Work Room - Week 8

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

Distractions.

Everyone has them and they come in all variety of forms.

They keep you from getting into a routine and shift your attention away from doing what needs doing. After all - often enough those "distractions" might be the thing that needs doing!

You always hear though, that if you want to write - you need to write no matter what. You need to focus and find the time to do it. Even though there might be various life issues (or in the case of Idol, special powers) trying their best to shift your attention.

What are your tips for keeping that focus? What works for you? What have you found doesn't? (I'm sure there have been plenty of experiments that haven't worked out all that well in the past! ;) )

How do you manage to make the process "fun"? Is that something you consider to be important, or is the suffering part of your craft? :P

Comments

[banyangirl1832.livejournal.com]

First!?

For me, I have to make writing a job and routine just like brushing my teeth. Sit down at the kitchen table, tv turned off, soft music on a (very) trained Pandora station turned on, in real clothes. If I wear my PJs while trying to write, I'll just end up surfing the web. Sometimes I'll write when I'm hungry so that I can have food when I'm done with a certain word count.

Discipline is normally a problem for me only if I don't feel "inspired" by the prompt, or story, or whatever I'm writing. Trying to draft something that's based on a "blah" topic is really hard for me. I'm trying to suck it up and just write no matter what, though.

that's a good idea

[tijuanagringo.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes I'll write when I'm hungry so that I can have food when I'm done with a certain word count."

I was already agreeing with you after the Pajama comment, but then you said that about food.

What a superb, realistic, powerful strategy. I have got to try that As Soon As Digestively Possible

Re: that's a good idea

[banyangirl1832.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I don't recommend it if you need food right that second, but if you're like, "Hmm, I'm a little hungry," then that's my favorite time to sit down and bang out five hundred words. Usually it won't take that long and the food will taste better because you waited.

[pixiebelle.livejournal.com]

Sadly, procrastination is my best motivation these days. I can be super excited and want to write, and may even do it early on...but then fear takes ahold. I get doubts, and decide to see if something else comes to me. Sometimes it does, but mostly it doesn't...so then I just work with what I have on the last day, using the excuse that I have no other choice. Or sometimes I just start writing that day.

The process is fun naturally for me. The writing part, getting so into your idea and then sharing it is fun. The stressful poll situation and sometimes lack of feedback (comments) takes the fun out bit by bit. Unless, of course, I'm doing well...then the fun continues :)

[kehlen-crow.livejournal.com]

My best ideas are usually trickling into my head when I have not way of writing them down, like on my way to/from work. Then come home... and they scatter so fast I can't catch them :-). So normally I just sit myself at my computer and tell myself I am not going anywhere without writing at least something. Especially when I already know what to write about.

[kenakeri.livejournal.com]

Having insomnia has been useful for finding writing time.

I usually write or draw a piece of silliness before settling down to work if I hate the prompt for LJI. I'm definitely going to be using that technique this week.

Outside of the competition, I use a site that records your writing and gives you notice when you've gotten to 750 words. Since I manage to make the target in less than 20 minutes I usually do it on my lunch hour. It's a good way to make sure I write SOMETHING each day.

[xreesex.livejournal.com]

I write best when it is late at night, and I have headphones on. I find that whatever music I am listening to tends to influence what I write, but mostly I just need to drown out everything around me and immerse myself in the process.

I tend to write the topic over and over until some sort of idea hits me. Once I start writing, I can tell if it's going to be the piece I end up with based on if I write till I'm done, or if I have to stop numerous times. If I stop, I usually end up scraping it.

[louiement.livejournal.com]

I sometimes do this -- start writing and see where it goes. And yeah, I trash a lot of writing when I do that, too.

[worldofcharlie.livejournal.com]

No tricks really...unfortunately in my situation..since I'm multiple...I share the same body with other folks...sometimes it's hard negotiating time with the main fronter Carrie and of course with her partner...

