{DrunkonWords}

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

the rabbit hole

I have had ridiculous amounts of free time these past few weeks and yet, I still have the hardest time convincing myself to sit in front of the computer and write. I think I may have caught some sort of anti-writing plague. I'll sit around and check Facebook. No problems there, since we all know that Facebook is the best sucker of time there is. I'll catch up on blogs. I'll read emails. I may pull up Excel and check up on the 'ol budget. But opening a Word document and working on my writing project (shhh, it's a novel, but don't tell anyone) - nah, seems to much like homework.

Now don't get me wrong, I love to write. Once I start, it's like I've fallen through the rabbit hole - I don't want to come back out. But man, is it difficult to get started. So today, I instituted the one sentence rule. I am going to write one sentence a day.

The idea - don't tell my brain this - is that I'll get swept away by my one, brilliant sentence and a mad typing frenzie will ensue.

Anyone else have this problem?

2 comments:

  1. I have that problem and I've heard tell it's a super common problem. Emerson and Thoreau and Dahl and a bunch of others made writing shacks for this reason. They had them all in quiet places and would lock themselves up for days just so they could write without distractions. There are some books I've read that you might like: bird by bird by Anne Lamott specifically and the Sound of Paperby Julia Cameron. Although Writing with Power by Peter Elbow and The Faith of a Writer by Joyce Carol Oates are also helpful.

    p.s. thanks for the comment on my belly love post! and I'll have to get back to you on a recipe for the sugar/honey scrub I've seemed to miss placed it :p

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  2. I would need a shack containing only a typewriter - NO computer (and therefore, no online distractions!).

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