The Internet: A Writer’s Worst Distraction

The Internet: A Writer's Worst Distraction

Alan Watt

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Sometimes the deeper we get into our story, the more we seek distraction. The internet will suck the life out of any writer. It will turn the most disciplined among us into bug-eyed addicts. Not only can it swallow great chunks of our precious writing time, it can assault the senses and steer us away from the stillness of our source.

I urge any writer to avoid the web until writing is done for the day. The same goes for cell phones, any phone calls for that matter, texting, grocery shopping, business, emails, taxes, dinner plans, visits with the in-laws. Writing requires more quiet and focus than any of these other tasks. Until I get my writing done, I’m a testy bastard. When it’s done for the day, I turn into a pussycat.

What is your worst distraction? How do you avoid it?

 

Learn more about marrying the wildness of your imagination to the rigor of structure in The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, or The 90-Day Screenplay workshops.

Alan Watt

Writing Coach

Alan Watt is a bestselling novelist and filmmaker, and recipient of numerous awards including France’s Prix Printemps. He is the founder of alanwatt.com (formerly L.A. Writers’ Lab). His books on writing include the National Bestseller The 90-Day Novel, plus The 90-Day Memoir, The 90-Day Screenplay, and The 90-Day Rewrite. His students range from first-time writers to bestselling authors and A-list screenwriters. His 90-day workshops have guided thousands of writers to transform raw ideas into compelling stories by marrying the wildness of their imaginations to the rigor of story structure.
Alan Watt with L.A. hills behind

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