We help the helpless (fanfic writer)

The writing session is still going on if anyone wants to join -- though obviously I am, er, taking a break right now...

I want to talk a little about writing & music! Does music help you concentrate when you write? Or does it distract you? Are there certain types of music, or maybe even certain bands, you put on when you're working on different types of scenes?

Because I write tons of schmaltzy emo stuff (I say that w/love, I think...), bands like Stars are total writing mood music for me. Also Joy Ike seems to put me in that headspace lately. If I am writing sexytiems, sometimes I listen to Alice in Videoland.

Lyrics don't seem to distract me too much, or if they start to, I can usually turn the music down slightly & it's fine.

There's a fine line between being able to take in the music to the point it relaxes me or gets me in the zone & not being able to shut it out enough to concentrate. I know some folks make writing mixes -- & if you are one of these energetic sorts, please feel free to post one! -- but if I don't have an itch for a specific band, most of the time shuffling randomly through iTunes seems to work. If I start skipping every other song, it's usually a sign that I need to take a break to get my concentration back.

What about you? (Any recommendations... ?)

And now back to the writing session! No, really... I'll leave you w/Fuck Yeah Fanfic Flamingo, which makes me laugh inordinately hard.

OK, folks, help me (& your other comm members!) out here. I'm sure many of us are masters of the art of procrastination.

How do you get yourself to actually sit down & write? Internet blockers (or maybe even -- shudder -- going offline entirely)? Bribing yourself? Getting other people to nag/threaten you? Signing up for challenges?

I write something every day using 750 Words; I've posted before about what a good tool this is for me. Sometimes it works brilliantly, as both a way to get words down on the page & sneak past my internal censor. But often I don't write fic there; I'll just brain-dump. Which is good -- it's still writing -- but I feel like I need to kickstart my word count for fic.

Things I have done today instead of opening up a file to work on fic: updated my reading journal w/what I've read lately; updated another comm; answered DW comments; signed up for Diaspora; took down last year's calendars & put up this year's; put up random things I've had around the house to put on the walls but have been lying around for ages; made tea.

And now, my latest avoidance technique: posting here!

My word count is begging you for help. What are your tips? What have you tried that didn't work for you? (It might work for someone else!)

& just for LOLs, what are your favorite things to do when you're resisting sitting down & actually writing?