Do you do anything to get in the mood to write? Do you need
anything special beside you?
(from Susan)
Other than a tall drink? Yes:
1. Have written the day before.
2. Have read what I wrote the day before.
3. Resist the urge to trash what I wrote. Light edits only.
4. Clear enough junk away from the computer desk so I don’t get distracted or depressed by expired coupon for free pizza, a postcard from Hawaii, the “To Do” list of household chores, and that rave review of someone else’s book.
5. Place mug of cold coffee or glass of lukewarm fizzy water next to computer and promise myself not to spill it on the keyboard.
6. Turn off Internet connection and email notification or forget about getting anything done.
7. Read Richard Diebenkorn’s note to himself about beginning a new painting (which I keep on a board in front of me):
“Attempt what is not certain. Certainty may or may not come later. It may then be a valuable delusion.”
Definitely a good idea to turn off the internet and e-mail...but it's like a junkie. You can't do it. You just need that next fix...
ReplyDeleteLove it. We all have our rituals, don't we? In fact I am doing one of mine now by reading this blog, another delaying tactic to avoid writing.....Great post.
ReplyDeleteRJ Harlick--too true! Writing comments is as you say a delaying tactic. At its worst, it's a substitute for actual writing. After all, commenting is fast and fun, whereas writing book-length narratives (although fulfilling) is never fast, and often not fun. At all.
ReplyDeleteI have started to turn off my Internet connection when I sit down to write, too. It's too easy to scroll through Twitter or my email box and fritter away my writing time. Danger, danger!
ReplyDeleteMy writing computer hasn't got internet and my laptop + internet isn't in my writing room. One time - just once - I ran down my laptop battery, locked the cable in the car and threw the car keys into the long grass. I knew that no buzzfeed quiz in the world would make me put on star-thistle-proof boots to get the key to unlock the car to get the cable to charge the laptop. Pathetic, though.
ReplyDelete