Sometimes You Need to Unplug
I have spent way too much time lately either staring at my WIP and wishing I was typing or surfing, twittering, and facebooking as a means of procrastinating. Here are a few ideas that have helped me get back into actually writing–BICHOK only works if the keys are being pressed.
- Unplug the power. If my laptop is completely charged, I have about two hours of battery use. I give myself a word count to achieve in those two hours, and then I get to it. The forced deadline keeps me focused on the story I’m trying to tell, and I usually exceed my assigned word count.
- Unplug the Internet. I’m wireless, so it’s a simple matter of sliding the wireless switch to the off position. You may just unplug your Ethernet cable. I can still be distracted, but I can more easily ignore or recover from TV and dog-related interruptions than from twitter addiction and incessant blog reading.
- Unplug myself. Sometimes I just need to get away from the computer. I typically do housework, because, well, there’s always housework to be done. Doing something physical and mindless is great. Other people suggest exercise, but the weather isn’t nice enough yet for me to take a bike ride. Perhaps this spring.
I hope these tips help you when the blank page is mocking you. If you have other ideas, I’d love to hear them, too.
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Categories: Uncategorized, writing