Comments on: 10 turn-offs for restless writers and pen-shy procrastinators

By: Kath Burke

Kath Burke — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:26:27 +0000

Yes email can be so distracting. I’ve fixed that problem of the computer making this tantalising sound every time some new mail arrives in your inbox. You know how you kid yourself that some amazingly attractive and interesting email has just dropped in.

Here’s how I switched it off. If you’re in Windows XP for instance, you go under Control Panel, click on Sounds and audio devices, then choose Sounds tab, then in the Programme events window deselect New Mail notification.

Sorry if I’ve bored you with the detail…. but since I’ve done this, I’m less attached to my email program, and I do focus a bit better on the task in hand.

By: Iain Broome

Iain Broome — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:57:48 +0000

@Mr Uku Thanks for the comment. I’m in the middle of editing my novel and, heeding my own advice, I’ve completely mapped it out on post-it notes using a system of my own invention. It’s been a revelation and may well be coming to an e-book near you soon (or when I’ve got the novel wrapped up and off to my agent at least)!

Go get that notebook!

By: Mr Uku

Mr Uku — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:49:37 +0000

Great post and some great advice.
I especially like the idea of planning your thoughts out by hand. That’s something I haven’t thought of trying before and it gives me an excuse to buy a lovely new notebook
But I can’t bring my self to turn off Twitter. It’s just too much fun!

By: Laurie Phillips@Sundance Research

Laurie Phillips@Sundance Research — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:20:49 +0000

There are two productivity killers for me that shorten my day and extend my writing projects.

1. Following links from RSS feed posts. Always fascinating, always justifiable, always draining.

2. Saving the most demanding or unfamiliar work for after I’ve done the easy stuff. Its called a “comfort zone” for a reason, and I have to push myself out of it so I can get the hard work done.

By: Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome

Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:03:38 +0000

I’m guilty of all those things. Today I’ll try working with the Internet turned off for as much as I can (ie, except for work that needs the Internet).

By: 5 Prescriptions for Tenacity | Confident Writing

5 Prescriptions for Tenacity | Confident Writing — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 07:10:03 +0000

[...] 10 Turn Offs for Restless Writers and Pen Shy Procrastinators by Iain Broom at Write for Your Life [...]

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:11:24 +0000

Missed a T on thought in my last post, god damn it. Where were the red wigglies when I needed them?

By: Donna

Donna — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:10:17 +0000

Very delayed constribution to this line of though I know, but I just read a fantastic quote from a writer named Tobias Wolff. In a 2004 interview for The Paris Review he said,

“All I need is a window not to write.”

I guess very few human beings are robotic writing machines. The very fact that we write comes from the fact that we find joy and intrigue in the things around us- enough to want to be able to make words out of them. The overall message is, so long as you are getting words down, you are succeeding, no matter the pace or regularity.

By: crowth

crowth — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:17:26 +0000

It looks… rubbish, I know, but it’s my writing aid of late. I call it my noodle doodle grid.

http://crowth.net/post/75945884/it-looks-rubbish-i-know-but-its-my-writing-aid

This one isn’t finished, hence the gaps on the left. You see, I’m easily distracted whilst writing and I even if I’m not distracted, I sometimes run out of momentum. Instead of checking Tumblr, RSS feeds, email or blog stats, I shade another wiggly box in on my noodle doodle grid, which I prepared earlier by drawing random wiggly lines (noodles) up and down and across a sheet of A4. Whenever I run out of steam or feel fidgety, I shade in another box or two. It seems to both relax and focus me, and instead of getting tangentially engrossed in some snippet of information that takes me from Tumblr to YouTube to IMDB to Wikipedia to OH CRAP WHERE DID THE LAST THREE HOURS GO!?, my mind is cleared and I carry on writing where I left off, often with a new idea to pursue.

By: Iain

Iain — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:20:36 +0000

Thanks for the comments everyone. Sorry for the delay in replying. I’m here now.

@Monica – Yes, the Internet in general is a good one to get rid of. Pesky thing that it is. I will check out WriteRoom pronto!

@Dmitri – You’re right Dmitri, if you’re really into something, you’ll be more productive. It’s when the going gets tough that the tough, erm, need to switch things off.

@Carla – Indeed, another good ploy. I wrote most of my novel on an old laptop that was blissfully unaware of the Internet’s existence. It helped!

@Tumblemoose – Squigglies. Wigglies. To heck with them all.

@Jude – All sounds very organised Jude and I think you’ve hit on a key productivity ingredient: routine!

@Gina – I rarely print out my copywriting work, but always always always print and annotate my fiction. Strange that.

@Bamboo Forest – Wigglie. Squigglies. To heck with… Oh, I’ve done that. Who cares? To heck with them!

@Stacey – Yep, I do listen to music, but it’s mostly instrumental or acoustic-type stuff. I wrote the majority of my novel to Fionn Regan’s beautiful debut album – see http://www.last.fm/user/iainbroome

@Mark – Nice pingage! You nearly had my eye out. Welcome aboard!

@Chocolate Lover – That sounds like a great set-up you’ve got there. I managed to get a couple of months off work during the early stages of my novel. I lived with a friend in Bath. The new environment helped a lot.

Keep the comments coming folks!