Best times of the day for me tend to be in the morning (our body has ADHD...best focus is that time of the day)...

Usually I do best without any music, Television...usually great ideas come to me the minute we wake up...

[creature-girl08.livejournal.com]

My best writing happens at night of all things. Yeah, not good for when you need to get up and go to work but that is always how it goes. Different things can be going on around me but the most likely distraction for me is going to be my husband. I can't shut him out if he is wanting to talk. And putting him before writing is higher on my list of things to do. Everything else can be pushed aside.

[tentaclecore]

I have yet to find a technique that works every time for me. Sometimes just zoning with the headphones on for a bit is great. Sometimes I need silence to be creative. And sometimes all hell could break loose around me and I'll get something semi-interesting and possibly coherent out of it no problem.

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

Gee, I have no rules or processes... or focus... I just get stories in my head that want to be told! If I have no stories, I can't really sit down and tell myself to write -- I have to wait for an idea to waft past. And once I get an idea strong enough, nothing can distract me until it's written. I tend to write all in one go.

[thaliontholwen.livejournal.com]

I'm sort of an expert in writing because I have to (Hello Grad School!), so I have a few tricks I use.

1. LeechBlock. It's a Firefox extension that blocks time sucker websites that I program in after 15 minutes. Especially helpful because I can't just unplug from the internet if I'm doing research. I just need to not spend hours on LJ and Twitter and Facebook.

2. 15 Minute Brain Breaks. I'll go play a game, or read something interesting, or get up and take a walk. Leechblock comes in hand here, too.

3. When I'm actually writing, usually I write to music without words. Sometimes it's video game soundtracks, other times it's a custom Slacker Radio station set to ambient techno, classical, or instrumental jazz.

4. For serious writing, I have to be at my desk.Occasionally, when serious writing in Office isn't happening, I'll write longhand on paper or do an actual outline. Usually I don't need it, but there are times when nothing is coming up.

[stormkitty.livejournal.com]

Ooh, gonna try LeechBlock. Not for writing, but for while I'm doing my design work. When I'm writing a pattern or actually crocheting the sample, I have a hard time not pulling stuff up to look at instead. Granted, I still have my iPod that distracts me, but this may be the bit of a push I need.

[fortitudehigh.livejournal.com]

My key for keeping a focus and making sure things actually get written is to have a deadline and some feeling of responsibility attached to what I have to write. That's the main reason I joined Idol - to feel like I had no choice but to churn out a piece of writing every week.

Unfortunately, the structure of the competition this time around has meant that the fun part of things has been completely lacking for me, to the point where I'm questioning staying in at all. There's no fun in being at the bottom of a tribe every week and certainly no encouragement to keep churning out those pieces when the only real question is whether I'll go out this week or next.

Which means, I guess, that focus isn't an issue for me. Fun, however, most definitely is.

[locknkey.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty much feeling exactly like you. I wanted to try Idol for the fun aspects, but tribe negotiations and being barely at the bottom each week have taken a lot of the fun.

[fortitudehigh.livejournal.com]

Yes, I think writing this has made me have a good think about why I'm still here - and whether I want to still be here :)

[locknkey.livejournal.com]

It's good to ruminate and I think sometimes life is happening around us so fast that our motives may have changed without us taking time to m=note it. :)

[phoenixejc.livejournal.com]

I can relate to what you are both saying. I am hoping there will be a mass mix up of some type in relation to tribes. It's so discouraging to see some really good entries barely scrapping by when there are entire tribes with fewer votes.

[locknkey.livejournal.com]

I don't know if the tribe divisions are fair, but I do trust Gary. What the divisions have done is highlight how close some of us are and I think we're all scrambling a little harder.

[streetnights.livejournal.com]

I have/have had that feeling frequently, both currently and in the past, and it probably doesn't help that I don't comment that much, so not much traffic is driven back to my posts.

