Distractions

There are days I sit down at my computer and, simply, struggle. I have a lot to write about. From my other posts, you should know I feel there are stories to be told everywhere. Sometimes getting the creative flow flowing can be a challenge. Today, even as I post this, is one of those days for me as we deal with an instance of identity theft.

Distractions.

They're everywhere. They lurk in the shadows of the over occupied mind. They hide in our overstuffed email inboxes. Sometimes, they use those closest to us to carry out their diabolical subterfuge. Their objective is to keep writers from shedding the light on those untold stories. They want to silence our characters' voices.

Distractions act to disrupt the flow of creative energy. It is that energy that acts as the window of our imagination. The incessant ringing of the phone, the constant blip tones of new emails and the daily to-do lists all serve to fog that window.

One day of not writing leads to another. Before you know it, you've gone a whole week, perhaps more, without one keyboard stroke. The characters you have been writing about, who you had grown to love, are now strangers on a yellowing page. Your connection with them, severed, lost - DEAD.

When I decided to start writing, I was fortunate enough to read ON WRITING by Stephen King. In it, he explains how important it is to write everyday, among a host of other important insights. Writing is a craft that needs to be practiced.

Keeping his advice and the obligation I owe my characters as my guidepost, I write everyday. My goal is 1,500 words a day. There are days that getting to 1,500 is a Herculean effort. But, then there are those days that I'm skipping happily to a prolific 5,500 words.

So, as King suggests, set out a routine and block time for writing and practicing the craft. For me, it's in the morning before the pressures of the day set in. Having a designated place to write helps a lot too. Have a goal each day. It could be completing a particular plot line, added depth to an otherwise flat character, something that keeps you moving forward. For me, I pair a specific goal with my word count target of 1,500 words.

Then - read. I've said it before. You learn from reading. All those mechanics we sometimes get mired in are demonstrated in a good book. Pay attention how its written. The structure, the flow, character development, everything is there for you to learn from. Oh, yeah, you kinda should enjoy it too. That's important.

So, now you have some basic suggestions. Get the glass cleaner out, clean off that window and get to it soldier! Before long, you'll find your fingers dancing across that keyboard to the beat and rhythm of what writers are called to do - writing.