This fourth Insecure Writer’s Support Group post of 2024 is living up to its title.
Getting to this stage has been one obstacle after another, from health issues to writing problems.
My Ukraine saga, Freedom Flights, has caused the most distractions. I managed to post Episode 19 almost on time, but Episode 20 missed the end of April self-imposed deadline. Blame a mix of uncooperative bowels, irrelevant change of conversations, and bouts of lethargy.
Read on for more occurrences of writhing and writing.
Slava Ukrayini
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Every month, IWSG announces a question that members can answer in their IWSG posts. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience, or a story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.
Remember, the question is optional!
May 1 question – How do you deal with distractions when you are writing? Do they derail you?
Apologies if this is brief as I’m struggling for vivid examples. So, I’m listing types of distractions, the worst being self-inflicted… like dozing off mid sentence/phrase/word/thought.
Pain that stops me from typing/thinking.
Random unusable idea.
Somebody changing the subject/interrupting.
Finding an interesting but useless rabbit
New ideas emerging as I’m being interrupted.
Auto-correction misleading the plot.
Fingers hitting the wrong key and changing intent,
Finally, writing rubbish to answer a simple question.
At this point, I fell asleep… and two hours later woke up and discovered two things:
- When I type, I have to close one eye to not see keys double (= MS double vision), which wastes time but is not a distraction.
- Falling asleep is a distraction, especially when the reason was pain kept me awake last night, because one leg slipped out of my hospital bed and got jammed somewhere and twisted for four hours until a carer rescued me.
Moving on from distractions, I do get derailed, sometimes to the point where I lose the plot until I force my struggling mind back on track. Other times, the derailment is total, at least until inspiration kicks back in… a few hours later, or next day.
As for dealing with distractions, it’s a matter of pushing through by being committed to the project. For instance, ‘Freedom Flights’ and its characters have grown close to me while writing more casual articles doesn’t hold my attention.
Sorry for posting late.
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The awesome co-hosts for the May 1 posting of the IWSG are Victoria Marie Lees, Kim Lajevardi, Nancy Gideon, and Cathrina Constantine!
Finally, don’t forget to visit more active writers via the IWSG site:
Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!
Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG, and our hashtag is #IWSG.
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer – aim for a dozen new people each time – and return comments. This group is all about connecting!
Writing Wings 