Getting Distracted

Is it tough for you to stay focused?  Ever find that, despite your best intentions, you start flirting with another project?  It’s the lure of the forbidden:  you’re actually supposed to be working on your mystery series.  But then you get this great idea for a children’s book.  In the middle of the night, no less.  You even sketch out some dialogue and the tone of the book, and…

Just say no! This happened to me a couple of nights ago and it was soooo tempting to start working on something new and different.  It always seems like the new love will be easier to work with, more fun-loving, cuter.  Isn’t the grass always greener on the other side of the fence?

I decided to type out my sketchy idea on a Word doc and save it to the file “New Book Ideas.” That way I haven’t forgotten the idea and I can explore it later.  Because starting another project is just as much a form of distraction as messing around on the computer or watching TV is. 

Elizabeth Spann Craig

View posts by Elizabeth Spann Craig
Elizabeth writes the Memphis Barbeque series (as Riley Adams) and the Southern Quilting mysteries for Penguin and writes the Myrtle Clover series for Midnight Ink and independently. She also has a blog, which was named by Writer’s Digest as one of the 101 Best Websites for Writers. There she posts on the writing craft, finding inspiration in everyday life, and fitting writing into a busy schedule.
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