets restless. Maybe more exercise is the answer. And writing looks like "just sitting there doing nothing"; if we were moving around, people might not interrupt so much.

katiemac

02-18-2005, 09:02 PM

I am unable to share my WIP until it's finished (otherwise the story stops feeling like mine and I can't continue to write), so whenever he enters the room when I'm writing, I have to hide it. This is a silly reflex.

I do this too, all the time. Being in the dorm, there are lots of distractions. Just last night I got ready to start at 10pm, ready to pound the keys straight on until midnight. 10pm on the dot, my friend comes in to have me take a break with her (she assumed I was doing schoolwork) that would only be five minutes. Come look at pictures!

... and so I did. And that five minute break turned into a 30 minute conversation down on the other end of the hallway.

The one and only time I tried to write in the library for quiet, I kept my laptop screen turned away from my friend so she couldn't see what I was doing (even though she wasn't looking) and everytime she got up to check out another book it was all I could do to not slam the lid down, even if she was going in the opposite direction.

This is why I enjoy writing at night, propped up in bed (with the laptop facing the wall, of course) a pair of headphones and the same exact song (depends on my mood) playing on repeat.

Jamesaritchie

02-18-2005, 10:30 PM

I'm completely the opposite. TV/radio/music (even if I don't watch or actively listen to them) are very distracting. The Internet is evil. But people don't distract me -- actually they energize me. I find myself unable to work in a closed room. Stephen King said he closed the drapes and let loud music blast in the background -- I tried it and it DID NOT work one bit. I got really stir crazy and just needed to get out and breathe some fresh air and see some people.

I don't work well in libraries either because it's too quiet.

I work the best in coffee houses or restaurants. Some of my favorite places: Starbucks, Bruegers, and Panera Bread, during non-peak hours. (Too many people can be really annoying)

I have a writing friend who matches you perfectly, and it serves him well.

I can work with people around, but only if those people aren't trying to talk to me. Restaurants work pretty well for me, though when one gets too busy I go elsewhere.

If there's noise when I'm writing, I want it to be noise of my choosing. TV, radio, music, etc. But I also like working in silence. I can close my office door and stay there all day, or I can go out in the woods and stay for days on end without hearing a human voice or a radio, and enjoy every minute of it.

But on occasion, I do get restless. "Cabin fever," we call it here. When this happens I get through the day's writing, and then give in to it. I think getting out is important, and I always take a walk between writing sessions, and try to go somewhere away from the house every weekend.

But I do love solitude, and I wish everyone could go one full week without hearing a human voice. It's an interesting experience.

maestrowork

02-18-2005, 10:52 PM

brinkett

02-18-2005, 10:53 PM

This is why I enjoy writing at night, propped up in bed (with the laptop facing the wall, of course) a pair of headphones and the same exact song (depends on my mood) playing on repeat.

I often do the same, but I don't face the wall and if I'm listening to music, I have a set of songs on repeat, not just one. And no headphones.

As far as distractions go, if I'm in my writing groove, I'm impervious to distraction. If I'm not, anything and everything can distract me. That's how I can tell whether I'll have a productive writing session or whether I should give up and go watch TV already.

three seven

02-18-2005, 10:57 PM

My computer's in the living room, and today I've got my girlfriend and my kids tramping through all the time. Problem is, when I know I'm going to be distracted for a few minutes, there are a couple of sites (this obviously being one) that I'll have a quick look at... and obviously it's never just a quick look. I'm possibly the only person who actually cheers when this site goes down. http://www.geocities.com/thingumybobwotsit/lipsrsealed2.gif

No particular problem with TV, except when Desperate Housewives, Top Gear, Eastenders, F1 or The Simpsons are on. Or Brat Camp. And sometimes Richard & Judy. Hmmm. Maybe it is a problem. Oh yeah, and of course if I do get distracted by the TV, it reminds me that I haven't had a tea break in a while and that I should clear my mind for a sec. See above.