I'm not sure if it's better that the tribes have all been broken down by votes, though it certainly makes things more competitive. And for some, competition is fun. To me, though, it's just about writing - the ability to turn out a crafted piece a week and show whoever cares to read it a slice of an idea that was perhaps not previously in existence. And that makes staying in it each week to get those prompts and write those pieces worthwhile, whether I'm at the top or bottom of a poll.

[sonarvampress.livejournal.com]

I have found that what doesn't work for me is seeing a topic then saying "eh, I'll let inspiration come to me and write when I think of something". This is exactly why I am not in the game anymore. I have to write as soon as I see the topic even if I am not inspired.

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

What are your tips for keeping that focus? What works for you? What have you found doesn't?

When I am ready to write, I work better if I just spew it out without any thinking or editing. I can do this in almost any circumstance. I usually don't distract myself once I get going. However, if I'm interrupted mid-spew, I have a bear of a time getting back into that spew's flow and usually have to start again.

How do you manage to make the process "fun"? Is that something you consider to be important, or is the suffering part of your craft? :P

You know, for me, the process itself is fun. Even if I am bummed (or am writing about a bummer topic), I feel better after I've been writing.

[robertlyon.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to take your approach a little more. Sometimes I get bogged down in trying to write the perfect sentence, and it actually makes my writing worse.

[joeymichaels.livejournal.com]

My mantra is "I can always edit later." Just getting a first draft down on page is a victory!

[fourzoas.livejournal.com]

I find that writing requires the application of my butt to the chair in front of whatever I happen to be writing on. Only when these two forces--butt and chair--combine can I live the writing dream. Everything else is just fantasy about writing; I can have any number of potential ideas and stories and essays--heck, whole books--in my head, but until they're out of me they don't really exist.

When I find myself losing focus, I close my eyes and type until I'm back on track. I can always get rid of stuff that doesn't matter after I've gotten the words out.

As far as fun goes: I find that writing isn't fun. Writing is painful and heartbreaking and hair-tearing madness. Somewhere along the way I churn out a phrase or a sentence that makes me smile a little, but overall, the act of writing is a lonely and frustrating one. Sharing that writing, on the other hand...

[douchejuice.livejournal.com]

what exactly is a first world problem?

[spydielives.livejournal.com]

I was thinking something like Larry Niven or Ben Bova, but....

[talon.livejournal.com]

of course you would, spydie :D

[robertlyon.livejournal.com]

I had to do a net search myself. Its basically the stupid shit that we complain about, that really doesn't matter relative to someone in another part of the world that has it worse off than us.

[douchejuice.livejournal.com]

gotcha. thanks!

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I'm actually not sure what keeps me focused. Knowing there's at least one person I rather like who wants to keep me around and likes everything I write? I tend to try and spew out entries ASAP because I know if I wait too long to come up with something, I'm more likely to get distracted and forget the deadline.

Off topic, but I recently exchanged a few comments with someone by email who says funny entries often don't do as well as serious ones. I can't say that I've really noticed. So I was wondering what other people's thoughts on this are because I think I personally preference an entry that can make me laugh a lot.

[talon.livejournal.com]

I think this may be a near corollary to zia's reasoning on why nonfiction entries do better than fiction ones, which is to say that I think humor is significantly harder to pull off well. If you have a meh serious entry, at least the reader usually can pick out that the writer cares about X topic, especially if it is sad. If you have a meh comedic entry, then it just falls flat.

On the other hand, if you're skilled like

[Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<ljuser="markmade">') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.]

I think this may be a near corollary to zia's reasoning on why nonfiction entries do better than fiction ones, which is to say that I think humor is significantly harder to pull off well. If you have a meh serious entry, at least the reader usually can pick out that the writer cares about X topic, especially if it is sad. If you have a meh comedic entry, then it just falls flat.

On the other hand, if you're skilled like <ljuser="markmade">, you can get very, very far.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Should I point out the person I was talking to does humour really well?

