Archive | September, 2016

Don’t Let ‘Attention Residue’ Derail Your Writing


NOTE: I apologize if the timing of this post dismayed or offended anyone — I scheduled it to post on September 29 before leaving town and internet connections behind. It was only co-incidence that it appeared the same day as the horrible train crash in Hoboken, NJ. Imagine you’re the engineer of a long train […]

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Why Writers Should Schedule Distractions


Scheduling distractions? Seems like an oxymoron. In a previous post, I encouraged you to reserve time for your writing. Imagine my surprise when I read Cal Newport, author of Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, recommend that instead of scheduling time for focused work, like writing, we benefit more from scheduling […]

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My Name is Rosanne, I’m a Writer and Distraction Addict


Two weeks ago, Claudia and I drove to a vacation cabin near Grand Rapids. We arrived in late afternoon, got settled in and listened to the loons as the sun set. The next morning, I slept in. We enjoyed breakfast on the deck and walked the dogs. I read a bit. I flipped through magazines. […]

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Does Your Writing Have a Reservation?


“Writing reservations” could mean reservations about writing (aka resistance) or it could refer to the time you reserve for your writing. How can you get a reservation for a relaxed writing experience at a fine writing table without freaking yourself out about how big and significant the reserved time is? Because if you don’t define […]

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Writers Must Surrender Certainty


Creativity is born of inefficiency and uncertainty. Unfortunately, your brain does not welcome uncertainty. Because the human brain, which makes up only 3% of the body’s mass, uses 20 to 30% of the body’s oxygen and glucose, it evolved to be as energy-efficient as possible. Uncertainty is simply not efficient. Why question what you already […]

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