One thing I definitely can't do is write when I think someone can see what I'm typing. Having someone look over my shoulder makes me unbelievably tense, and I then have to have a little break, quick look on here...

http://www.geocities.com/thingumybobwotsit/hanged.gif

JanaLanier

02-18-2005, 11:26 PM

Distractions? The internet is the biggest. Between here and my blog and other people's blogs and obsessively checking my email, I can efficiently waste a huge chunk of time.

I don't watch much TV, so that's not a problem.

I need a quiet house to write -- if my kids are around they're bugging me every few minutes and I simply can't get anything to flow.

And if someone was looking over my shoulder --- uh, no way. I don't even like to talk about my WIP (during the first draft). It would be unbearable if I thought someone was reading it, especially while I was trying to write it.

Azure Skye

02-18-2005, 11:30 PM

My main distraction is the Internet. We have cable connection in the house which means it's always on. I'm sure if I had to wait for a dial-up I wouldn't attempt to go on so much.
Like today I'm distracted - I received a :Spam: email and for some odd reason it's bothering me (yes, I'm obsessing) and I keep wondering where it might have come from. Pointless really, because I understand how spam works.

Lately, I haven't been surfing so much. I seem to go through stages where I stay away from message boards (the tempting little devils) and just concentrate on life (you know, cooking and cleaning).

My other distraction is my dog who is old and still mischievious. I can't avoid that, not if I want my carpet to remain clean.

Boyfriend is another distraction. I seem to want to write in the evenings and he gets home about 6ish and he sometimes likes to talk. Oh well, I enjoy that distraction.:LilLove:

The only thing I have found to work for me is to just set my mind to do it. Yeah, it's lame really but it works.

paprikapink

02-18-2005, 11:50 PM

To a small extent, distractions are part of my process. I get an idea spinning around in my brain (it helps that there is very little else in there) and then I want to agitate it for a while by talking to people about it, or by goofing off here, or by making more tea or coffee or toast or cookies, maybe a sandwich...this can go on for an absurdly long time. And then suddenly the idea bursts forth and it all comes spewing out in a frenzy. At which time my family gets the impression that they aren't really so important after all. Unfortunately, I can't really "clear the decks" of all my other responsibilities. The worst thing is when I get to that bursting forth moment, and I just can't get to the computer because I've got to shuttle my kids in four different directions every day that week.

I do somewhat justify my time here as furthering my mental state as a writer. That doesn't exactly make sense, but, I mean reviewing things in "Share Your Work," reading Uncle Jim, hearing about your distraction-overcoming-techniques...they all go into the Writer pot.

-pkpk

LisaHa

02-18-2005, 11:55 PM

I'm a voiceover during the day which can sometimes be very busy, and other times there is a lot of downtime. During the quiet periods I like to write but one of my colleagues can be terrible for distracting me. Once she has checked and sent a few emails she runs out of things to do, and even after years of doing this job has never found anything else to occupy her time. So, she talks and expects me to join in. Sometimes I keep my head down and only half listen but then she takes offence and asks me whether I'm ok as I'm being very quiet and miserable! Her usual conversation is complaining about how little work she has :Huh:

Thankfully, she tends to keep very part-time hours as she hates sitting around with nothing to do. The guys we work with have more work than they know what to do with, so they are happy to leave me to my own devices.

Don't tell me to explain to her that I am writing as she then wants to know what I am working on and why I haven't had anything published yet!

I am the same as others on here - I always have a web page or emails open so that as soon as anybody looks like they are going to walk behind me I can switch. I don't want anyone seeing my WIP :Shrug:

I work evenings too, so often have an idea when I get home and get my laptop out. Problem is it means I get lost in writing, end up very late to bed, and then can't get out of bed the next morning to start all over again.

Weekends are fairly good for me unless I have visitors or my friend wants a shopping spree. I don't get too distracted by tv anymore as it's all c**p, except for Stargate SG1/Atlantis and CSI in its various forms. I like a good film but have to put my laptop away if I am putting a dvd on, or I suddenly realise the film has ended and I have missed it. So, writing can sometimes be the distraction from leading a normal life, or at least having some relaxation time.

