WIP challenge - day 7 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

It's my last day doing the check-ins for this month -- tomorrow I hand over to lola_mento. Thanks very much to everyone who's volunteered to do check-ins, hooray! If something comes up & you can't take your shift, please let me know ASAP & I'll find someone else (or step into the breach). Also feel free to experiment w/the format of the check-in! (I think, because I'm a paid member & an admin for the comm, I should be able to allow any members, whether they are paid members or not, to post polls -- perhaps one of the check-in folks could let me know? If it doesn't work I'll check w/Support.)

Anyway! On to today's poll.

Poll #6909 Day 7 check-in!

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 12

View Respondents

The fic! How is it going today?

View Answers

A++, would fic again
4 (40.0%)

Nothing doing
3 (30.0%)

IT BURNS
3 (30.0%)

Have you been able to do any of the fic-related stuff you set out to do this weekend yet?

View Answers

Yep!
3 (25.0%)

Sorta kinda
6 (50.0%)

Nope
3 (25.0%)

I didn't set out to do any
0 (0.0%)

And what fic-ly things did you end up doing, then?

View Answers

Write
7 (63.6%)

Edit
2 (18.2%)

Send to beta
0 (0.0%)

Research
2 (18.2%)

Procrastinate
4 (36.4%)

Something else I will describe in comments
3 (27.3%)

Your fic, in three words or less!

View Answers

For a discussion topic, I'd like to hear about how folks get, & stay, in the zone when writing. We all have periods when we're more distracted than others, but I feel like sometimes I can't sit down to write without switching over to another window to look at DW or check Twitter or see if an e-mail's come in. Every other minute. I should probably use an internet blocker, sigh. Has anyone been able to improve their concentration or minimize distractions? What did you do? Somehow I still manage to write things even while flicking between tabs, but I wish I could focus more. Do you struggle with this?

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

I am so easily distracted when writing! It's almost a reflex, doing that keyboard shortcut that switches between applications. Today I'd just managed to get in the zone when my partner accidentally blew a fuse, so the computer went off. >_< Luckily I somehow didn't lose any words at all from that, but there wasn't really a way to get back in the mindset after that.

Still, the words I wrote were promising, so we'll see if I can make something of them. I'll try to make myself do a little editing of something else after this (no, really. Without checking DW or Twitter or my RSS feed reader... no, wait, maybe just really quickly?)...

[jagnikjen]

Oh, I hate those kinds of distractions. Mine is usually in the form of my hubby arriving home from wherever he happens to be. So then I have to stop greet him, chat, etc., get him settled in his chair, wait for him to get into his show of the moment and then I can go back to my writing, but then my momentum is curtailed. *bah*

And so glad you didn't lose words. I Control/S constantly.

[littlebutfierce]

Oh yeah, I definitely have a reflex about saving, too! I was in the middle of doing my 750 Words, which you can save manually but also auto-saves pretty frequently, phew!

[curuchamion]

I go home where I don't have Internet. ;-)

As to my fic: AAAAAAAAAH HOW SO AWESOME. I mean, I feel like I'm bragging, but... I JUST WROTE MY FIRST ASEXY LOVE SCENE, PEOPLE! And I think it may actually be good. :D

(Dang, I love these characters so much - as soon as I give them a specific scene to do and get my head cleared of distractions, they just blitz through it so fast I have to scribble to keep up! And usually make an offhand reference or three that inspire even more scenes in the process. THIS WAS SO EPICALLY THE RIGHT THING FOR ME TO DO THIS MONTH, YES. *bounces*)

Now I am going home away from the Internet to write more, because James is going to take his 12-year-old nephew Ross on a bus-riding expedition to nowhere in particular for fun! (Our bus system is utterly useless for getting places, but for being interesting? Especially when you are James, and therefore given to sketching little doodles of random people since at least 1975 or thereabouts? AWESOME.)

[jagnikjen]

Isn't being so excited about what you wrote awesome. I am excited for you, too.

May you make much progress while the boys are away!

