Is leaving the social media the right step for those who wish to focus on writing?
Must writers stop interacting even in life? #GoodWriting
Such an interesting question, that I wrote in the middle of the night.
While I love people, interactions with the wrong sort make me feel drained. Social media or life both I feel needs to be screened for quality content. As a writer, we are in a unique space. Everything anything we see or experience may be food for thought.
But for these thoughts to make words on paper I need a calm inner and outer space. With the increasing noise pollution, I often dream of a soundproof library, like in Medical college, where talking was prohibited. Forced seclusion makes your mind free to look inwards and converse with yourself. If you do this its easy to write and thoughts flow onto paper or the keyboard.
Before I started writing, I always felt strange sense of unease when I had to spend time at meaningless social events. Now the definition of meaningless varies, but I have made a pact with myself to ditch all efforts of trying to fit in. If God wanted me to fit in, he would have made me someone else.
That’s why I find so much pleasure in writing. While who reads depends on a lot of factors, writing is like a friend. It’s like my fingers and brain talk to each other. I like listening to songs on loops, to keep me focussed. But that’s not a distraction. Music helps me focus better.
Books and Blogs: Distraction or Fertilizer?
Reading books or blogs are not noise or distractions, but much needed. It’s not only the basic tools of the trade (as Mr.King famously said) but is very important for me to be happy. Reading is like breathing for me. I can’t, not read. I read everything. I think the single most important habit which has always helped me is my ability to read a lot. My mills and boons, Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s, Perry Mason.Byomkesh, Satyajit Ray, Rabindranath Tagore, and my nonfiction friends. All these have helped me find my writing space.
How reading well helps you write
Anyone who has difficulty reading and wants to write will face challenges. The challenge is a little bit technical and also the ability to tell stories and replenishing stores. It’s not impossible but difficult to write when you have no inner compass, no inner library of stories and words. I am not talking about casual reading but well thought our reading habit to make books your friends and mentors. Because everything that has happened, will happen is already in the books. If you are not reading you miss seeing the rainbow in your mind, you miss your herd of unicorns, and the Patronus never appears. So dear friend if you want to write from the heart, don’t ever stop reading for the heart.
5 Things which will help you write
Stop the distractions. Cut them loose; you have only sixteen hours in a day to be productive. If you are juggling a job, have a family and writing, that comes down to a maximum two hours of writing a day. Make it count.
Increase your typing speed. While you may take a typing class and learn speed typing, the main thing here is typing while the words flow. For that, you need to think, write, repeat, time yourself and most importantly, focus. When you write you can’t list the must buy on Amazon Great Indian Festival and you definitely can’t be planning your dinner menu. When you write you must be one with your fingers and the keyboard, your eyes, and your mind.
DO NOT EDIT while writing. It will slow you down. But editing must be done.
To write well, you must try to live well. Health and wellness in daily living are important for everything. Look deep inside, be authentic about your experiences, hopes, fears, and dreams. Until you break down your inner shackles, the word refuses to flow if you love chocolates and write about hating chocolate, it’s not going to be easy!
Writing every day, helps me write — There’s’ no two ways about it.
What you write reaches your readers. They find a connection. That aha moment, when they know, someone else in this world thinks like them. For that to happen, writing needs to be from the heart. To write like that, you must read books where the authors have felt this connection with their inner soul and higher power. Now, which books make you feel that way only you can find.
Writing is a journey to self-discovery. Everything else is delicious bonuses along the way. Whatever the destination enjoy the ride and keep writing.
So is leaving the social media the right step for those who wish to focus on writing? It’s a yes for me!
When I wanted to focus on my writing, I found the blogging process as a distraction and mostly because that writing experience would cannibalise my overall thought process.
By starving and selectively venting out words, it creates more focus on the story the writer wants to convey.
But I’d guess that the way to arrive at the Zone differs across the board. Whatever helps helps. ☺️
That’s an interesting viewpoint I must say. It’s important we focus on one thing at a time.Whatever works ,do more of it.
Very nice narration on writing.
My wife listens to songs even when she reads. I can’t. My wife sits on the bed comfortably and reads. I can’t. Not that I haven’t tried… but every time I try, my thoughts start doing the salsa and it becomes impossible to pin them down. So I guess we all have different ways of catalysing the sort of isolated focus needed to do any work. I know that the day I go out to attend a press conference, the day ends up wasted. I know when we have guests at home, writing something meaningful is difficult even hours after they have left. Even my noise cancellation headphones are an impediment to thinking… I mean I cannot put them on and assume that I am in a noiseless room because thoughts are far smarter. ????
Seriously too much noise in this world. Many people suffer hearing loss and never even find out till its too late. Noise pollution is real.Writing helps me stop worrying about the noise if I can block it out for the first 10 minutes or so.
We all have different reading and writing habits. I can read anywhere and write in most places. But the quality will definitely vary depending on level of disruptions.