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All the Distractions #IWSG

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Loni Townsend

I’ve got a lot on my TODO list today, so it might be a bit before I make return visits.

It’s the first Wednesday of the month, announcing September is here. Why am I an insecure writer this month? I didn’t so much as crack open book 2 during August, and I’m supposed to be trying to finish before the end of the year. I dabbled in book 3/4 and added 9K toward a companion novel, but I haven’t made a push toward doing what I’m actually supposed to be doing with regards to writing.

I haven’t made much progress toward any of my goals. Not much writing. Absolutely no art. I stopped working out, stopped vacuuming, stopped mowing the lawn. I let someone else take care of the dishes, the shopping, and providing the meals. I switched from producing to consuming. I let life become routine, and I paid the price for it.

It was pointed out to me that I wasn’t doing enough.

So here it is September. I’ve already started my anti-lazy-Loni efforts. I’m back to eating only between 11-7, aiming for healthier foods. I’m doing kettle bell swings to try to get some strength training back into my routine. I bought an art course to improve my landscape skills. I intend to spend at least one day a week on my book 2 rewrites. And, of course, I’m trying to be a better human being.

Hopefully, it’ll be enough for myself and everyone else.

IWSG Question of the Month – How do you define success as a writer? Is it holding your book in your hand? Having a short story published? Making a certain amount of income from your writing?

For me, success would be finishing this darn series. That’s all I want to do. I don’t even want to sell the books anymore.

What does success look like for you? What do you do to remain productive? Have you ever felt like you were deficient?

24 thoughts on “All the Distractions #IWSG”

  1. Sarah Brentyn says:
    September 1, 2021 at 7:55 AM

    I hear you, lady. I am so overwhelmed and my TODO list is knocking me over daily. I am dealing with ALL OF THE DISTRACTIONS but, unfortunately, they’re all kind of important. I love the idea of anti-lazy-Loni (which I’m totally stealing except mine will be anti-frazzled Sarah). Here’s to no laziness and no frazzliness. 🙂

    Reply
  2. C. Lee McKenzie says:
    September 1, 2021 at 9:11 AM

    I’m ready to disconnect and hide out where nobody can find me. This has been a grueling year+ for everyone, and sometimes writing just isn’t on the day’s To Do List.

    Reply
  3. Carrie ann golden says:
    September 1, 2021 at 9:21 AM

    For the past two years, there’s been nothing but distractions. I’ll go through months when I do absolutely nothing productive, and then usually around September or October, a light suddenly get turned on in the imagination sector and I find myself writing again. I have pretty much given up on publishing for now and decided to focus on the writing. By taking the pressure off I actually found myself beginning to want to, or even crave writing again. 🙂

    Reply
  4. M.J. Fifield says:
    September 1, 2021 at 9:40 AM

    “For me, success would be finishing this darn series. That’s all I want to do. I don’t even want to sell the books anymore.” <—This. Yep. I am right there with you. (And I never feel like I am anything BUT deficient.)

    And you may not be doing exactly what you're supposed to be doing in regards to writing, but writing 9k in any project is definitely producing. <3

    Reply
  5. Natalie Aguirre says:
    September 1, 2021 at 9:42 AM

    I agree with Lee that it’s not always possible to add writing or all the healthy lifestyle things to our to-do list. Glad you’re getting on track again this month.

    Reply
  6. Helen Mathey-Horn says:
    September 1, 2021 at 10:08 AM

    Wow, I’m worn out just reading what you are planning. Don’t be too hard on yourself, okay? And yep, I can relate to finish the ‘darn series’. Maybe that is goal one? 🙂

    Reply
  7. CD Gallant-King says:
    September 1, 2021 at 10:14 AM

    I’m all for trying to refocus and get back to our goals and productivity, but it’s been a crappy year for everybody. Do not beat yourself up for not keeping up with your to do lists and priorities (I know, I beat myself up too, but you’re supposed to tell other people not to do it)

    Reply
  8. Rebecca Douglass says:
    September 1, 2021 at 10:39 AM

    I agree with M. J. above that 9K words is not chopped liver. And sometimes if the project we are “supposed” to be working on doesn’t go, working on something else is the right answer. Don’t be too hard on yourself–but do get that exercise going again. I’m a firm believer that my brain works best when my body is fit.

    Reply
  9. Alex J. Cavanaugh says:
    September 1, 2021 at 10:59 AM

    Well, sounds like you know what to do to get back on track. Sometimes we need to give, sometimes we need to take. Just need to know when to switch that up!

    Reply
  10. L. Diane Wolfe says:
    September 1, 2021 at 12:33 PM

    It’s easy to get off track, although with only two of us in this household, I can’t shirk too much.

    Reply
  11. Olga Godim says:
    September 1, 2021 at 1:25 PM

    I need to find my ‘ant-lazy-Olga’ routine and stick to it. I haven’t written a word of fiction in over a month, although I did finish an article for my newspaper. Deadlines, you know. They surely spur you to action.

