What's your distraction?

I've never had that problem...getting stuck for what comes next. For me, it's about turning it off and finding--searching out--my distractions. If I don't turn it off and escape, I could write until I dropped dead.

AW
Read other people's manuscripts
Try to find writing partners who don't mind brainstorming...

callalily61 said:

AW
MST3K

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Tapes of MST3K, I assume? You wouldn't know where I could get a choice copy of Samson Vs. the Vampire Women, would you?

JennaGlatzer said:

You're in the middle of writing. You get stuck. Can't figure out your next line. So you think for a minute or two. You tap your pen, look skyward, but nada.

What do you do next?

Me: check eBay (for baby things and handmade soaps, mostly), house-hunt on MLS, stare at my bookshelves while figuring which book to read next. And - duh - come to AW.

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Well, as of late I've been trying to find new things to take up more of my time -- not the least of which is finding a part-time job. Other things I do to distract myself from my writing are reading (preferably SF or Fantasy -- I just devoured A. E. van Vogt's final project, the sequel to Slan, in about, oh, three days. I haven't felt so good in a very long time when not writing) and -- also duh -- come to AW.

Further, I'm now distracting myself from my writing by finding an old galley of my PA novel. As they terminated my contract early last year, I now can do with it whatever I please, so I'm going to re-write it from the actual galley copy and see if that might help me to have another project in the coming months.

But for the most part, my distractions are not so huge as another project. I will sometimes listen to music, pace around the apartment, clean house, and read, as well as, like I said before, come online and visit AW.

If I'm looking to "unstick" my brain as in the OP, the best way for me is to go to bed. I'll lie in bed with the lights out and my eyes open, and suddenly my brain starts chugging with ideas. I have to leave my computer on when I'm working on something (and yes, that means I'm not always working on something -- I'm a bad writer) because if I don't, waiting for it to fire up drives me crazy when I finally have to jump out of bed and write it all down.

And by the way, Vista (latest version of Windows) totally sucks in this regard. Takes about five times as long to boot up as any previous Windows, and appears to be booted when it isn't. If you try to write before it's done inventorying every molecule on your hard drive, your words will appear on screen about a minute after you type them. Aaaaargh!!!

If I'm looking to procrastinate, nothing works like pot. When I'm stoned, I can't write, so it eliminates any chance that I might change my mind and get back to work.

Uncle Jim, Diluted

Self Editing for Fiction Writers (Much more than just where to put the comma.)

The First Five Pages (Examples are so illustrative that I realized I still had them internalized a few years later.)

Techniques of the Selling Writer (Examples are a bit dated, principles are sound.)

The Importance of Feeling Inferior (Yes, it's really a book for writers of fiction, if you're looking for serious motivation of all kinds for all characters. Some examples are horribly dated and the politics are sometimes silly---it is from the 70s.)

Magic and Showmanship: A Handbook for Conjurers (Uncle Jim speaks truth to power. It took me a few years to understand.)

Logical Chess: Move by Move (Uncle Jim speaks truth to power. And better chess skills are better than nothing.)

Generating many stacks of virtual index cards in Scrivener.

And of course, Absolute Write.

Kids.
AW.
Hungry kids.
AW
Thirsty kids.
AW
Messy kids.
Hungry dog.
Clean up after kids.
Thirsty dog.
AW
Take dog out before mess in the house.
'Daddy, I have to go potty.'
Bored kids.
Play with kids.
Read to kids.
AW
Hungry kids again.
Thirsty kids again.
Thirsty dog.
Think about trying to clean house.
Clean house.
Take dog out before mess in the house.
Turn around and find kids have messed up house again.
Hungry kids.
Thirsty kids.
Messy kids.
'Daddy, I have to go potty again.'
Clean kids.
AW
Repeat
Repeat
Repeat
Make dinner
Clean up.
read/playstation but usually write
AW/email
ummm.....oh yeah, and sleep.



repeat

Well. I get stuck all the time and I used to have all sorts of distractions, but now I refuse to allow them to take up my writing time. Instead, I think of two little snippets from a couple of how-to books that I've read, one of which has been discussed here lately.

