 |
| JOIN HERE |
If you'd like to sign up for the Insecure Writer's Support Group so you can learn from and encourage others, just click on Join Here beneath the IWSG badge. But read my post first!
I collect writer's groups like I collect newspaper clippings, books, magazines and the other treasures that clutter my house. Just can't seem to pass up an interesting something. I still think about the hour glass sand timer I spotted in Target in Yukon, OK, and didn't purchase. It was an interesting something. I still want it. I keep wondering how many pages I could type in three or five minutes. Yeah, I have a timer ... but not an hour glass timer.
Guess you've pegged me as a procrastinating hoarder. Yep, that's me. I love, love, love collecting all sorts of little treasures ... and groups... and classes. And they take up my time.
Recently I've joined the new Women's Fiction Writers Association. I've learned a lot from their discussions on the temporary yahoo site. I have two WF novels in need of revision and the WFWA group will be teaching a course later this month on what to do with the middle of the book. That's usually my downfall--the middle. So in 2014, I want to devote some time to these two books and their middles.
I also belong to Romance Writers of America and several of the RWA chapters; Sisters In Crime and its chapter called Guppies, and some unknown free sites that I hardly visit anymore. At the end of the year, I plan to weed out a lot of these groups. They distract me.
I've always been distracted in my writing--only focusing and concentrating when I absolutely have a deadline. If I don't have a deadline, I may outline a novel one day then start playing around with short stories for Woman's World the next day, instead of starting chapter one of the novel I outlined the day before.
So...am I A.D.D. or something? Or just unfocused? Or lazy? Why can't I focus on mysteries or romance or women's fiction? We all know successful writers don't hop, skip and jump from one genre to another, never mastering any of them.
Tell me, do you have trouble focusing? What do you do to keep yourself on track? What carrot do you dangle? Has the Internet done this to us? Or do I just need professional help? Am I a sicko?
Please share your tips for staying on track because "like sands of the hour glass, these are the days of our lives."
6 comments:
I hope you're not a sicko because then I am too. I try to keep my nose to the grindstone, but there are so may things vying for my attention, and let's face it, those things are generally more fun than writing. But at least when I'm procrastinating, I keep the WIP in the back of my mind and try to work out details. Some interesting ideas can pop up while I'm watching TV and stuffing my face with popcorn! lol
I seem to be able to focus when I'm working, but the problem then is that when I look up I've got a hundred people waiting for something from me or a hundred things I've let slide while I was focused on a writing task.
I tend to make myself a timetable, scheduling certain things for certain days. So, if there's a project I want to focus on, I'll put it in my timetable and try to stick to that. Sometimes it's hard when I get another awesome idea, though :)
Lexa - You sound like me! The TV/popcorn thing. :)
Charles - you seem so structured. I know you have to be to accomplish everything. I work better when I have structure.
Laura, love this. I have a calendar that goes everywhere with me and I live by lists. They work well if I stick to marking things off as I do them. I've wondered about having a MWF writing day but haven't given it a try yet.
I'm a lazy writer, so I can relate.
Send me links to those groups so we can include them in the new IWSG site!
Seems to be the general consensus. It is important to write not only when you feel inspired to but when you don't really want to some of the best material comes form those moments. Happy anniversary ISWG someday we will all have the courage to join.
Post a Comment