I know this all too well. I'm currently in the middle of writing a novel that came to me almost 20 years ago when I was working on another one. And just today an idea for a short story was insisting itself while I'm working on that one. I've often thought that creativity breeds creativity, but also suspected that, as you say, inspiration could be distraction in disguise. Hadn't thought of it as addict behavior before, there could definitely be something to that
my favorite "jump up after writing a good paragraph" was shooting baskets in my parents driveway. But alas, i don't live in my parent's basement anymore.
I hear you. All of this is me. Satan, Riley, and the salad. And celebrating prematurely. Or is it premature. Anyway, I lie awake at night wondering what and if I'm doing it right. Whatever "it" is. But I find if I make a list of To Dos which is often long, then take one to two of those items and put them on a small sticky as my To Dos for that moment, that day, that focus time, then I can let the other things on my list wait. Most of the time. Anyway, it's a trick that works.
Universal truths right here.
I know this all too well. I'm currently in the middle of writing a novel that came to me almost 20 years ago when I was working on another one. And just today an idea for a short story was insisting itself while I'm working on that one. I've often thought that creativity breeds creativity, but also suspected that, as you say, inspiration could be distraction in disguise. Hadn't thought of it as addict behavior before, there could definitely be something to that
It's uncanny isn't it?
my favorite "jump up after writing a good paragraph" was shooting baskets in my parents driveway. But alas, i don't live in my parent's basement anymore.
I'd be in the NBA!
I hear you. All of this is me. Satan, Riley, and the salad. And celebrating prematurely. Or is it premature. Anyway, I lie awake at night wondering what and if I'm doing it right. Whatever "it" is. But I find if I make a list of To Dos which is often long, then take one to two of those items and put them on a small sticky as my To Dos for that moment, that day, that focus time, then I can let the other things on my list wait. Most of the time. Anyway, it's a trick that works.
I like that! I don't do to-do lists anymore. I do to-do bubbles. It's complicated.
very familiar
I need answers, Darryl.
There are none. Being distracted as a writer is better than being focused as an assembly line worker
Dammmmmmn. That is good, Jimmy!
I've lived em both. And written drunk and sober. Sober is better, sometimes you just gotta pull harder to get the engine started.
This reminds me: you were in a dream I had the other night. We were in a demolition derby with shotguns and things didn't work out so well.
Blasphemy. My firearm smashup derby experiences always go flawlessly
This is all utterly relatable. One good paragraph feels like license to take the rest of the day off (or at least feel better about being distracted).