No kids or partner to monopolise my time but some very demanding friends who insist on seeing me occasionally. Who do they think they are?;)

L x

azbikergirl

02-19-2005, 12:06 AM

Between the phone, internet (always connect provides constant distractions!), cat on the keyboard or chasing the cursor on the screen, rottweiler nudging my arm, and my own restlessness, it can be really tough. Sometimes I shut the door to the office and ignore the phone. Problem is that my stupid machine beeps every 10 seconds if someone leaves a message. :Headbang:

Azure Skye

02-19-2005, 12:10 AM

Sometimes I shut the door to the office and ignore the phone. Problem is that my stupid machine beeps every 10 seconds if someone leaves a message. :Headbang:

Don't ya just hate that beep! It makes me feel violent. Where's my baseball bat?

Sort of like this: :Hammer:

kdfrawg

02-19-2005, 05:16 AM

What distractions? Most of every day, the reality of what I write is more real that the reality which I live. No distractions are allowed short of imminent death. What distractions?

Pencilone

11-11-2005, 12:45 AM

huggy4ever

11-11-2005, 12:53 AM

What is your biggest distraction (or distractions) when it comes to actually sitting down and writing and what do you do to avoid it?

For me, the internet is the biggest distraction and I'm having a really hard time avoiding it considering I get on the computer to write.

I know how you feel! I have to tell myself that I get a reward after I finish writing. A candy bar motivates me enough! :-) LOL

Excellent movie afterwards helps too!

huggy4ever

11-11-2005, 12:59 AM

Try www.tigerdirect.com (http://www.tigerdirect.com/), a guy I know got his computer there and although it's a very pricey one, they have good deals on a lot of barebones systems, especially PCs. They don't seem to have any really low-priced laptops that I can see just by scanning the site a bit, but a while back they were running a special on some in the $200-$300 range, which isn't bad.

As for avoiding distractions? My primary way of avoiding them is to get moving and not stop. I come home from work, clean house a bit, then pop in my chair and fire up the word processor. I just don't stop long enough to think: "Hm...I sure would like some brownies..."

I don't watch TV, so the internet's my only real distraction, but if I get to work right away it's not a problem.

Food usually distracts me throughout the day! Whenever I have a difficult time trying to write something then I usually go eat something and come back to my writing :)

DamaNegra

11-11-2005, 03:57 AM

I have no problem with TV, I don't like any program in there but for 'El Privileigo de Mandar', which is a parody of the mexican government and I laugh myself to death with that show. Other than that, no tv except to play nintendo. I love nintendo :)

Second mayor distraction is my brother. He keeps on barging into my room every 4 or 5 minutes with something totally stupid and pointless to show me in the nintendo (which I have seen at least 6 or 7 times), and he doesn't seem to understand that when I close the door of my room y do not want to be bothered.

Third distraction is my dog. She's too cute to ignore! She'll sometimes sit on my lap while writing, but like a 3-year old she'll start sniffing around my desk and won't let me work in peace.

Then again, I have school, which drains every waking moment of my life, because I get distracted in doing my homeworks and then it takes too long to finish them. Plus, when I'm done with it I get so exhausted I don't have the energy to work.

Then, there's everything else. I get distracted when I suddenly wish for something to eat, or when a car passes by the window. The internet is also a great evil.

Usually I put on my earphones and blast the music as loud as I can. Sometimes I do listen to the same song over and over again, sometimes I listen many songs to get me in the mood. WIth the internet, I turn off the wireless antena so I don't get internet. However, there is nothing I can do to avoid distractions by my brother... unless I lock him up in a box and throw it down a river.

LloydBrown

11-11-2005, 04:16 AM

September skies

11-11-2005, 04:31 AM

Two distractions - people and AW. <lol> There are too many people in this house. And there is ALWAYS something going on. I try to do some writing when the kids are at school and at night when they are in bed. But I'm constantly getting interrupted. I also work from home (billing and paperwork for a small medical company)

But I have a hard time staying away from AW for too long. TV, radio and the police scanner going off constantly does not bother me. I tune everything else out.

reph

11-11-2005, 05:12 AM

Usually I put on my earphones and blast the music as loud as I can.
Assaulting your ears like that is a terrible idea. It causes permanent hearing loss and (often) tinnitus. Tell your friends, too. If you go to loud concerts, wear earplugs.

