The rewrite of the next Yarn Retreat book continues. I'm thinking of calling it Danger Looms. I won't go into detail, but it seems I forgot what day it was in the manuscript and the time was all screwed up. Like things were happening out of order. Trying to fix what I have written is not nearly as satisfying as writing. So, I ditched a lot of what I'd written and wrote it again. Surprises happened. Characters started doing things on their own and interacting with each other.
I found another secret to staying in the flow. I leave my phone in another room. It was too easy to let it distract me. I can't blame the phone. I was the one who picked it up and started scrolling though whatever. It only took doing it once to break the habit.
I started prying myself away from my phone at other times. It is amazing how easy it was to do that. The hard part is that it is not black or white. I used to drink Diet Coke all the time and literally had a bottle of it next to my bed. I decided that I didn't want to have anything with artificial sweeteners anymore. And that was it. I stopped drinking Diet Coke completely. I think even I was surprised that I didn't miss it or consider having it occasionally I did the same with cigarettes. It has been over thirty-five years and I never once missed smoking. I totally surprised myself with that. I guess I did it with becoming a vegetarian over forty years ago.
The trick is to have my phone available, but not use it as a distraction. I see how easy it is to blindly keep scrolling through Facebook posts as through there is an end. Or even to be tempted by clickbait half written headlines. I will have to learn to tell my curiosity to stand down.
In the meantime, I'm using crossword and mystery logic puzzles when I need a distraction. At least those have the benefit of exercising my brain. and giving me the feeling of satisfaction of completing something I thought I couldn't do..
18 comments:
Good morning -- I don't have a smart phone so don't have to worry about being distracted by all the stuff that shows up -- my little flip phone suits me just fine!!
Keeping all the book characters in the proper place and at the proper time would create quite a challenge, especially when there is such a diverse group as you earlier described.
I continue with my crocheting -- finished a basketweave, now working on a cross stitch pattern. Since I'm now making blankets for adults rather than children, I have to make them a bit differently but all is working well.
There was a lot of wind here yesterday -- the lawn guys have a lot of debris to pickup and blow away. I hear their noise in the distance.
Enjoy your day and the coming weekend.
Phones can definitely be distracting, Betty. So can emails and, yes, quizzes and puzzles like crosswords. I try to work around all of them too!
Patty, I'm not ready to go back to a flip phone. I have only tried leaving my phone in another room for a couple of days, but I'm already used to it.
One of the tricky things about writing mysteries is that making a change can have the domino affect and I have to keep moving around in the manuscript so that it all makes sense.
I would imagine the blankets for adults are bigger. I'm sure they are greatly appreciated.
The wind kicked up here yesterday and started up again today. But the sun is out and the orange trees are getting ready to bloom. The air is already filled with the scent from a pink jasmine plant I got last year. It only blooms in the spring and has a lot of fragrance.
Enjoy your weekend.
Linda, It's true that crosswords and puzzles can be a distraction, but at least they have a benefit. I feel like they tune up my brain and they are fun.
This weekend I am going to attempt something i have not done in over 2 years. I am going to do a big craft show !! This is not to make money__I have to hire wheelchair transports to take me both ways. It is really for mental health, to prove to myself {and my kids} that I can do it ! I only get out of the house every couple of months for a drs appt. I want to spend a couple of days in the real world. Wish me luck !!
Linda, a craft show sounds great!! What items do you make? Good luck to you!!
The blankets don't have to be bigger -- but I do make more rectangles -- seems more adult. And I do more adult-friendly colors, especially blankets for men.
Patty, I make dolls, doll clothes, baby blankets, and seasonal decorations. Raggety Ann and Andy are two of my favorites. In the glory days of Cabbage Patch I sold hundreds of doll clothes on EBay and at shows, and I also like the American Girl group. Barbie had a turn, but those skinny sleeves and legs were an awful chore !
I am trying to abandon my phone more often as well. It takes too much time out of my life. I find myself getting distracted by Threads or IG and next thing I know I've lost an hour. Makes we wonder what I did with my time in the 70's. Happy weekend everyone!
I love Raggedy Ann! I still have a book from my childhood -- "Marcella and Raggedy Ann." After Marcella goes to sleep at night, Raggedy Ann and the other toys have adventures. Did you ever make a Topsy Turvy doll -- a wide-awake doll when she's held one way, a sleeping doll when she flipped over.
Hello -- I re-learned to knit and did a couple of jigsaw puzzles after cataract surgery last August, but am back to all reading now, including all of your books, Betty; and I really like your blog and your loyal supporters. I don't usually say anything, not since your trip to North Carolina, but Linda's comment about needing to hire wheelchair transport for a trip prompted this. I put off the cataract surgery for four years because of not having anyone to take me. After a lot of research last year, I stumbled upon a company called Naborforce. The person who started it is in Richmond, Virginia. It is quite an amazing outfit that provides services to seniors for an hourly rate. Unfortunately, aside from Texas, they are only operating in some states on the East Coast. A retired friend in Maryland is going to see about working for them because he gets bored not working. I hope your wheelchair transport outfit has some friendly people working for it, Linda.
Linda Osborn, I am sending good vibes your way that the craft fair goes well. You deserve a ton of credit for making the effort. Being out in the world is important for your spirit. We will all want to know how it goes.
Sally, I totally agree about losing time looking at your phone. The worst is that people in Silicon Valley have deliberately made it so scrolling gets addictive. Not having mine next to me had really been freeing. Happy Weekend and time change to you!
Anonymous, It is great to hear from you. I'm glad you found the transport so you could get the cataract surgery. It has to be nice to be able to do puzzles and read again. The service you mentioned sounds really helpful.
I got the anonymous posts out of order. To the first anonymous poster. Your doll clothes sound wonderful. I hope you had fun making all those outfits.
This is anonymous #2 - Kathryn - back after catching up with your blog back to December. Yes, Naborforce was a lifesaver. And Linda talking about her transportation reminded me of the astronomical costs of the other companies that gave me quotes. The surgery center wouldn't let people pop in by taxi. Also, your high school French teacher does sound like an amazing person, very strong. She started teaching when her husband had a stroke, and her revisions to the Mr. Poppers book led to it being published. Here's a link to the Wikipedia article about Florence and Richard Atwater. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_and_Florence_Atwater
Kathryn, Thanks for the info about Florence Atwater. I never thought to look her up on the Internet. I have heard how expensive medical transport is. I am glad you are back commenting!
Best of luck with the unphoning. :) And congrats on 40 years veg! Been vegan since 1995 (was veg for 3 years before making the jump--it was different back then. It's super easy now! :)) and I quit smoking around the same time. I missed smoking way more than I've missed any animal parts/excreta, which is saying something since I didn't go veg because I didn't like meat. I really liked the way it tasted, but I like animals (and not hurting them as much as it's avoidable) a lot more. :) It seems like I'm always trying to improve my habits in one way or another. Positive reinforcement helps a lot. Don't forget to reward yourself along the way! :)
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