How many times have you done this: you make plans to get some writing done. You tell yourself, you’re going to sit down at your computer (or notebook, if you’re old school like me), with every intention to get some work done. Then, you decide to check your email first. But only for a few minutes! Then, you see a link to a YouTube video you’d like to watch, so you click on that. Next thing you know, it’s been an hour and a half, and you haven’t accomplished any writing. Sound familiar?
I’ve been trying to force myself to sit in front of my computer in my spare time, in order to get some writing done. I start out in the mood to write, and then I find myself distracted. Email. Twitter and Facebook posts. Things I need to do for my website. Selecting which music playlist to write to. Selecting which incense stick to burn while I write. Laundry. What’s on TV tonight? Is there a Ghost Adventures marathon on Travel Channel? Well, maybe I’ll watch one episode before I start writing…
Next thing I know, no writing has been done. But I’ve listened to music, burned incense, and watched Zak Bagans and the gang make contact with a spirit. Or, I’ve watched Keanu Reeves kill a mass number of people in John Wick (Chapter 1 or 2, they’ve both been on multiple times lately). I know I need to break this cycle. When I’m in the mood to write, I’m usually at my day job, where I can’t get any writing done. When I do have time, I’m not in the mood to write. So, what can I do?
I decided to try something new. I went back to all of the things that made me want to write in the first place. My love of books and reading, were two of the things that led me to become a writer. So, I’ve been reading more lately: books, magazines, posts here on WordPress. I’m going to rediscover books that I’ve already read (I’m going to read The Picture of Dorian Gray for the fifth or sixth time). These simple little things are helping me get back into the mood to write again.
It’s 5:00 on May 26, and The Matrix is on. Let’s see if I can resist and get some work done.
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