Oh.
Apparently females can type and listen at the same time.
Guys can't do that (at least, most guys can't do that) - and probably, not even all women can do that. But for some reason, it seems like far too many aspiring authors try to do this.
Twitter and writing.
Working and writing.
Web browsing and writing.
Hanging out with people and writing.
Pausing writing to pick up the phone and chat with someone and going back to writing and pausing writing to read an email and going back to writing and pausing writing to respond to a text and going back to writing and...
My challenge to you: Just write.
Practice that, for a day. For a week. Shield yourself from all the excess stuff. Hide from the world. Disable your web browser and turn off your phone. Shut down your email. Write.
What do you think? Do you do this already?
Do you think it's okay to write while doing other things?
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That is something I wish I could do, but there are these pesky things called kids who expect me to feed them and do other crazy things like spend time with them when I'm home. And for some reason, getting food requires money, so there is this other pesky thing called teaching that I have to do all day...
ReplyDeleteLocking myself away for a week would be wonderful and would definitely help my writing, but there are times when the rest of the world won't stop for someone who *wants* to write. Something about there being bills to pay and manuscripts not having a great tendency to make enough money to pay them.
tundyel.blogspot.com
I believe that if you can't completely shut down, or lock yourself in Rapunzel's tower, at least focus for a certain timeframe, say an hour or two. Whatever you can manage. Just you and the keyboard and that crappy blinking cursor. Shut your eyes, float into your horizon. Mentally turn and see what your characters are doing, hear what they are saying, smell their perfume (or b.o. or lousy cooking- whatevs). Write! Write! Write! Until something in reality yanks you back, keep the flow going.
ReplyDeleteI agree that interspersing bits of this and that will negatively affect your writing. Like wine, writing absorbs from its environment. (I learned that in the movie- French Kiss. Thank you Kevin Kline. About the wine that is).
Wow, your fiance is talented. :D I have trouble multitasking--especially when it comes to writing. I don't get much done if blogging, tweeting, or FBing is calling me. I think it depends on the person. I can't even listen to MUSIC while writing, but some people can.
ReplyDeleteGreat advice to shut the world OFF and just write. I think people would get a lot more writing done if they would do just that. I've definitely turned off my email notification. :)
If someone insists they can multi-task, my Sensei makes them fight three people at once.
ReplyDeleteGood advise--just write. Thanks!