What's stopping you?

[Teri Thackston]

I have a question for my fellow writers: what stops you from writing? What gets in the way? Is it your "real" job? Is it a demanding friend? Your family? That charming seductress TV? What in particular keeps you from putting your backside in the chair and doing the work?

And for those who have conquered such distractions, how did you do it? What tips can you share that might make it easier for the rest of us to take back our time?

[Julie Ann Shapiro]

Yesterday, I wasn't sure where to take the next installment in a flash ficiton series I'm developing. If itwas a novel or a stand alone story I may not have had as many questions. But I kept asking myself should I add more back story to these characters and make it a novel or do I want to keep this flash ficiton series experment going and where is it going. How is it going to end? It's these kinds of questions that can drag down the writing. I decided to keep the experiment going and just see where it will take me. It's this kind of over thinking that can sometimes get in the way writing.

Feedback can help this over thinking side. I'm participating in a flash a thom with other writers. We each post a new flash and share it. When I heard their reactions to my stories this morning I didn't feel the need to think it through and got recharged about writing it.

[Teri Thackston]

Hi Julie,
What is flash fiction...is it quick writing? Something you do without allowing yourself to plot much?

[Julie Ann Shapiro]

Hi Teri,
Flash fiction are typically stories that are under a 1000 words. Most are in the 500 hundred word range and even shorter at times. They are known by a conciseness of language and strong hooks and closings.
Plot is not a big thing with flash. Many people think of them as a one act play. There is a story arc but everything happens fast with very little back story.

My present flash series has about seventeen parts and I'm debating whether to expand the story and add back story and definite plot points or to keep it as a flash series. One idea I'm playing around with is to keep it as flash for a certain segment of time then at a pivotal life changing moment it shifts to longer passages.

Julie

[Daniel Arenson]

I don't think of writing as work. It's something I do for fun. If I'm not writing, it's just because there are other things to do in life -- like all the things you mentioned. :) If we sat and wrote 24/7, what would we write about? We have to live to have ideas. :) Many of the great authors lived fully -- Hemingway, Tolkien, and many others fought in wars, Conrad and Twain traveled all over the globe, etc. We'd be rather boring authors, I believe, if we avoided "distractions". :P

Daniel Arenson
"...an author to watch." -- Booklist
Firefly Island, a fantasy novel
www.DanielArenson.com

[William Butler]

For me, the thing that got in the way was feeding my family of six. The novel that was published in July, began life in the middle 1990s. Within six months of its inception, it was 80% finished. Then I put it on a shelf and it sat there until February of last year (2006). It was at the prompting of a friend who asked "What else have you written?" after reading several short stories of mine. I provided her the unfinished manuscript, which she devoured. When she reached second page of the last chapter (where I stopped writing) she chastised me severely and required that I sit down and finish the manuscript.

That weekend, I converted the Ami Pro file into Word format and began the last two chapters. Six weeks later I completed the first draft. Seems I spent more time re-reading the story to familiarize myself with the characters again than actually writing the final chapters.

So to sum it up, I'd say "life" got in the way and a swift kick in the back-side got me back in the saddle.

William

[Randy Wallace]

Distractions aren't always a bad thing. Sometimes we can churn out solutions when we're not working. BUT, this isn't always the case and it takes honesty to recognize when time away from the keyboard is a benefit and when its an excuse not to write.
Discipline is the key to all good habits. Find your best time to write, go to the place you are most inspired, and make your quota come hell or high water.
I know there are days when I write pure drivel. (Maybe this is one of those days.) I don’t care. Write pure drivel if that’s what’s in you, but write it nonetheless. It might lead to something great and it might not. It most certainly won’t if it never makes it to the keyboard.

[Abe Firestone March]

You're right Randy. Distractions and being busy does take one away from writing. I think the worst thing is to try and force ideas onto the page. Either you are motivated to write or you are not. If you have something to say it will generally flow. The problem often occurs when you have written a certain amount and then you come to a wall - so to speak. The best thing for that is to get away from it. Take a walk in the forest or somewhere else where you are alone with your thoughts. You'll be amazed how things will pop into your head and then you can't wait to get those ideas down on paper.

