Thursday, August 26, 2010

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME: GETTING ONE'S GROOVE BACK

Hello all from New York!

So, my life has been a little hectic, hence my MIA status from blogging for a while. In a time span of three weeks I've gone to look at venues for my future wedding, picked a venue (post on that to come later), driven over 28 hours across the country to move in with my boyfriend, and gotten settled in a new city and apartment. To say my head is spinning is an understatement. During this down time, in which I'm job searching and relaxing, I came across something I never thought could or would happen to me - I lost my mojo, my juju, my groove.

It started when I first arrived. I knew that I needed to be spending my days looking for a job/writing. It's my goal to eventually write full time, so I figured now would be really great practice. I would get up, eat, job search for an hour or so, write for an hour or so, watch t.v. for an hour or so, and then start all over again. It was a great plan. Genius even! But as the hours went by I found myself drawn to the varying distractions this place provided.

See, my boyfriend (and now I) has a great place. And when I say great...I mean great. The bed's comfy. He has darn near every t.v. channel known to man. And the internet connection isn't bad, either. It's a great place to relax and let loose. But soon I found myself watching more t.v. than writing. First it was Supernatural, then Law & Order, Cold Case, more Law & Order, and lastly Charmed. And that's in addition to the normal shows I used to watch every day after work when I was in Houston. It's a crime show junkie's dream!!!

I'd look up at the end of the day and realize I hadn't gotten any writing done. None! So, I called a friend, Barbara, and asked her how she does it. She told me to make a plan that involved rewarding myself for the writing I got done with t.v. shows and relaxation. And it worked! I began to be more productive with editing and outlining immediately. Now, I haven't completely gotten my groove back, but I'm well on my way.

When it comes down to it, writing is supposed to be like any other job. You have to put in your work everyday, and if you keep at it you'll get the results you're looking for. So, I now have more of a schedule set, and if and when I get to do this full time, I'll be ready for those pesky diversions.

6 comments:

  1. Good for you, Kena! You'll get in the groove in no time. Don't be too hard on yourself, though. It's like any other job. Some days, you're just not on. And if rewarding yourself or changing your writing venue doesn't work, you just got to chalk it up to a bad day. And then some other days, you'll be so in the zone that you won't want to stop writing for hours at a time. I have every faith that you'll pull it together.

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  2. Thanks, Barbara!!! It's always nice to have support from people who know what you're going through.

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  3. On my worst ADD days, I'm a big fan of setting the timer, turning off the wireless access on my laptop, and writing until the timer goes off. Then it's treat time until the next time. Today I get a chocolate chip cookie at my next break!

    Jane starts school 3 days a week next Monday...and I'm looking forward to the challenges (and rewards) of blocks of writing time.

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  4. That's a nice idea, Sarah. It's all about boundaries and rewards.

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  5. Hi, Trakena. I like this idea and am interested in your "schedule." Any chance you might give an example? I've been trying to get back into my writing routine of getting up at 5 A.M. Truth is, I won't have difficulty once the time change happens. It's a killer during summer, though. I just never get enough sleep. This morning, I slept clean through my writing time.

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  6. Hi Victoria. I'm so sorry for the delay...I've been a bit off for a few weeks with job searching and such. What I do is allow myself to watch certain shows (Charmed and Supernatural on tnt), and when they go off and Las Vegas comes on (a show I don't really care for) I turn the volume off and write. I think it's all about compromise. On those days when there's nothing really on, I write for 30 mins to an hour, and then take a break. I'm a person that needs quite a few breaks =). Good luck with your writing!!!

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