De-Cluttering for Writing
By Rosemary Johnson
Over the last few days, my husband and I have started to de-clutter our house of some of the clobber which has accumulated over the thirty years in which we have lived here. We still have a long way to go. We haven't started on the attic, not yet moved in on the 1995 edition of Match, with Dennis Bergkamp in a brand new Arsenal shirt on its cover. (I know it's there!)
De-cluttering isn't just for houses. When we pray, we de-clutter our minds, in various ways, so that we're not wondering whether we've fed the cat during Our Father. Some sit quietly, concentrating on a candle or a stained-glass window, or they occupy their hands, arms and legs. They pass rosary beads between the fingers; walk; or - more prosaically - iron clothes. I joke not. A lot of us pray to the rhythm of our arms moving across our clothes. Cleaning the floor is good too, praying to the up and down action of the squeegy mop.
We also need to de-clutter our minds before we writing. You know how it is. You open your computer. You open Word and stare at the blank screen... then, in the corner of your eye you spot a speck of dust on the skirting boards. 'I must get up and wipe them', you think, getting up immediately. A lot of it is the terror of that blank screen, the effort you know you'll have to summon up and knowing that it's all got to come from you... Oh, perhaps, it's time for a cup of tea. Clearing out your mind of everything else is very hard, even for a few hours, especially if you work in a day-job, as most of us are.
Some writers install apps for blocking the internet. (On the other hand, move to rural East Anglia. No need to block the internet around here.) Others have other apps for stopping Facebook and other social media. I wonder how much time and emotional energy they expend worrying about who's posted on Facebook while it's blocked, sent emails, what's on the news and whether their family-members are trying to contact them. My approach is very different.
I divide my time into writing-time and not-writing-time.
On a non-writing day...
I also find deadlines de-clutter the mind beautifully. I'm writing this, the night before my More Than Writers slot, at quarter to eleven pm, with the television News playing in the background.
What routines do other writers follow?
Rosemary Johnson has just completed a modern historical novel, set in the 1980s. She has also, very recently, started submitting short stories again. In real life, she teaches maths and IT and lives with her husband and cat.
Over the last few days, my husband and I have started to de-clutter our house of some of the clobber which has accumulated over the thirty years in which we have lived here. We still have a long way to go. We haven't started on the attic, not yet moved in on the 1995 edition of Match, with Dennis Bergkamp in a brand new Arsenal shirt on its cover. (I know it's there!)
De-cluttering isn't just for houses. When we pray, we de-clutter our minds, in various ways, so that we're not wondering whether we've fed the cat during Our Father. Some sit quietly, concentrating on a candle or a stained-glass window, or they occupy their hands, arms and legs. They pass rosary beads between the fingers; walk; or - more prosaically - iron clothes. I joke not. A lot of us pray to the rhythm of our arms moving across our clothes. Cleaning the floor is good too, praying to the up and down action of the squeegy mop.We also need to de-clutter our minds before we writing. You know how it is. You open your computer. You open Word and stare at the blank screen... then, in the corner of your eye you spot a speck of dust on the skirting boards. 'I must get up and wipe them', you think, getting up immediately. A lot of it is the terror of that blank screen, the effort you know you'll have to summon up and knowing that it's all got to come from you... Oh, perhaps, it's time for a cup of tea. Clearing out your mind of everything else is very hard, even for a few hours, especially if you work in a day-job, as most of us are.
Some writers install apps for blocking the internet. (On the other hand, move to rural East Anglia. No need to block the internet around here.) Others have other apps for stopping Facebook and other social media. I wonder how much time and emotional energy they expend worrying about who's posted on Facebook while it's blocked, sent emails, what's on the news and whether their family-members are trying to contact them. My approach is very different.
I divide my time into writing-time and not-writing-time.
On a non-writing day...
- I anticipate tasks that might overlap on to writing days and do them.
- I plan easy meals which might generate left-overs for writing days.
- I cram in all appointments and necessary trips out.
- I decide which domestic jobs are essential for that day and do them - first.
- When I switch on my computer, I check emails and and WhatsApp messages; I respond to those I need to respond to, star a very few for answering later and delete the rest.
- If any emails about work come in, I give them absolute priority.
I also find deadlines de-clutter the mind beautifully. I'm writing this, the night before my More Than Writers slot, at quarter to eleven pm, with the television News playing in the background.
What routines do other writers follow?
Rosemary Johnson has just completed a modern historical novel, set in the 1980s. She has also, very recently, started submitting short stories again. In real life, she teaches maths and IT and lives with her husband and cat.
That made me smile, especially the bit about moving to rural East Anglia to escape the internet! You speak a lot of truth, here, and I recognise myself in what you say. The speck of dust, yes! Why is writing so scary? I guess it's because, as you say, one starts with nothing and is expected to produce SOMEthing! Not like a carpenter, already armed with wood and tools and a design, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI think it’s all of us! Any distraction.
DeleteSo true, Rosemary. So annoying and interrupting too those unwanted spam telephone calls that stops the flow of thought/inspiration or the modern machines e.g. washing or dishwasher that scream out at you demanding your immediate attention whatever you happen to be doing!
ReplyDeleteThose spam calls! Especially the silent ones! When I’m writing I also make sure the telephone handset is close by, as plonking down the computer and rushing to the phone is dangerous.
Delete