[Ron Kruger]

Yes, what Randy said.
Discipline is the real key. Write every day. Have multiple projects going. Keep a journal. Write emails and letters and blogs; articles and columns, short stories and novels. And even in a journal, always try your best to get the words right. Make it a habit that gets in the way of doing all the other things you also like to do or feel you should do--not the other way around. Otherwise don't complain about not being "inspired" or having "writer's block." When you scratch below these terms, you find they are just excuses for a lack of confidence and/or discipline. Just do it, and keep doing it, and redoing it. The confidence and the discipline comes with practice.

[William Butler]

To an extent, I have to disagree here. The writing of fiction is an inspired and creative task. Without inspiration and creativity it will be nothing more than drivel. And drivel doesn't sell. The process for articles, essays, and other non-fiction work is rather different. In that arena the writer does not create dialogue or scenes. While it is still necessary to write in a way that holds the interest of the reader, the two fields are worlds apart.

I will agree that when a writer "hits the wall" or experiences writers block the best thing is to keep writing. I cannot agree that the terms are excuses for a lack of confidence or discipline. Fortunately for me, the voices in my head are never quiet. As such, I have never experienced a situation where I was lacking ideas or inspiration. The day may come when the voices fall silent and I'm forced to rely on my own devices and draw from whatever creative pool I may possess. Hopefully, that day is a long way off.

Discipline is important in the respect that it causes a writer to establish a regimen and stay with it. However, discipline doesn't give you ideas or provide insight when you stumble. I write (creatively) seven days a week, and on average, for three to four hours each of those days. Even with such a regimen, there are times when finding the right voice can be a struggle.

Again... my distraction was family and work. Until such time as my writing is able to pay all the bills and put my kids through college, I still have to depend upon my day-job. Fortunately, I've learned to do with four of five hours of sleep. So until that catches up with me, I'll keep on as I am now.

Be well,
William

[Chaitanya-Shakti dasi]

Things that distract me:

* The Internet
* Television
* Friends and family
* Dinner - it always seems to come up when I"m in the middle of writing
* Online chat - sometimes I forget to put the sign up that I'm "busy" or "writing"

I would love to hear solutions to distractions. The obvious answer is to just step away from it all and go write. But what if you are writing on your computer and the Internet is RIGHT THERE and you just remembered a video you want to watch on YouTube or an email you want to answer?

Well, this is where self-discipline comes in. You have to just ignore all the distractions. Notify friends and family and chatters that you are busy. Write that email later. Sit down, and WRITE. Sometimes, for me if I can't think of what to write and it's the BLANK PAGE DREAD that is stopping me, I do "word wars" with my friend Elysabeth, in which we are for a certain number of minutes and see who can come up with the most words (this is especially handy for NaNoWriMo-goers). Music also helps. Depending on what sort of story or scene I am writing, I will listen to certain music.

Or, I just set my timer, and as long as it is ticking, I try to be madly writing away. :)

[Abe Firestone March]

Chaitanya,
I think it is a question of priorities as well as discipline. What is more important to you? Lack of discipline affects various aspects of our lives and determines the kind of person that we are. We have the power to control our thoughts if we use it. Or, we can take the easy way - the weakness in us, and go with the flow.

[Ron Kruger]

Over they years, I've read various accounts, biographies and interviews with famous and accomplished writers. Every single one of them said they write every day in a disciplined sort of way. Most of them mention a particular time of the day or night that they habitually devote to writing (most often a four- or six-hour block).
Writing is not something they do when St. Inspiration possesses them like the Holy Spirit. Writing, like a "real" job, takes priority over TV, family, friends or whatever. They may stop writing now and then to do something else, but nothing "stops" them from writing.
I remember in particular an interview with Nora Roberts. When asked to offer her best tip to aspiring writers, the first thing out of her mouth without hesitation was "get some exercise." (Now, think about that for a minute.) In fact, that was the only tip she offered, and she went into a rather long explanation about why writers should "force" themselves to quit writing and get some exercise, to eat or to relax occasionally with some “diversion.”