Tales From the Rut – Part 2
So how have we (and by that I mean ‘I’ of course) been doing in scaling the walls of this rut? Not very well it seems. Still too many of those distractions lurking about. So I’d like to explore some other idea’s about maintaining focus.
Dedicated Space
Still there. Image by Gene Selkov on Flickr
A few weeks back, Matt was talking about forming good habits. This got me thinking about how to do this. In fact, the comment I made was to have a terminal solely for writing. Matt has previously talked about creating a space for yourself and your writing, a bubble within which you can fully connect to the writing process. Or something. If you are having trouble with your writing (and again, I mean me here) then this is probably a good start.
When I first got my net-book, writing is all I used it for. It can’t run any games, I didn’t have wireless internet when I got it, so that was out, all I was using it for was the writing. And it worked. Because I knew, every time I switched the machine on, I was going to do some god damn writing. In fact, it was because of this that I managed to storm my way through the serialised piece I did last year in eight weeks. For me that was an achievement. That was the equivalent of a book, in eight weeks. This of course made me feel good about myself, which inspired me in my other writing.
But time wore on, I did get wireless internet, I installed a video player and got a bucket load of anime that had been recommended to me, and then I fell victim to the syndrome. What syndrome you may ask?
‘I’ll just have a quick look online before I get started.’
Technology. I have a love hate relationship with it. On the one hand, it is advancing at a quickening pace, which (in theory anyway) should make it easier and easier to write, make notes, whatever, on the move, in any spare time you have (unless you write cyberpunk of course, in which case you have to keep updating it to stop it looking… dated). On the other hand, better technology provides more avenues for easy distractions. Wireless internet everywhere you go, addictive little games on your handheld devices, easy and simple and oh so very distracting, texting, IM, Twitter…
The other thing I really need to do is to change my mentality. I get in from work and I think about writing, but I’d rather do something relaxing instead. Like murder gorgeously rendered people/aliens/monsters on my PS3. I need to start thinking that the writing is fun! I know, I know, that might work if you’re a casual writer, if it’s a hobby or whatever, and somewhere down the line I lost sight of that. Maybe it’s this tortured writer cliché. Writing cant possibly be fun right? Writers sit there, agonising over the placement and use of every word, and usually end up dying alone and penniless in some squat, having drank themselves to death, right?
Exuberance!
This is how you need to feel about writing (and again, I mean ‘I’). It is a creative process after all. You mould and shape your words to bring this beautiful project to life, after all, what could better than to bring something fresh and new and alive into this dull, depressing world we live in?
As long as it isn’t dark romance involving vampires. Ugh.