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Overheard at... a party

6/25/2013

1 Comment

 
Picture
“It won’t ring at inopportune times, doesn’t lose power, and is easy to find.”

A pretty, though hefty, day-planner was pulled out of a nearby purse and the owner proceeded to take down, using a pen, the contact information of the person she was talking with. We all laughed about how cumbersome the planner was compared to a cell phone. But on the other hand….

“It also doesn’t break if it is dropped.”
“…And doesn’t distract you with games.”
“…And best of all, is simple to use.”

We all had a reason why this low tech solution was preferable to the newer devices we had come to rely upon. But for me the best justification for unplugging was obvious: limiting distraction.

As a writer I have found technology to be super helpful. I can easily edit my work (Imagine what Jane Austen had to go through). I can immediately track ideas and even share them or get feedback on them. I can communicate easily with my editor and track her changes. And, most importantly, I can make multiple copies of my work so that I don’t lose an entire manuscript or project.

And, while I am grateful for all of these benefits to technology, the fact remains that it took me three hours to ever begin working on this blog post, even though it was my top priority. Why?

First I checked email… this led me to two blog posts I had not read yet… from whose content I was reminded I needed to follow-up with a friend about weekend plans… which I then had to discuss with my husband and daughter… which took me from my computer and found me making breakfast rather than working on my blog.

I know I can’t get rid of technology entirely. And I don’t really want to. But I can turn it off; something I plan to do just as soon as I post this blog, tweet it, respond to some comments, and search online for a new day-planner. I should be able to start working on my manuscript just in time to be called away to make dinner.

What do you use to plan your schedule and track contacts? Have you ever gotten lost in technology and found yourself at the end of your day, or worse, at the grocery store without your old fashioned list?

Leave me a comment and let me know how technology effects you, your organization and your writing. I'd love to hear from you!



1 Comment
Maggie Jaimeson link
6/26/2013 05:05:05 am

I must admit that in the days I did carry a day planner I rarely used it. It was heavy, clunky, and time consuming to keep up. I also tended to "lose" it by leaving it in a meeting room. I was always a "sticky note" girl--even in my executive management days. Consequently, I've been an early adopter of electronic options.

I love this electronic world, where I can send myself an email reminder, have popups of meetings at the time I should be getting in the car to travel, and take mini notes (like my stickies) without ever having to adhere to a day planner's prescribed organizational paradigm. I love the ability to access those notes, meetings, calendars any time, any place, and on any device. Surprisingly, I don't ever lose my cell phone or laptop. I suspect it is because I know my entire life is recorded there. :)

In terms of the time suck I allow from the Internet, I find that when I allow the Internet to suck me in it is because I am avoiding some decision I need to make. It may be that I'm unsure of what the next scene should be. It may be that I'm exhausted from the previous day of turning out 10K words in one bout., or that I'm close to the end of my book and sabotaging myself with the usual negative self talk of "This is the worst thing you've written. How can you call yourself a writer. This will never be as good as X book." This wonderful side of my process can take me away from writing for two or three days and make me into a zombie internet surfer. In the end, my ability to control my internet addiction is all about my mental state that day.

When I put my mind to it, I have no problem making rules to protect my writing time. My rule (when I choose to follow it) is no email or internet first thing in the morning. Spend a minimum of two hours writing. Then my "reward" or break is to allow myself between one and two hours of internet time for email, FB, twitter, surfing, research, etc. Then it's back to writing. My evenings are usually what I call "writing business." This might be planning, marketing, fooling with the website, etc. If I'm on a roll, I can write 10 hours in a day. Other days, all I get done are those two hours in the morning that I hold sacrosanct.

I can't say I can recommend my crazy method to anyone else, but it works for me. Whenever I'm surfing all day, I know there is a mental block I'm not dealing with. Usually just acknowledging that will put me back on track.

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    About Me...

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    Deanne Wilsted

    Link here to Betting Jessica on Amazon.com

    Background - Overheard While Writing
    It's hard to explain, but 12 years ago, when I started to write seriously, the only place where I could get my work done was at Starbucks. 

    Since then, 4 manuscripts and 4 favored Starbucks later, I sill find myself drawn to a cozy corner and a half-decaf Americano.... not to mention the many friendly faces that greet me when I arrive.

    And, while I try to stay focused, there are some times when the conversations or interactions that surround me draw my attention away from my own characters, and into the world of life's own characters. 

    This BLOG captures some of those funny, sincere, inspiring moments. Maybe they will give you a reason to write as well.

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