Knowing exactly where all that time is going makes a big difference.
I have ADHD, which makes it exceedingly hard for me to focus on things for prolonged periods of time. At the same time, I’m someone who needs to be productive. I find no pleasure in letting a day go by without any work done. Planned breaks, yes. But hours lost on staring into space or scrolling through social media, even though I swore to myself I’d only respond to that one text? I can’t. Those of you with ADHD will know what I mean by the black hole of unproductivity. …
“Have a schedule” isn’t one of them
I was 25 years old when I first heard of adult ADD/ADHD. I had come across the term before in a few contexts and vaguely thought of it as something that made kids hyperactive. It was only when I started taking my own mental health seriously that I realised my depression didn’t quite explain all the things I was going through. There was the inability to focus, for instance. The sudden drop in interest in things I was enthusiastic about to begin with. …
It’s lengthy, it’s painful, and it’s immensely rewarding
As I write this, the novel draft I began during NaNoWriMo 2018 is 90% complete. There are a few small tweaks I need to make here and there, but it’s essentially done — a full story, with a beginning and an end and a ton of twists and twaddle in between.
It’s 90% complete — as a first edit.
Most of the time between December 2018 and March 2020 been all about editing. Brutal editing. Not so much editing, in fact, as revamping. Turning my shy little first draft into something stronger, more complete, more beautiful. And it still isn’t…
And no, it doesn’t involve giving your clients ‘free samples’
The most common tip you’ll hear in the freelance writing fraternity — “guest post”.
It’s a way to get your name out there on the Internet, and it works to enhance your credibility with prospective clients you’re pitching to. Sure, it doesn’t necessarily pay you, but you’re making an investment in your future, it’s okay to write for free!
Now I agree that some amount of unpaid writing can be important to build your portfolio when you’re starting out.
What I don’t agree with is that guest posting is the only way — or even the best way — to…
Spoiler alert: there’s way more to it than hashtags
I firmly believe that anyone can have an attractive Instagram feed.
Yes, even if you aren’t aiming to be an ‘influencer’.
And guess what? It’s not just about having HD photos of exotic locales.
I’d written previously about how Instagram can help you be a better writer, and one of the tips I talked about was writing meaningful content for the posts you share. It’s astonishing how many people seem to ignore the potential of the Instagram caption. Yes, the picture is what initially catches the eye, but at some point your viewer will scroll down to see what’s beneath…
It’s the other side of ‘living your creative dream’
Anything can trigger thoughts like this.
Perhaps you’ve been having an unproductive morning (or day, or several days).
Or perhaps you read a story that’s been published in a reputed journal or that’s won some major award, and you think “I wish I could write like that” or, worse, “I can write like that too. Why does he/she get published and I don’t?”
Or perhaps you’ve been reading some fabulous work of fiction and oohing and aahing over sentences that seem to have been crafted by magic, and you’re suddenly reminded of the draft you’re working on right now and…
It’s definitely not as easy as “just write.”
As an entirely self-taught writer (read: never had education, coaching, mentorship or guidance of any kind when it came to my writing), I’ve had to rely a lot on the Internet for writing advice.
Some of it is pure gold, like Stephen King’s famous “kill your darlings”. Some of it is more on the fence, like “keep publishing your work”. Sure, that works in theory, but who’s going to account for my fierce protectiveness about the darlings that made it past the killing block?
But there was one writing tip that pretty much everyone on the Internet was talking about…
Never feel guilty about your ‘lack of focus’ again
Some of us can focus on one project at a time and get things done.
Others get bored out of their minds if they have to work on the same article for more than ten minutes at a stretch.
I’m one of the latter group, and I used to think that there was something majorly wrong with me. But even though I did later learn that I have ADD, by then I’d figured out how to roll with this short attention span.
Simply work on simultaneous projects at a time.
Most advice pieces online will caution against this. They’ll talk…
Social media doesn’t have to be the devil it’s portrayed to be
We like to vilify Instagram as a distraction.
“It’s an addiction.” “It makes you dumber.” “It’s not for serious artists.”
We’ve all had those days when we logged in just to like someone’s photo and then found ourselves stuck on the screen for two hours. And there’s no denying that mindless scrolling is one of the least productive things you could do with your time, whether you’re a writer or not.
But Instagram doesn’t have to be bad. In fact, it could even give you some interesting ideas for writing. There are all kinds of content creators out there, some…
And no, it’s not the same thing as writer’s block
Few things are treasured as much by writers as getting into the writing groove.
That state where you are caught in the grip of an idea and are fleshing it out as fast as possible and with all the focus you can muster.
It’s like tasting a higher state of being. And sure, it doesn’t last too long, but it’s invaluable for your output while it lasts.
The number of distractions and obstacles that hinder a writer from getting into the groove are too many to mention, and the smartphone is just one of them. We as humans live amidst…
Deya Bhattacharya
Communications consultant, bibliophile, fashionista, coffee drinker. Check out my services here: www.writetoexcel.com