[lacerta]

Yay, that sounds awesome! And I'm really curious about the asexy love scene. I'd love a link when it's posted.

Also, going away from the internet sounds like it might solve half my problems. I'll print my draft tomorrow and try to work in a park.

[curuchamion]

Well, it's a NaNoWriMo-type deal, so "when it's posted" may range from next year to never... but I am hoping to get it cleaned up, rewritten, revised, and posted someday. I'll try to keep you in mind for a link! ;-)

[dragovianknight]

Yes! Go you!

[littlebutfierce]

Yeah, the best way to avoid the siren song of the internet is to get off the internet! I do have internet at home, &... yeah. I dunno. Sometimes even when I'm in the zone I have a quick thing I have to research, & if it's fast enough to google (like, I dunno, the name of an airport or how long it takes to get between two cities by train) I can avoid getting off-track. But yeah, I oughtta seriously consider internet blockers. :/

But YAAAAAAAY for you & your fic, anyway! That's awesome that it's going so well & that you know it. \o/ Long may this continue!

Long bus rides for inspiration/people-watching--definitely!

[jagnikjen]

I have finally decided to accept that the muse is just not in the mood to write smut. So my challenge for the month, to write four fics for a comm (which just so happens to be a smut comm) may or may not come to pass. We'll see. I started a drabble that is all smut, so maybe the limited word count will allow me to get past the muse. And it's not like I don't have prompts to help me, but I just can't seem to pull much premise out my hat to turn the prompt into any kind of fic, even a PWP. *sigh*

I did however get some work done on another WIP. When I say got some work done, I actually finished it. Now I just need to edit/revise and possibly send off to my beta.

I'm satisfied with my progress for the weekend, so if I get nothing done tomorrow while I'm visiting my MIL, then that's fine. I say that because she will probably end up playing WOW with my hubby and son, so I'll be sort of off the hook to be sociable. :)

Getting in the zone...well, that happens best for me when no one (or only my daughter) is at home. Then I don't have to worry about anyone needing me (DD is 21, so she's self sufficient and in her room doing her own thing) for anything.

When I get going I like to write in about 45 minute bursts. Then I get up and usually switch laundry, go to the bathroom, get something to drink, etc. Then I get comfy and back to the story.

I'll check my e-mail and DW/LJ before I get started and then maybe if I take a break for a meal, but if I'm really in the zone and the writing is flowing then those things don't call to me at all.

Maybe use them as a reward? If you write X number of words then you can tweet or check e-mail or DW...?

I think part of that is tied to your procrastination issue. :) If you're trying avoid writing, then of course all those other things are going to distract more easily.

See, I *want* to write right now, but the words just won't come so easily. :(

(Oh, and thanks for all the good discussion topics!)

[littlebutfierce]

Awwww, sorry you're struggling w/the muse versus your goals for the month! Though maybe making a conscious decision to stop fighting it will let you make some progress elsewhere (or might even make your muse decide smut would be all right after all, w/o pressure). & yay for finishing the other fic!

I like the idea of a reward system. I know in the past I've used music to keep me going--if I keep writing for 3 more songs, I can then go take a break/have a snack/etc.! (& then I hope that the longest songs ever don't come up on iTunes ;)

I hope you're able to get some writing down at your MIL's today, like you suspect.

[terajk]

I got 300+ words written for my

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I got 300+ words written for my <user=queer-fest site=livejournal.com> fic today! Then I went to the library for some researchy-type books! And I'll hopefully write some more words! Eee!

None of the words have to do with the actual prompt yet, but...they help set up the attitude in the prompt, I guess?

Oh well--300+ words!

I'm pretty bad about checking e-mail, DW, procrastinating in general, etc. This week I started keeping my Gmail open in a tab, which helps some with that. I've also been writing a bunch of OTHER things rather than the stuff I'm assigned to do. Oops. I respond pretty well to rewards, so maybe a system like <user name="jagnikjen"> suggests would be helpful for me.