    Reply
  12. Liz A. says:
    September 1, 2021 at 2:55 PM

    Stop shoulding all over yourself. Sometimes you need a break. Sometimes you need to let the mind wander. If it wanders into books 3 & 4, perhaps it’s so you know what seeds to plant in book 2 when you’re ready to get back to it.

    I find that when I have times where I’m not doing what I “should” be doing, the time to finish my tasks later ends up being sufficient. So, enjoy your rest. You deserve it. And when you go back to the book-in-progress, you’ll be all the better for it.

    Reply
  13. Lee Lowery says:
    September 1, 2021 at 3:51 PM

    “It was pointed out to me that I wasn’t doing enough.” Ouch. I hate those moments. I hope in your ‘anti-lazy-Loni’ efforts you’re still cutting yourself some slack. Being a better human being is a lot of work. And you’re already a pretty great one.

    Reply
  14. Melissa Maygrove says:
    September 1, 2021 at 5:10 PM

    You may not be working as much on your book as you’d like, but your determination to be healthy and fit along with all the other plates you have spinning makes me envious. And it’s okay to let someone else pick up the slack sometimes. We all need a break.

    Reply
  15. Aldrea says:
    September 2, 2021 at 5:41 AM

    You were still productive, 9k is nothing to sneeze at. I know you’re getting yourself back into an active routine, but sometimes, unplugging is totally valid. Not even machines can run at top speed all the time. You needed and earned that downtime.
    Take care. Stay safe.

    Reply
  16. C.G.Coppola says:
    September 2, 2021 at 9:26 AM

    Life gets exhausting, doesn’t it? The good thing is that we can start anew each day (I actually love that) so when I feel bad for not getting something done – say, the IWSG post this month – it’s okay. I can grab it next month. I can keep writing today, tomorrow and the next day.

    Also, you’re doing what you need to do for your mental health, so never feel bad about that.
    You’ve got this!

    Reply
  17. Joleene Naylor says:
    September 2, 2021 at 2:21 PM

    Success is millions of dollars. I will never have success, but that’s all right. 🙂

    Don’t feel bad about not doing “enough”. sometimes doing nothing IS enough, especially considering what other things are going on.

    Reply
  18. ChemistKen says:
    September 2, 2021 at 3:56 PM

    I’d like to say that I accomplished a lot over the summer, but that wouldn’t be true. My motivation has been crap. I did finally fix my manuscript up enough to send it to the editor, but only after fooling around with the words for three or four months. And this was after deciding to take the summer off from tutoring. Can I have been any more wasteful with my time?

    Autumn is my favorite time of the year, so we’ll see if I can use the seasons to get me motivated again.

    Sometimes we have to slack off for a while in order to motivate ourselves into good habits again. Just approach it one step at a time, or you’ll burn yourself out. Sounds like you’re working your way back.

    And if you need any more motivation to write, just remember: I’m still waiting to see your damn chapters, so get cracking! 🙂

    Reply
  19. J.H. Moncrieff says:
    September 2, 2021 at 11:23 PM

    Aw, we’re always so darn hard on ourselves. I think it’s natural to take some time off during the summer. When I beat myself up for not being productive enough, I try to remember that no one gets “I should have worked more” carved on their tombstone.

    Somehow, our self-worth gets tangled up in how productive we are, and that isn’t right or fair. You still did some writing, but even if you hadn’t, you’re a loving mother, wife, and friend, and a talented artist and writer. That’s more than enough. x

    Reply
  20. Madeline Mora-Summonte says:
    September 3, 2021 at 7:47 AM

    I hear you, Loni! I was mad at myself for not keeping up with the walking challenge I started in January. I’m pretty sure I won’t make the goal of 500 miles, but I’m determined to keep going anyway, see how far I get, and to not beat myself up too much about it.

    Reply
  21. Patricia Josephine says:
    September 3, 2021 at 8:59 AM

    This past month, I haven’t felt like I’ve gotten much writing in. I’ve had too much other stuff and now that that stuff is all done, I gotta get myself back into the swing of writing.

    Reply
  22. H. R. Sinclair says:
    September 6, 2021 at 5:41 AM

    Looks like you have a plan. It been a weird year or two and I think we all have had a month or two like that!

    Reply
  23. Chrys Fey says:
    September 13, 2021 at 10:07 AM

    Writing 9K is an accomplishment. <3

    I am really happy, though, that you signed up for an art course. As you know, I am a huge fan of your art. I hope that it inspires you.

    Reply
  24. Elizabeth Seckman says:
    October 3, 2021 at 12:11 PM

    I had to take a break myself. I blame the world for wearing me out. The place can just be insane and suck the energy right out of your soul. Getting some exercise and healthier eating is a great start. (Says the lady who just ate too many nacho chips…)

    Reply

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Welcome to my blog. I post here on Wednesdays most of the time, but you can find me on social media any day of the week. My topics include my stories and writing, life at the Town's End, creating and tinkering with graphics, things I learn and think might be helpful to others, and the occasional amateur photo. Thanks for stopping by! I hope to see you around.

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