Accessing the Forum/Writing Your Novel

Me too.

Same here, I have music, my son's television running and fans going. He's pretty noisey a lot of the time too, so he factors in there too.

One thing I love about AW, is how people reach out and share their opinions and open up about their writing as a craft. It's just awesome how that happens. I might not post a lot but that's just because I lurk a lot and only post when I think I can add something to the conversation.

Do you find editing easier with more distractions too? Like you do about five to ten paragraphs and then take a break? Go over it repeatedly and finish it as perfectly as possible? Come here and read over some threads and then go back to it, until you do enough that you need to refresh your drink...Someone had the user tite one time, "Write, rinse repeat" or something profound like that and I thought it was really cool. The rinse is your mental break, before you pick it (your work) back up.

Editing is harder for me sometimes, then writing is. Is it like that for you guys too? You find yourself spending more time on a few passages then you would in writing the same scene first draft? Just a few small questions about the craft I thought I would put out there and see what my fellow AW'ers would answer.

I take short breaks from writing to check email, etc., and usually end up dropping a few posts here or there. If I'm doing research I run multiple windows so I pot to keep my eyes from crossing. If I'm burned out from writing or edits that's when I go on a binge and wreak havoc.

But if I am writing, hardcore writing, I want no distractions. I turn off the phones and tvs, pull up my writing playlists, and shut myself in the study until I'm done. That might be two hours or twelve, but I don't like any interruptions if I'm seriously at work.

Writing is a lonely business. AW makes it less lonely.

The time I spend here is worth my sanity. Or relative sanity, I should say...

Nicole

I spend all my time here, which means I don't spend enough time writing. It's just another excuse to ignore my WIP.

Yeah, I'm in-between sentences right now. And my boyfriend's here. And his brother. And my sister. And I'm watching Fight Club.

Writing is on my laptop.

Internet is not on my laptop.

AW is on my PC.

Once I leave the nest my laptop will also have internet but I'll be cool...I like being distracted. I don't need distractions to write, but I like to write to TV that I don't pay much attention to.

Actually, I can't really write with distractions...I only write on AW when I'm not writing or if I have a break at work. I get way too absorbed in what I'm doing to pay any attention to anything else (creepy guys checking me out from the other side of the coffee shop, for example.)

imagegod said:

Just curious...how do people juggle novel writing while accessing the forum? Personally, I need a HUGE amount of distractions while I write. But very low volume distractions that I have complete control over...like radio, tv, internet. NOT loud neighbors.
I like to write and then take a break with a simple distraction...like this Forum.

Just curious to see how others do those two things...

Click to expand...

I really spend too much time here in the first place, but I am able to write and post here so much because I will get off the forums for a while, and write. Then I will take a break from writing and come visit the forums for a while. When I'm writing, I generally have my DSL modem turned off so I can't access the Internet. It's a system I use pretty effectively to keep myself focused on my writing when I really need to be doing so.

What I really need to do is take time every day to write before I even go online. I haven't done that in a while, but I know it worked well when I did do it.

I think I'll try that tomorrow, and see how well it works.

My favorite distraction is what I like to call research.
Do I need to spend 45 minutes looking up the meanings of my character names? Do I need to use the online thesaurus to look up variations of what I just looked up? Do I need to browse online clothing stores to know exactly what my MC might wear to a restaurant that doesn't exist outside my book? No, but I do. Do I need to spent a good amount of time finding the exact scented candles she's going to light in chapter 15? Yes to all!!

I lurk a lot around here in between writing breaks and during the times I check news. I like being among fellow creative types because, strangely enough, it helps me get in the mood to write. Well, editing now days.

I tend to write better by handwriting on lined paper for first drafts, then transfer to computer to edit and print. Rinse, repeat, continue cycle. While typing out my manuscripts, I have a need to wander the boards so I can see what's going on in the business of writing. Plus, y'all are just too darn pretty to stay away for too long.

I don't think writing's a lonely business at all. It's the most...well, second most fun I can have on my own.

When I'm on AW I'm not writing so what I do is switch off the computer, write a few pages longhand then transcribe it onto my WIP's word document. I can get that done fairly quickly and say to myself, "Once you've got all this typed up you can check emails and sign in to AW."

If I was writing straight off the top of my head, I'd be too easily distracted by the internet...unless I was really in the zone and had to write as fast as I can think. It's rare for that to happen, but when it does it's great and I can get more than 5,000 words done in one day and AW doesn't even figure on my radar (sorry).

My novel is on my PC which doesn't have internet connection.
Family PC has connection. I check emails and such when mom is needing help.

I check forums at work. I write my WIP at home

I do both of those at work. We'll see how long I can keep this up.

I'm with Sassee - I read the boards and research at work and write at home. If I get on the Internet at home, I tend to stay on it, and I have a booooring job.

I write when I'm home alone. When there are people here...say, playing Sonic Adventure 2 Battle in the living room...writing is out of the question. Then I surf.

I can't read this when I'm actually writing. You guys screw with my head too much and I wind up reading about how I should never use "that" or certain plot devices or issues with coincidence and I drive myself insane.

I've only come back in during the month I let the WIP lie and I'm going to start editing it again tonight. So maybe I'll have to leave the boards again while I edit it, then come back when I start trying to find agents.