"Taking Reality by Surprise", and "Writing Down the Bones".

If I can't write what I'm meant to be writing I follow Natalie Goldberg's advice and just keep my pen moving. I might write nonsense, but I write, and write and write and write. And as for Susan Sellers, if barking dogs (for example) break my concentration and flow, then I write about those bloody barking dogs and why I'm so cross because I really should be writing about xxx, and there I am, back in the flow again.

There. Now I sound really dull. And remember, this is when I'm writing fiction, while non-fiction has a whole different set of rules. And techniques.

AW* read*TV*get more coffee*playwith dog*play with husband*clean*laundry*long shower*lint in bellybutton...oh wait

I wonder just how many hours of writing are sucked down the tube of no return by that attractive, addictive, Absol W?

There should be a cookie monitor or something, which pops up and says the AW reverse equivalent of the "Come on in Number Seven, your time's up!" shouted by the rowing boat attendant on the pond in the park.

Maybe a pop-up - "Go away (or something else in case 'Go away' just isn't strong enough!) - and stay away till I let you know your link has been re-opened!"

JennaGlatzer said:

You get to sleep? NO FAIR!

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I average probably 4-5 hours--but that's because my wife is an amazing woman. I am a very DEEP sleeper (she is a light sleeper)--and I've told her to wake me up when the kids fuss at night (and occasionally she does), but usually since I go to bed around 2ish and wake up at 6ish, if the kids wake up during those 4 hours, she usually will get them back to sleep without waking me.

In return, whenever she wants extra sleep, I get up early with the kids on her days off and take them out of the house so its quiet and she's not disturbed.

Hopefully, you'll be able to get some sleep soon!

Take care -

AW
Suzanne Brockmann Bulletin Board
Eat.
Eat.
TV.
Eat.

This routine has added to the problem of extra poundage. Either I need to stop getting up from writing, or I need to eat something healthy (*gasp*) or, ummm, just stop eating. But that is the last, most desperate solution. I could vacuum, I guess. Or just keep on writing.

Read. Watch movies. LJ. LJ again.

Grab one of the books I am reading (I can never just read one book at a time) and go for a walk. If something in the book does not shake me loose, the walk will.

JennaGlatzer said:

You get to sleep? NO FAIR!

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Sleep will return...one day.

I get up and wander aimlessly around.
Go fix myself some tea or coffee.
Change the playing CD.
Get online, check e-mail.
Pick a different scene to write and write it instead.

Lately I have been so inspired when we go to Disneyland. There is such an eclectic mix of people who congregate there. There was a couple standing in line in front of us the other day and I was mesmerized by them. The woman's hair was a soft lavendar color cut in a short meticulous bob, which stood in stark contrast to her black shirt, pants and work boots. Her shades matched her hair color perfectly. Her companion was dressed all in black too, with a close cut hairstyle. They both stood there snacking on mixed nuts (which in itself is odd at Disneyland...). Vegetarians I bet. I could feel myself building a story and history about them in my head, just as I am right now.

I have filed that couple away for when I venture in to fictional writing...

I write after everyone is in bed, so they aren't distractions unless my four year old wakes up. But, if I'm stuck, I usually go and play Squelchies on Pogo. It's kind of mindless and can help break through that stuck feeling.

My main distraction is the internet...email especially. When I'm running really dry, I check the weather a lot. That's bad!

I also waste time reading stuff I wrote in the past. Sometimes I don't even read it but stare at it.

Music motivates me, but I frequently forget about that.

Read.

Watch TV - usually flipping between Animal Planet, Discovery, History, A&E and Spike. Sometimes the news just to see what the disaster of the day is.

Playstation 2.

DVD - movie or anime.

Visit AW or TFF.

Browse Amazon.

Sleep.

~DragonHeart~