Chapter 19: Dealing with distractions.

So we've all been there. You sit down in your bubble of creative space, load up a fresh document (or sheet of paper), lay your fingertips to the keys (or grab your pen), and...

I personally am not a big fan of the “writers block” excuse. I don't know about you, but my time is valuable, and I don't have a lot of it to use on writing.  So I need to bring my
“A game” every time I touch the keyboard. I need to have myself prepared to capture "usable" material every time I enter my bubble.   Now mind you, this doesn't always work. Occasionally I fail miserably, but mostly things work out just fine.

If you’re struggling in this area, than you’re probably wondering how I do it.  I have never thought of myself as an expert, more like a peon than anything.  But what works for me, well it works for me.  So if you try it, it just might work for you...

A big part of it, the part I was planning on talking about, has to do with the atmosphere of writing.  I write at pretty much the same time, in roughly the same place, and go through a similar routine each time.

My routine is simple; I grab a huge cup of coffee, have music blasting out of my IPod (right now it’s Iration), and a comfortable seat. When I do this, my head instantly goes to writer-mode and I am ready to drop a ridiculously huge word count.  

I think doing what makes you comfortable will help create your bubble.  Hemingway got rip-roaring drunk first, and that worked for him.  That’s probably not the best idea, but hey it worked for him.

My bubble is strange, it’s not the type of atmosphere you would not picture being conducive for creative writing, but it is.  I like my bubble; you should like yours as well.

When I put music on, it’s usually just one song on repeat, and let it play as background noise.  This keeps my mind from getting lost as it wanders around in the outer fringes of the galaxy-sized void in my brain. It's my own type of quiet. 

Another preparatory action I take is to enter my bubble with multiple goals. Sometimes, I want to create something new.  My imagination is on overdrive, my fingers are on fire, and a whole new universe is created.

Other times I don't feel inventive at all.  That's when it is nice to have several projects in play, or one project in several different stages of completion.   If I don't feel like working on something new, I can jump into the guts of my story.  I can find dialog that needs to be repaired.  Or I can line-edit a fight scene.  Or I can email my editor, so she can remind me what my characters ages are.  

 

But what about the times when I'm not in my bubble?  When I have to write outside of my normal elements?  Or (gasp) what if there is no more coffee????

I, by no means, have all the answers, but I do have some experience with having to be flexible when writing.  I love my bubble, but it’s not always available.  That’s when I have to use “the plan.”   

Just so we’re clear, I always try to approach writing with a plan. I don't just sit down and start banging out stuff, because that doesn’t work for me.  I do believe there are times when you have to capture an idea, and if you don't, then you will lose it.  Those times are a great learning experience, and I encourage you to give it a try, especially if you’re a new writer. For me, it has been a long time since I’ve tried to write like that.  I don’t normally try to write anything until I have digested it mentally first

In closing; I have a lot of material, I have a bubble, and you can bet I have a cup of coffee.  That’s what works for me, if you don’t have tools like this in your toolbox, then maybe you should focus on getting some. If you’re struggling with new ideas, maybe you need to have a daydreaming session and work on getting some.  If you’re struggling with even that, than you should tune in next week, because I'm going to open the huge, monstrous, discombobulated can of worms that is my mind. I’m going to talk about daydreaming.

In personal news, I just started reading Stephen Kings On Writing and I’m quite excited.  It’s about time I started learning how to do this correctly. 

 In Overshadowed news, we are almost done!!!!!!

I can almost see the finish line, and this time it’s not a mirage.  It’s the real-deal, the finale, the end. 

Well sort of....

Actually, it’s more like the beginning (crap)... I’m still excited though.  I am going to go through and remove all my silly little notes to myself, cross my i’s, and dot my t’s, and see what she looks like.  Then it goes to the alpha reader stage.  And finally, there’s that pesky little part, the one where I get someone to publish it...

  So keep reading, and get your friends to read as well.

Also comments and emails are always welcomed. I love insight from others, so don't be shy.