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Like most people I have a hard time keeping internet distractions at bay. I have spent hours of my life on Twitter, Facebook and reading my Google reader. Some of those hours I should have been writing. I'm generally pretty good at keeping the internet at bay while I'm writing, I'm considering installing Mac Freedom (there's a PC version too) on my computer as a failsafe-just to keep me honest.
I'm reaching the point where I'm going through the second round of edits in Positive Tension and about to start outlining my new novel, so time management is more important than ever, and that means having a bit of internal freedom within yourself. I'm lucky, as I don't have a full-time job at the moment, but that doesn't mean I'm not working. We have several home improvement jobs going on right now that demand a lot of my attention, so I need to manage my time wisely.
I've learned that I won't die if I don't check my Twitter feed twenty times a day, or catch up on my Google reader. I try to read and comment on blogs as often as I can, but I'm done feeling guilty when I can't. I only have so many hours a day at the computer that don't involve writing.
Anyone have any tips for keeping distractions at bay to make time for writing?
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I have a laptop with no wifi. I only connect to download items relative to my writing. I don't do the internet until my writing for the day is done. So let's just say I get up pretty early in the morning to write every day.
ReplyDeleteA few friends I know ask someone they really trust to change the password for their Facebook/Twitter/etc... during exam time.
ReplyDeleteSo perhaps this could work for your writing too :)
No, but I need the tips too. I find myself online way to much. lol
ReplyDeleteThe internet is not my only distraction, but probably my biggest one. I am a major procrastinator :( I just started a new writing blog so that blogging could be sort of productive towards my writing, haha.
ReplyDeletedanielledorewriting.blogspot.com
So many ways to get distracted. Easy to talk about, hard to do. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteOh goodness, I know what you mean! I swear, I have a bunch of people constantly asking to read something from my books, and I always feel bad because I spend so much time on my blog, or on yahoo, or whatever. I'm slowly ebbing away from my facebook addiction, but I have other internet addictions to contend with now. :(
ReplyDeleteAnd then there's the writer's block I get after staying on websites too long.
Good luck with your writing! I know how horrible distractions are :(
@ LM: that's a wonderful idea. I do my writing on a desktop, but it's connected via wi-fi, so I could turn it off.
ReplyDelete@ brave chickens: I don't know if I could trust anyone with my passwords-but only because I'm so horrible with remembering them!
@ Savannah: I agree, if I go online while I'm writing, I can forget what I was writing about in the first place!
Thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts! :)
Yeah, it does get a bit like that. I like to write first thing in the morning, but my downoad quota is pathetic after midday, so I do my internet stuff before then. If I'm not careful the day speeds away before I get to the writing. The best thing for me is to have fully, non internet days where I just write and do nothing else. I reckon I should be able to do that about once every three days, without loosing contact with my blogging friends.
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