We’ve talked about what we need to make us better writers, or perhaps just, happier writers. And there is a lot. I added my list to Stephanie’s and the crucial elements are great entertainment, be it TV, movies, or books, coffee, wine, critique groups and drunk writer talk.
But I do a lot that I now find, out of necessity, I have to give up. And probably should have a while ago.
1) Any website that is not drunk writer talk. That means, Entertainment weekly, which I love and read twice a day. It’s gone. I don’t have time for it. Gossip websites, even, and this kills me, other writing blogs. Although if I do have an extra two minutes in a day, those writer blogs are where I’ll go, simply because I love the community of writers and sharing our pain and passion.
2) Reading mediocre books just to see what’s selling. I know I should be educated in our genre, but with the amount of free time I have these days and the wonderful books out there, I have to be picky.
3) Any TV that is not Mad Men, the Wire, Glee, Generation Kill, True blood, or as good as the aforementioned. Although right now, I’m PVR’ing everything. Because at 2am when baby is up and so am I, even America’s next top model works better than anything else on. But once the night feedings end, only quality TV for me.
4) Facebook – even though I’m nothing but a lurker, it’s a distraction I don’t need right now.
5) Any form of computer game, which includes spider solitaire. To be honest, I’d given this up a while ago, but for a while, I couldn’t sit down to write without completing at least one game.
There’s probably more distractions, but these are all that come to mind right now. It’s a good start though. And hopefully, the start towards getting rid of some bad habits that I’ve accumulated over the past few years.
5 comments:
I've sacrificed a lot of coffee and lunch dates with friends. In fact, the friends I see the most are the ones who can or will multi-task with me. It's mainly either exercise or shopping.
I need to sacrifice spider solitare, tetris and lexulous on facebook.
I have to say, though, the fact that you can even string a cogent sentence together with a newborn makes you pretty much a superhero as far as I'm concerned.
Computer games are on and off a huge problem for me. That and food are my two biggest tools for dealing with anxiety or procrastination or whatever it is that sometimes makes me crazy.
I can go months without opening one of my time waster computer games and then BAM. They're all I can think of and I can't even concentrate on good TV w/o opening my laptop and doing a computer game until my eyes are bleary and streaming with tears.
This is why there will never be a Wii or PS in my home. If I can devote 3 hours straight to Zuma, then no way could I handle those things. I am an addict. I know my limits.
Yeah, I have a mean celeb gossip addiction. I should probably work on that. :)
The web is my biggest problem, whether other blogs, or playing Bejewel Blitz on Facebook, or checking in on Twitter. :-P
So far the only sure fire thing that works is to get off the lap-top and work strictly on the Netbook (I keep the WiFi turned off, except for weekly upgrades/scans).
Happy Thanksgiving weekend, guys!
Bejewel blitz... sounds fascinating. Must resist..
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