SeanDSchaffer

11-11-2005, 05:33 AM

My fingers, when I've just gotten up, which do not like to work properly on the keyboard.

My joints, which, if I don't constantly snap and pop them, become stiff and filled with pain. (I suffer from arthritis, though I'm not sure what kind.)

My back, which likes to ache sometimes while I'm sitting at my computer working.

AW, which is probably one of the few distractions to my writing that I find useful.:)

Finally, people who see the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on my door and think it's time to visit or ask me to do something for them. After all, I can hear them saying to themselves, Sean's not doing anything important; he's only writing.

Jaycinth

11-11-2005, 06:24 AM

Headphones. Metal.

AncientEagle

11-11-2005, 07:13 AM

Assaulting your ears like that is a terrible idea. It causes permanent hearing loss and (often) tinnitus. Tell your friends, too. If you go to loud concerts, wear earplugs.

And I can guarantee, once you develop tinnitus, you will find it to be a REAL distraction, and one that cannot be shut out by earphones.

Uh...I would say more on this subject, but I have to stop and concentrate on this steam engine roaring away in my ear. (Sometimes the whistle on the steam engine shrieks...and shrieks...and shrieks. At the best of times, there is only the sound of a wind blowing, about like a minor tornado.)

AncientEagle

11-11-2005, 07:23 AM

The Internet is my main distraction too.;) And for that reason I'm contemplating getting one of those very smart Alphasmarts, the Neo. I cannot stop dreaming about it...

I wonder if those of you who now have Alphasmarts, are you still distracted by Internet?

Do you get more writing done since you've got your new writing machine?

Is it easier to stay focussed with an Alphasmart?:)

This is just me. I read about Alphasmarts, checked them out on the Internet, and drooled over the illustrations of them. I absolutely had to have one.

It is sitting on a shelf about three feet from me right now, along with its rich looking leatherette case. It has been sitting there for the last month, untouched. For several months before that, it sat in another room. I have owned it for about eight months, during which time I have used it maybe three times. I use it, stop in the middle of something, and when I go back a week or so later, the battery has died and whatever I left stored is gone also.

I just have not been able to warm up to the little devil. So far, anything I might want to use it for could be done as easily with a pen and note pad.

As I say, this is just me. But my conscience would bother me if I didn't at least mention the fact that these things sometimes aren't as good as the dreams about them.

scarletpeaches

11-11-2005, 07:34 AM

The internet. AW and checking for emails. So I have taken to handwriting and transcribing later. Just to keep myself away from the computer.

Music. I need silence to write, although I am thinking of taking my notebook with me when I go out tomorrow to train myself to write with background noise. I think I'll start with the library then work up to one of those godawful Starbucks places, with screaming bairns and crappy music. I reckon McD's is the seventh circle of hell, populated by perpetually-breeding chavs with Kirkton facelifts.

The problem with even playing my 'soundtrack' to whatever WIP I'm dealing with, is that I sing along and tap my feet - rather than tapping my fingers on the keyboard.

Jamesaritchie

11-11-2005, 09:24 AM

This spring I'm thinking of going up to a cabin in the mountains and just spend two or three days there, hiking, watching the stars, etc. without TV, phone (cell phones don't quite work up there), or the Internet. Just me and my laptop.

That might be interesting.

I know this is an old post, but I wondered if you ever got around to that cabin?

One of the best times I ever had as a writer was a full month spent in an isolated cabin. No electricity, no phone, no close neighbors, and I took nothing with me that needed batteries. Just kerosene lamps, a manual typewriter, and some notebooks.

If I had my way, everyone would do this at least once. It changes a person.

goatpiper

11-11-2005, 10:34 AM

I distract my distraction, then when it's not watching...I write.

Writing by hand works for me...keeps me from the Internet and all it offers. The second I even look at my computer, I'm surfing.

zornhau

11-11-2005, 11:29 AM

No computer games installed on PC. Have novel with momentum and music selection on hard drive, large cup of tea/coffee and comfy space to write. Then, "just do it".

