Thanks to Dr Ruth Richards who mentioned this newsletter at a recent Saybrook Graduate School conference. Welcome to any new readers who joined us from there!
Newsletter #5: February 4, 2008
Approx 600 words - I’ll be brief, but feel free to read fast anyway.
Hutchison's Law: Any occurrence requiring undivided attention will be accompanied by a compelling distraction. - Robert Bloch
The Not-to-do list
So it's a year or so ago, and there I am in this 30s Hollywood diner. Suddenly a fairly good idea comes to me. And I start to jot it on a paper napkin before it can vanish.
Got the picture? One of those once-in-a-lifetime unplanned perfect moments.
And instead, the server comes over and asks if I want a notepad.
Want a notepad? Dammit, leave me alone with my romantic fantasy.
So this week let’s talk about how things should go when we're writing.
It's tempting, isn't it. You're finally sitting in the ideal place – yes, you really dragged yourself out to the coffee shop or wherever - with your notebook. You’re actually writing your important project and your magical words are flowing, and then some distracting thought approaches – must spend some time thinking about X or should write to Y or simply Z would be cool – it’s tempting, and the project is one thought away from stalling.
There is a simple solution. Let the interrupting thought come, and don't fight it. When it does come, don't try to memorize it. Because if you're like me, you can remember three of those thoughts at most.
How not to fight it: have a second notebook. Allow the thought to come. Jot it down in your second book. Turn back to your work. As simple as that.
It clears the mind, it feels professional, it lets you remain in flow.
If you don't want to buy two books, that's fine. Do the same thing another way. Paper napkins. I'm pretty flexible about the physical details of your life.
(I almost designed a Not-to-do List pad for you to print, but really what's the need? That's why Starbucks has disposable napkins.)
When you're writing at the computer and something comes into your head – don't forget to find out about X or must email Y or Z would be cool – it's harder. Now you're one click away from the disaster. And you'd think "one click away" would be further than "one thought away," wouldn't you? Because it's a physical effort an' all? Easier to catch yourself doing? Easier to interrupt? Not a bit of it. Not for most of us.
If you know your way around keyboards, you can even turn away from the project without touching the mouse (in Windows, for example, try pressing Alt-TAB).
And the stalling is worse, too, for one change of window leads to another, and another, and hours of your working life can burn up.
But the solution is the same. In your word processor, have two documents open: (1) your Story file, whatever you call it, and (2) a separate things-not-to-do-right-now list. Work on what you're working on. When an irrelevant thought tries to distract you, put your finger on what you were doing – hit Alt-TAB without pausing to think – jot a quickly misspelled memory jogger for the idea – hit Alt-TAB again, still without thinking – and you are still at work, still in flow, and no more than twenty seconds are lost.
Think of writing as a business meeting. You can’t suddenly turn away and start doing something else. But it’s professional to keep records of things to do at another time. At another time. Not now.
Something you can try today: permit distracting thoughts to come to you, note them on a separate After I've Done What I Committed To list, take one deep breath and keep working in an uninterrupted frame of mind as if nothing had happened.
David
David Jung McGarva
+1 (818) 707 1871
Write me: david at todayiwrite dot com
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