I think it might be because humour is more subjective. I might think something is hilarious, but it could fall flat for someone else, or completely fly over their heads, or whatever.

[talon.livejournal.com]

Boo not being able to edit broken tags in responded to entries.

Hm, you have a point there. I believe there are some pieces that are (almost) universally hilarious, and those tend to do very well; I think there are also a lot of people who confuse in-group humour and in-jokes with something that the entire world will appreciate, and those tend to go less well.

And then there are the people that attempt satire, and, whoo, good luck to them.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Sorry! I tried to give you enough time to edit but thought maybe you just didn't notice.

I tried to share something last season that I think just didn't translate across borders, but probably would've been hilarious to Malaysians ;) At least it didn't get me voted out!

[the-vernacular.livejournal.com]

I think subjectivity is probably a lot of it. What you think is really funny might not be to someone else. Even saying someone is really good at humor (and I am guessing I know who you mean and I agree if I am right) doesn't mean that everyone is going to think they're really good at humor. You see that even at the very top of comedy writing: take Conan O'Brien for example. People either think he's the funniest thing to have ever happened in the history of entertainment, or they are like, "what? Why does this guy have his own show?" Comedy is by definition, niche.

But I also agree with talonkarrde88 that it is MUCH harder to write funny than to write serious. Writing funny depends on form a lot more by necessity. Nobody cares about timing when you are writing something serious, for example. Good timing in a serious piece can make it even better, but people tend not to notice timing unless it is REALLY good. in comedy, it is your bread and butter.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

Heh, now I'm curious who you think I was talking to and why you think that/what gives it away. If you're correct, maybe you're like me and just pick up on things like that pretty easy, or maybe I said something obvious to give it away. Feel free to PM me ;)

The fact funny is harder to write, is, of course, why I rate it higher than serious stuff. :)

[the-vernacular.livejournal.com]

Absolutely! I feel the same way. Poetry or fiction or humor is going to have to work harder to get my attention, but if it's well-done, then I am going to definitely hold it in higher esteem than a regular journal-style entry that is well-done.

And guess made.

[comedychick.livejournal.com]

I agree about poetry and fiction having to work harder as well. And poetry especially. I have voted for it, but I find it hard to appreciate in general.

[mstrobel.livejournal.com]

markmade is a GENIUS.

[onda-bianca.livejournal.com]

Ehh, focus isn't my thing. I try to allow distractions and just sort of roll with it. I'll often split what is distracting me with what I'm doing. Oddly enough, Idol is often my "distraction" from things I need to do/write.

[dreamwriteremmy]

... i'm a mix of everyone it seems. :) Like forzoas I rather like the "Sit down shut up and write" as a focus method. This gets even more specific when I'm at my fiance's place... on a regular basis I'm only supposed to be on the internet/writing from whenever I wake up to 11am EST and starting from either 7:30PM EST or dinner, whichever comes first. :)

However, I also really generally need prompt ideas... and sometimes my ideas fall flat. (Which is why I kind of fell out of home game for a while... I only had 1 idea for Week 3 and erm... it didn't work out cause it's such an old verse for me and I haven't been in it in several years. And years of perfectionism have created this all-or-nothing mentality where I do not like to skip prompts... Working on changing that. thus the reslate with this week's topic for homegame.)

[the-vernacular.livejournal.com]

Would anyone be willing to beta my entry for this week? It's gotten much longer than I'd like to submit, but I've already cut approximately 400 words, so I was hoping someone would be willing to look it over and let me know what else might be cuttable. It's fiction and it's not quite finished but I suspect it will be about 1800-2000 words when I'm done.

Thank you so much in advance!

1st world Problems

[zhent.livejournal.com]

Since I'm not in anymore, but I refuse to give up, I'll link a home game entry here...

http://zhent.livejournal.com/719288.html

[alephz.livejournal.com]

Not much to add to the discussion, really. But I thought I'd toss out a good bit upon the subject.