SeanDSchaffer

11-11-2005, 11:47 AM

No computer games installed on PC. Have novel with momentum and music selection on hard drive, large cup of tea/coffee and comfy space to write. Then, "just do it".

Cool Attitude, Zornhau! That's actually a great idea....except most of my music is either on LP or tape and I don't have a large drive. But I don't have any games on my PC either, simply because I'm also quite busy doing the work of a writer.

And since my computer is in the kitchen area of my Studio Apartment, my coffee pot and refrigerator (where I keep my tea) is right close to me where they can do the most good.

In fact, I feel a little need for a cup of coffee right about now. Off to my stovetop I go....

:Coffee:

zornhau

11-11-2005, 04:52 PM

Well, OK then, get the longest cassette possible (C120?) and cram it with music to write to.

arrowqueen

11-12-2005, 02:59 AM

I work on my trusty old WP so I don't get distracted by you lot.

jbmm

11-12-2005, 05:58 AM

Let's see--six kitties who love my office, two large dogs that bark at the drop of a hat, two barreling, noisy teenage boys (not to mention their entourage of friends) who burst into my office whenever they feel like it, and, who each have their own "garage" bands in my basement (yes, drums, electric guitars, and all), an 11 year old premenstrual girl, a noisy, needy husband who watches very loud TV and plays the guitar, dinner to make, laundry that's always looking at me, the evil internet, a couple of sorry a__ soap operas that I thought I broke myself of years ago, talk radio ... It's a wonder I get a word written at all!

KTC

11-12-2005, 06:17 AM

I can't avoid distractions. I need them and I welcome them. I'm a fast writer and I don't think I've ever had a writers block moment in my life. Wait...1982 seems like a fog to me when I look back. Maybe I was blocked that year, but probably not...I think I would remember that. Anyway, I look for distractions. I get up at about 4:30 every morning just to write for an hour and a half. It's my time...the words are my breakfast. I need to goof off and find things to do...I have too much to say and too much time to say it. I need to chill every once in a while. I come here. I take the dog for the conservation area for an hour or so...there are lots of things I do on purpose to become distraction. Even as I write this I have a Word window open and I am writing. I am the original multi-tasker. Avoid distraction! How dare you even suggest it!

aruna

11-12-2005, 11:29 AM

I found that writing during the day - especially because my home is small - I couldn't avoid distractions. The phone, people ringing the doorbell, kids, the dog, everything. And when I know I can be disturbed at any time, I can't concentrate that well.
For my last book I decided to start getting up at 4 am to write, and that worked perfectly. It is so still, and you KNOW nobody will disturb you.
I find it useful to TELL my mind that I am going to write from 4 - 6.30. That way, it is conditioned to bring out the good stuff at that time. The downside is that I now find it hard to write at any other time - even if I have the time to do so.

scarletpeaches

11-12-2005, 11:52 AM

...especially because my home is small...

What do you mean? You're a published author! Published authors live in palaces, I tell ya - palaces!

Diana Hignutt

11-12-2005, 02:34 PM

Not very well...

aruna

11-13-2005, 12:09 PM

What do you mean? You're a published author! Published authors live in palaces, I tell ya - palaces!

We aslo jet around the world on speaking tours and stay in five star hotels, hang out with celebs and drive Ferraris. Somehow, I forgot.

As they say - my home is my castle.

Beyondian

11-13-2005, 12:33 PM

I write on a boat. People are noisy, and have these annoying little gadgets called cellphones which they play on or try out new ring tones on.
This irritates me and my book has been known to get gruesome...

aweis

11-14-2005, 07:16 PM

I used to do a lot of my writing on a commuter train. I had an hour ride in and out of Chicago and almost all of the time(except on Friday evenings) the ride was quiet and distraction free. But now I don't take the train anymore and the best way to get undistracted time is to write in the peace of night.

zeprosnepsid

11-15-2005, 12:29 AM

I get distracted easily and often. But when I mean business, I disconnect the internet. It's the only way.

bscarry

10-04-2006, 12:08 AM

at the moment, this thread is a distraction

normally i'd say the net, idle mental wanderings, friends, the tele oh and of course television. The mind stays active pondering stories and collecting information however an active mind is not written work.

