There’s a lot of noise in the world at the moment. Political, and societal to be sure. But there’s also all the information we get from the interwebs constantly, all day and even all night long. And much of it is designed to ensnare us—to click onto the website, read the news story, buy the item, support the cause.
It’s the status quo.
And as writers, it is our job to resist.
But wait, you say. You need all that information. You need it in order to have something to write about, you need it to support your WIP (as in research), you need it because you must know what is going on in the world.
Yeah, I hear you. I’m a huge input person. Next to writing, one of the things I love best in the world is gathering information. Set me up with a topic to research, a pile of books, and access to the internet, and I’m a happy woman.
But, there’s a limit to how much I—and you—can take in before it starts to become a detriment. Before it starts to affect our concentration levels, and our focus, to say nothing of our emotions and energy, both physical and mental.
Which is why I say you need to resist its lure.
Because when you do, you gain so much. It is difficult in the moment—I’ve had to tell myself not to click over to the internet numerous times as I’ve been writing this—but what I’ve gotten in return is clarity and focus. And far more enjoyment of the writing process.
And by resisting, you’re claiming your right to be different. To be a person who stands for writing and creativity and art. A person who dares to challenge the status quo. A person who follows her own inner tune.
That’s not always easy in this world, but it is vital. If you are going to do good work, you need to be able to hear your inner voice and you can only do that if you tune out the noise of the world.
So, let’s do it together. Resist the status quo! Turn to the page instead of the latest news story or blog post. And together we will change the world one word at a time.
Leave me a comment about what you’re writing–and resisting.
(FYI, this originally appeared as my weekly newsletter. If you’d like to get it delivered directly to your inbox, just fill out the form to the right.)
Kathy Holzapfel
Timely, Charlotte! I’m currently doing deep/heavy revisions on a novel. When the going gets tough, I catch myself turning to Facebook for “just a minute…” And there we go. :) I’ve started to use a timer, to enforce my predetermined break times. Also, I’m re-reading Cal Newport’s book DEEP WORK: Rules For Focused Success In A Distracted World. (excellent book!) I need to find a better offline counterbalance to the solitary work patterns required to be a writer.
Charlotte Rains Dixon
I’ve been wanting to read that book for a long time, I think I need to grab it! I saw it referenced a lot when I was researching for my Do That Thing class.
I don’t have the Facebook habit, but I’m obsessive about Instagram and boy oh boy can I go down the rabbit hole. It is hard to remember or imagine what life was like before social media, but I’m certain it was a lot easier to be a writer in many ways!
Don Williams
One reason to resist the lure of the status quo is simply because you often have to wade through 10-pounds of bad, unusable information in order to collect only a few measly ounces of good and useable info. All that bad info gathering certainly infringes on ones creative ability.
Charlotte Rains Dixon
So true, so true, Don! The internet is a feast–and it is easy to gorge on it. You really have to get good at discernment, don’t you thinnk?