Distractibility

--Debbie's perspective

I'm very easily distracted. This comes in handy as a writer -- it's curiosity that launches the mind into imagination -- but being prone to distraction can make it difficult to actually complete a piece of writing. In addition to general distractibility, here's what's been doing me in lately:

• The election. What with having to bring my new yard sign in every time I leave the house, there go minutes from my day. Add to that my compulsive headline checking (up two points! down a point! oh my, Florida! Ohio!) and my days are pretty full lately.
• Good mysteries. Too many writers are writing absorbing mysteries lately, and I can't seem to drag myself away from them.
• My schedule. I've been busier than usual for many months now. I have come to the point that when I open my calendar, I cringe as if expecting to be attacked by a wild animal.
• My inner critic. Man, she's noisy.
• The mess on my desk. I sorted through it just last week, but it's back!
• Email. Don't get me started -- I'll just whine and give lame excuses for my inability to stay on top of my Inbox.
• Pumpkin pie. Why write, when there is pumpkin pie to be eaten?

Still, when I push it all aside and just write, I'm never sorry. And the pie tastes even better when the work comes first. (As a side benefit, the pie can also be used to distract wild attacking calendar animals.)

Distracting Cats

by Kay

There's a reason I go to McDonalds to write. The distracting cats, all two of them. First they want milk, then a ball or milk ring to chase, then tuuuunnaahh (you can almost hear them meow it), then to lay across my work, walk across the keyboard, sleep in the basket under the lamp just within petting reach, or, their favorite, curl up on my lap and cast a sleep spell, so I can't move to upset them.

They are now 12 cat years old now and are the human equal of 64 human years, according to one website I found. I guess that answers the question "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm sixty-four?"

Guess so. But I won't get much writing done.

Excuses - I Mean Distractions

by Ann

My main distraction is my family. I spend a lot of time taking care of them. On the other hand, I love them so how can I complain? During the past year, I spend uncounted hours with my mom, and while my writing time was limited, I don’t regret being with her during the last year of her life. My boys are growing up and requiring less and less from me. Next year my older son will live at college. Maybe my younger son will earn his driver’s license next fall, and I’ll be out of a job as chauffeur.

Distractions
by April

I am easily distracted: by noise (even the buzzing of overhead fluorescents--yes, it's that bad); by internet searches that begin on the topic of plant identification(is that poison ivy in my garden?) and end with the fact that John Ruskin founded the Pre-Raphaelite movement in 1848 (did you know this?); by conversations of which I am not taking part but want to be; by playing tackle-anything-goes football with my son wherein I suffer for two days after but the little guy says, "You're like an army of football players, Mom!" so it was worth it, because I'm thinking, boo-yah--"Mom" is more that JUST a great palindrome!;
Essentially, I am easily distracted by all manner of things...
Even the Question of the Week itself.
Three and a HALF regular readers?
I spent the next fifteen minutes after reading the question, wondering about that poor little half reader. Who would he or she be?
If you're out there, Half Reader, speak up! I'd love to follow you around for awhile, listening in on your conversations, taking notes and researching what you do, and maybe even tackle you.

One Ringy Dingy

By Lori

The number one distraction in my house is the telephone. Even when I don't answer it--that incessant ringing! Turning my ringer off is such a chore, having to hunt up all the stray handsets etc. And even then, I haven't figured out how to do more than turn them down.

My answer is to head to the library and write there. Of course, then you have the distraction of all those BOOKS! I just have to check out what's new, and then, well, read those. . . .

So then I try getting up at five a.m., before the phone stirs in its cradle, and I write in the dark, in my living room with hot tea beside me. This is actually my favorite time to work.

But then I get hooked on a show like Dancing with the Stars, or Project Runway, or some such other diversion that keeps me up late and unable to make my wake up call.

So I get up. I get my kids off to school. And then, if I'm not working that day, I sit down to write, dreading the impending ring of the phone. I check my email and some blogs because it's late enough that people will have posted new things. And the phone is going to ring any second anyway.

And then it happens. The phone does ring, and I remember that it could actually be an editor. Trying to contact me. And I think maybe I shouldn't dislike my phone so much. Because one of the reasons I do this is the flickering hope that maybe one day I will get THAT call. Which won't be even a little bit annoying.

In fact, it would be music to my ears. :o)

Question of the Week: Distractions

For various reasons, we've all been pretty quiet on the Write Brainers blog lately. But it's probably time for a little blog activity, lest we lose our three and a half loyal readers. So... Here's a question, one that should be relatively easy to answer.

What are the things (these can be actual physcial things, or intangibles) that have a tendency to distract you from your writing projects?