It's well known that there are occasions when some writers will do almost anything to avoid getting on with the work in progress. Just back from holiday, instead of getting down to some writing I have done the following: phoned everyone I can think of, ridden the horse, phoned everyone again, checked emails umpteen times, fainted (not planned, but it gave me the chance to Google the condition, since my doctor son's helpful contribution was to laugh and say I'd had a "funny turn"), write silly things on my website (I've only just learned to administer it myself, and get carried away), wonder again who "Mags" is (and much look forward to her introducing herself)...and write this. What do others of you/us do in this situation, or is everyone else so industrious that the idea of not writing is quite inconceivable? Please tell me I'm not alone.
Tuesday 3 June 2008
Diversionary tactics
It's well known that there are occasions when some writers will do almost anything to avoid getting on with the work in progress. Just back from holiday, instead of getting down to some writing I have done the following: phoned everyone I can think of, ridden the horse, phoned everyone again, checked emails umpteen times, fainted (not planned, but it gave me the chance to Google the condition, since my doctor son's helpful contribution was to laugh and say I'd had a "funny turn"), write silly things on my website (I've only just learned to administer it myself, and get carried away), wonder again who "Mags" is (and much look forward to her introducing herself)...and write this. What do others of you/us do in this situation, or is everyone else so industrious that the idea of not writing is quite inconceivable? Please tell me I'm not alone.
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3 comments:
I go through long periods without writing. I indulge in a number of pastimes during these interludes, but the word that sums it up best is 'loafing'.
Eventually I feel guilty (why? until now no-one has ever asked to see what I'm writing) and embark on 'research'--although for a fantasy writer the term is somewhat elastic.
Ultimately I then start a new work, normally by saying "let's write 1,000 words to get the feel of it". Before I know it I'm at work on a new novel, and by now it could be two years after I finished the last one. I take care not to skimp on the loafing phase...
The loafing stage is vital. I think you sort out things in your subconscious mind.
There are any number of deeply urgent things I need to do. The last couple of days I've been installing a brick border in our side yard. I'm pretty sure that few things are quite as important as this. And then, of course, there's always the day job...and cleaning this dump of a house...and getting a website up and running...
Eventually, when I get enough on my to-do list, I can happily get back to the writing with the delicious sense that the writing is cheating on all my other commitments.
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