[jagnikjen]

300 words is great! Keep it up!

[littlebutfierce]

Yay, lovely lovely research! & lovely lovely words!! I don't think you have to worry about not including the prompt just yet, especially since as you said, they're sort of background.

Heh, I keep my Gmail open in a tab, but that means I spend a lot of time clicking over to see if anything new has come in. ^^;; I have the Gmail notifier (where you have a little icon in your toolbar w/the number of unread messages you have), but it doesn't update that often (I need to go look at preferences to change that), so I end up looking at my Gmail tab anyway.

[lacerta]

Sorry I haven't come round much to checking in here the last few days. There's been so much interesting discussion going on.

The thing is that I haven't written anything at all this week and am very reluctantly picking up the bigbang again now. I need to get on with editing since it's been claimed by an artist who needs something to work with and my beta would look it over rather sooner than later, but. I'm feeling so uninspired at the moment. And it feels so big and confusing and I don't even know where to start. My hope is that I'll just get back into it once I put my head down.

Wrt distractions, yes. All of that. Less twitter and more tumblr, but I guess it's the same habit of constantly changing tabs to check for new content. It's awfully distracting to the point where I'm having a hard time writing on a computer with internet at all. What works best for me is to either use pen and paper or somehow create a situation where I'm under a "write or die" pressure, like deadlines or writing sprints. (Hah, I should have counted how often I've changed tabs just writing this comment.)

[jagnikjen]

I'm feeling so uninspired at the moment. And it feels so big and confusing and I don't even know where to start.

Oh, I hate that. I'm sorry you're having to go through it.

My recommendation would be, as you said, put your head down and get to it. Even if it's not the best thing since sliced bread, it'll give the beta something to look at. And you can't fix a blank page.

*fingers crossed* for some inspiration and motivation

[lacerta]

Aww thank you, that means a lot.

[littlebutfierce]

Oh, I'm so sorry you're feeling uninspired right now!! It must've felt so awesome to finish the draft after stressing so much about it, &... I could see how it could feel really unpleasant or even just uninteresting to get back into the fic again. :/ Best of luck moving on w/the editing. Could you maybe start w/your favorite part of the fic (which would hopefully also be one that might need less editing) & just do a paragraph or something?

I find it physically hard to handwrite stuff for more than a paragraph or two sometimes, plus I'm so much slower than typing, augh. I should probably go take my netbook someplace w/o free wifi, maybe. :/

[lacerta]

It's a bit frustrating really. And I think I underestimated the amount of work that it is to write such a long story. I miss my 1500 word pwps! They're so easy!

And thank you, that is a good idea for starting :)

I only use handwriting for mostly a page at a time, but the lack of clickable distractions does wonders. Also, I can't re-write sentences a hundred times which is good. That's probably half the reason why I get nothing finished.

[chibifukurou]

For me 'being in the zone' really depends on the story. If I fall in love with a character voice or a plot, and can't stop thinking about it. Then I'm pretty much indefinitely in the zone until something major happens in RL or the story finishes.

I'm one of those people who gets so involved with a project, that they can't think of anything else, once they've gotten started. I'll walk around with my head in the clouds for days. Which means that my RL responsibilities tend to suffer.

The bad part about this is that if I get broken out of the zone, then I've pretty much lost the entire thread of what I was writing. I've got a fair number of 5,000+ word stories that I've abandoned because I've fallen out of the zone and stopped caring what happened to the characters.

[jagnikjen]

I've got a fair number of 5,000+ word stories that I've abandoned because I've fallen out of the zone and stopped caring what happened to the characters.

Oh, that's so sad. I hate to hear of abandoned stories. :(

Hopefully that will never happen again. :)

[littlebutfierce]

Oh no, that sounds difficult! Both in trying to keep up w/RL stuff when you're stuck in a story, & in getting thrown out & then not wanting to pick up the story again. :( I hope you're able to find a way to balance the two--w/o, obviously, losing the awesomeness of being able to be so much in the zone & so productive.