Shadow_Ferret

10-04-2006, 12:42 AM

I can't avoid distractions since I live with them, but if I get into a big fight with my family, they'll usually leave me alone for a little bit.

AnneMarble

10-04-2006, 01:09 AM

This is a neat thread. :)

My apartment is a distraction. There's the Internet, laundry, thingies to be cleaned, books to be shoveled around the apartment... Lately, I've realized that I get more writing done by going to the library, Borders, or Barnes & Noble with my AlphaSmart and then doing some writing. During slow moments, I might pop open a game of video poker on the Alphie, but that doesn't last long. (Because I lose so badly. :D) The only problem is that while I'm at the bookstores, I also look at books, and I usually end up buying too many books again.
:cry:

kristie911

10-04-2006, 01:15 AM

My son, my life, my job, my responsiblities...heck, if I listed all the distractions it would take me hours and would probably crash the boards!

You either embrace the distractions or never write again. There's just no getting around them.

Branwyn

10-04-2006, 06:01 AM

I like to write when everyone is alseep. Usually that's from 9:30pm -1 or 2 AM. It's not easy. Now I understand why writers have their cabins in the woods or beach houses.

Yarval

10-04-2006, 06:46 AM

I find my biggest distraction is opening the files of previously written work and losing myself in the tweeking process. For instance, I keep chapters in a single folder, and because my currently unfinished chapter is a word file in that larger file, I have access to previously written chapters down in the tray. So, it's a quick click and I'm doing useless editing on something I wrote two months ago when I should be building on what's current.

The best solution (yet to be executed by this guy) might be to keep the current chapter separated from the larger body of work so the rest of the manuscript isn't so easily accessed.

DamaNegra

10-04-2006, 06:52 AM

Throw whatever I use to connect to internet out the window :D

No, seriously, I go to full-screen mode. I write like my fingers are on fire for 5 minutes and then lay it off. I fool around, then write another five minutes. I write about 300 words in those five minutes, so with 7 blocks of 5 minutes I manage to make more than 2,000 words every day. It's just 35 minutes total, but it's a lot of words.

ORION

10-04-2006, 08:17 AM

Hey Beyondian! I write on a boat too! When there's a surge in the harbor or those pesky snapping shrimp clicking away.
This message board is my distraction.
I am addicted.
But I'll deal with it tomorrow...

PeeDee

10-04-2006, 08:39 AM

Generally,when something distracts me, it means I'm not quite comfortable enough with a story to dive in, so I wait and I do something else that's productive (them dishes, they don't wash themselves).

If it's a longer work, then it's just exhaustion toward the middle of the book, and then I generally go somewhere besides home to write. Or I write in a different room. Or I put my feet up.

I'm easily pleased.

maddythemad

10-04-2006, 08:55 AM

I know this sounds insanely vain, but my biggest distraction is my make-up. It's in this cute little bag right next to my computer, and sometimes I just can't resist putting on a little mascara or painting my nails as I write some oh-so dramatic scene. Usually I know my novel's going well when I get up to do something, catch sight of myself in the mirror, and notice I look like a total wh*re. ;)

SeanDSchaffer

10-04-2006, 04:28 PM

Well, it's been about a year since I posted on this particular thread last, so let's see what distracts me nowadays.

AW.

The record player.

My new electric typewriter (A Smith-Corona Coronet Super 12 that I spent thirty dollars on at a second-hand store--although I do write with it, I don't write my WIP with it).

My fingers, just like in my first November, 2005 post in this thread.

Having to pop my knuckles or they won't work right.

So, pretty much everything that was a distraction 11 months ago, is still a distraction now.

Some of them are good distractions, IMO, but they are distractions nonetheless.

I'm off to make my last cup of coffee before I go grocery shopping and get some real coffee. The stuff I've been drinking lately is pretty bad. I so look forward to some Colombian...

:e2coffee: