The Newsletter Stand

Battling Distraction - Action/Adventure NL 9-13-08

No fear. No distractions. The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide. Chuck Palahniuk

Battling Distractions

I’m having a problem; it’s malicious distraction, in the form of spider solitaire – the computer game just a mouse click away on my desktop. I’ve got deadlines to meet; a few wdc contests, two articles to write, and one huge project due in a month, and with National Novel Writing Month around the corner…I don't have time for spider solitaire.

When it comes to writing, from thought to keyboard, to completion, to submission, a myriad of distractions exists to keep the writer off task. However, have no fear, for as many forms of interruptions there are, a complete array of combatants stand ready to tackle them all, one-by-one if need be.

I. Getting Started – Nothing like a blank computer screen or notebook page to scare off a muse. Here are a few tips on getting out the starting gate:

Create Deadlines – whether self-imposed or handed down, few things put a fire under your fingers like deadlines. Nobody wants to miss a deadline.

Make Lists – “Make lists” sometimes morphs into distraction, so enter into each with caution. But, lists can be helpful. Creating them gets our creative thoughts flowing. And, crossing items off makes us feel accomplished, so go ahead, generate a few lists; character profiles, possible plot twists and back stories…the, well, list is endless.

Enlist the Help of Others A surefire motivator(and a trick I learned while participating in last year’s National Novel Writing Month. The theory here is, once you’ve told a few people, you’ll have to report your progress. No one wants to say, “Yeah, well, I’ve slacked off.” Or “I’ve given up.” Plus, the interest of others in our projects helps to fuel our own enthusiasm, thus we perform better.

II. Midpoint - Making your plot/characters/point MOVE - This is where I have the most trouble. During Middleland, several things might occur; I can’t decide on a direction, or worse, my characters are lifeless, bodies slumped up against the dreaded brick wall. Sometimes, I know where I’m going but can’t decide on the vehicle to get me there. Other times, I’m struck with the debilitating feeling of stupiditis I hear a voice inside my head, “This is stupid,” it says. “No one will read this.”
If any of these things happen to you, why not try some of the following:

Change Scenes – If you write in one room while sitting in your favorite chair, take your writing gear and head to a foreign place, the family room, an outdoor café, a coffee shop with internet access. Sometimes changing scenery gives the mind a fresh look on things.

Write to Finish – Get your story arc down. You can fill in the blanks later, but give yourself some structure to build your words on.

Write in Increments-make deals with yourself. I won’t go to bed until I’ve finished this scene, or chapter, or word count.

Take a Break – Get up from the computer, take a shower, go to the store, do something where you mind is allowed to wonder. Often times, your sub-conscious is at work for you during these interludes. You’ll experience the “ah, yesss! I know what to do.”

III. Finishing Up
This is my second hardest part. I’ve work long and hard, and I’ve re-read my piece a bah-zillion times. I know my characters better than I know myself.

Here again, enlist the help of others, WDC, or family, or friends. Let someone you trust review your work. I usually get three people. One to edit for grammar and such, one to edit for believability and feel of the read, and the last to give me thoughts on artistic impression.

Writing a story, novel, or even poem from start to finish takes time, patience and an array of combatants to attack the dreaded distractions.

Until next time,
Robin

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