[snowynight]

It depends. Sometimes words just flow. Sometimes it's just like pulling teeth. The tricky thing is keep writing when it's the later.

[littlebutfierce]

Yeah, definitely--trying to keep going when the words are few & far between. I think making a daily habit of writing helps w/that, but even still, I struggle w/that as well!

[soc_puppet]

As you may have already guessed from yesterday, today was not a writing day! It turned out to be more of a socialization day than I anticipated, but in a good way, I think. I would have liked to write, but it didn't happen :/ Or at least it hasn't happened yet, and my hopes of it happening before I sleep are slim. Still, maybe I can pull something off...


Oh man, writing vs. distractions. Well, productivity vs. distractions. That is my ultimate battle of ultimate destiny. It rarely goes well for productivity.

What works best for me is to be in an environment that is removed from distractions. I cannot be near a computer. I also have difficulty with auditory stimulation: my attention breaks when there's words I can understand in the background. People talking, television, and music I can sometimes block out with varying degrees of success, but it really depends on the subjects. Bottom line, I can only really focus on one set of words at a time, and with my perfectionistic tendencies in writing, there's a lot of room between phrases for other words to break in.

It also really helps me to be out of the house/apartment, though just someplace quiet with a clear table/desk-height writing-surface will usually do. If there's a television or a computer near by I usually can't resist distraction, which is why "out" is helpful: there aren't a lot of places where I live with the appropriate writing surfaces and no electronics. A productivity office might not be a bad idea for me someday.

Anyway, for those reasons (among others), it is during my lunch hour at my non-flower-store job that I've been getting most of my work done lately. It has all the aforementioned requirements and zero to none of the distracting things ¦Db Though I'm pretty sure I could pull something off at the near-by mall (half taken-over by the local university, so yes, there's "study" space), especially if I get my time tables under control.

[jagnikjen]

It turned out to be more of a socialization day than I anticipated, but in a good way

That can be good for the writing too, so don't sweat it too much.

[littlebutfierce]

I'm sorry you were in the mood to write but couldn't get the time yesterday! I hope you are able to get writing again soon.

I have difficulty w/words in the background if I can understand them too. I do like to write w/music on, & sometimes it doesn't matter if I can understand the words (sometimes I can tune it out, sometimes it ends up giving me serendipitous inspiration if the right song happens to pop up). But sometimes I have to switch to either instrumental music or music in a language I don't understand v. well.

That's great that you have pretty steady writing time at your non-flower-store job--it probably helps you focus, too, since you know that your lunch break is a v. finite period of time.

[dragovianknight]

750 words has been my best solution to distractions, because it really annoys me to go to my stats page and see a distraction there. So I'll at least keep typing, even if all I'm doing is mumbling that writing is haaaaard, and inevitably I wind up churning out more fic by the end of it.

[jagnikjen]

You can do it and writing *is* hard. That's why I've temporarily (maybe) given up trying to write original fiction for publication. I'm just not willing at this point to spare the blood/sweat/tears it takes.

Writing is fun for me and writing fan fiction doubly so and I want to keep it that way for the moment.

[littlebutfierce]

Yeah, I hate seeing a distraction on 750 Words too! Occasionally when the site's been slow I've ended up w/a wrongful distraction (after I'm done for the day I always go to the export page & re-open the entry to make sure everything's there, & if the site is laggy, once in a while it registers as me still writing, but w/a long break in the middle). *shakes fist*

It's easier for me to avoid distractions when I'm just banging out a draft of something. If I'm editing it sometimes seems inevitable that I will change a word, click through a few tabs, restructure a phrase, cycle through tabs again...

[bay_alexison]

Today I decided to try to write a story for this one weekly fic contest community at LJ and I was able to get down 350 words. The only problem is the prompt I'm writing for can't be longer than 250 words. XD; I'll need to come up with an idea that'll fit that requirement, haha. The story I wrote I kinda like though, so I might go back and polish it eventually. Other than that, I kinda got distracted with reading a few "writing tip" sites like this. XD I love checking out sites that gives writing advice. There will be some stuff I'll disagree with, but for the most part I'm able get a couple pointers on how I can improve my writing.

Speaking of distractions, oh man I get distracted so easily. Like littlebutfierce, I'm able to get some writing down while surfing the web, but it would be nice if I make myself focus more. When I know I really need to focus on writing something, I would use a writing program like q10 that blocks the whole screen and nothing there but the words you had typed. It worked pretty well for me and I'm able to get a lot of writing done when whenever I use q10.

[jagnikjen]

Or you can edit it, hone it till it shines at only 250 words...

But 350 words is awesome either way. Good job.

[bay_alexison]

I'm considering doing that, but I feel editing it down to 250 might not make the story as good. There's still some parts that I want to keep. XD I'll try it though and see if I feel the edited version is decent with 250 words.

[littlebutfierce]

Aw, at least you have one story, even if it's too long for the contest you were writing for! Yay for the 350 words, & good luck w/finding something else for that contest!

Q10 looks really useful. I wish it wasn't just for Windows. ;_;

[bay_alexison]

How about try Ommwriter? I know that program supports both Windows and Mac. I haven't tried it yet as the Windows version was just recently released, but it should work the same as Q10.

[pebblerocker]

Thank you for that link -- I think I've read some of C J Cherryh's writings about writing before, but not that one. She's an author I really admire!

[schwertlilie]

So, uh, after being all excited and looking forward to getting that darn fic done this month.. my computer tried to kill itself and took my hard drive with it. >>; Recovery is taking a long time (a week and a half so far, jfc), the files aren't titled, and not all the files are being recovered all the way. My last back-up was January and I've been posting to the kink meme, so my rough fic isn't entirely lost, but I'm still really angry and worried and bah. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I haven't been working on my giant fic, though I got a few hundred words down for a 3WFDW ficlet.

Anyway. I've had a lot of luck with the Pomodoro Technique. Tl;dr version: set a timer for 25 minutes, and just write for those 25 minutes. Take a break for 5, then repeat. It's a small enough chunk of time that I can see the end - my e-mail will still be there in 25 minutes - but long enough I can pound out some serious wordage.

[jagnikjen]

Oh, no on the pc/hard drive. That is so frustrating and scary. *fingers crossed* for 100% recovery.

Great suggestion with 25/5 system.

[littlebutfierce]

Oh man, I am so sorry about the computer. That really sucks. :/ I'm glad you wouldn't at least have lost everything, but that's terrible nonetheless. :(

Ooh, I looked at the Pomodoro Technique a while ago &... never picked it up. Maybe I should try!!

[lola_mento]

Free users can only make polls in paid comms.

The last few days have been low on productivity, so I mostly did research for my original stuff. I did reread a bit of the WIP of Doom, and I still don't hate it! Yay! Editing that is going to be such a pain, though.

[jagnikjen]

I still don't hate it!

That's good--not keep on going!

[jagnikjen]

That should be NOW. ;)

[littlebutfierce]

Drat. The chart showing the perks for different levels of DW membership is misleading, then. Oh well! If you wanted to keep the poll questions, you could just ask people to answer them in comments like folks did last month--or you could scrap them & try something else, of course!

Yay for not hating your WIP!! That's always such a relief. & doing research for your original stuff is still writing-related, so hopefully when you do want to go back to your fic, your creative brain will still be warmed up, y'know?

[lacygrey]

Hi, I'm not on the challenge this month but I was interested by the 'distraction' topic.

When I have a task I think I'll easily be distracted from, I PLAN distractions for when I've acheived minor goals - for example, edited one page. That way I'm not denying myself the distraction, plus I have an incentive.

To avoid internet altogether, I write on paper - although this adds a typing up/editing step.

[littlebutfierce]

Super late response to this! But I like your idea of planning distractions. It seems like it must make it easier to tell your brain to keep focused, if you know that the focus only has to last a little while longer.