Posted on July 6, 2007 - by MG
God help me I’ve got writer’s block again…
Actually yes, I DO think that three days running of not being able to write clocks in as an Officially Recognised Bout Of WB.
Things I have done in the past three days rather than write the next, challenging chapter of Jaguar’s Realm.
(I mean, things I’m prepared to admit to in a blog)
1. Read emails about and from staff at the school where I’m a governor. Read them again, and again and again.
2. Phone people about the school where I’m a governor.
(yes I HAD to do those things but believe me, I lingered)
3. Browse for, choose and buy salsa dancing clothes and shoes from ebay.
4. Try on said salsa dancing clothes and shoes, gloat and marvel at how finally I’ve found an outfit that works for me and how light-as-a-feather the shoes are and wonder why I haven’t invested in specialist kit for my main hobby before.
5. Jump on any email from my editor about the ms for Joshua book 1.
6. Join Facebook and spend an entire day mooching around on it, looking people up, customising my content.
7. Shop at Primark to make myself feel frugal.
8. Drag my husband out for breakfast, lunch, coffee, long walks.
9. Pester my neighbour Gabby to gossip with me; he was only trying to watch the tennis but would I let him, no.
10. Practice my reggaeton moves until my insides hurt from excess abdominal wiggling.
Don’t even think that I’m running out of stuff to do. There’s still Litopia, browsing salsa music on iTunes, reading Caitlin Moran’s column in The Times (today I found out that there’s a Facebook group called ‘I Want To Be/Have Sex With Caitlin Moran When I Grow Up’, which I won’t join because she’s actually on it herself and as you’ll know if you read this blog regular-like, Caitlin is trying to exert pressure, by remote, on Big Brother quitters like me who’ve gone cold turkey and are trying to pretend BB isn’t on this year), baking chocolate cake.
I wish I could put movies, books or TV on that list but in truth they take just too much concentration. Don’t you think that if I could concentrate that hard I’d actually tackle this chapter head-on???
That said, here’s a list of movies I’m looking forward to failing to get in to see:
Tell No One (still haven’t managed to catch it)
Harry Potter 5
Transformers
Buy It Now
The Simpsons Movie
The Bourne Ultimatum (LOVE the Bourne!)
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The MG Harris Blog
Website of MG Harris, author of the children's book series "The Joshua Files".Information for school visits and events.
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July 8, 2007
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Perhaps points 8 and 9 on your list are the only ones that you should do for a few days. The rest should be put to one side. If the school needs to contact you, then maybe ask them to ring you if it’s urgent. You won’t be tempted to read the emails.
Then watch a movie at home. Something related, if possible, to your latest work. If you do this at home, then it’s a simple task to take up your writing if you become inspired. Don’t try to force things, and don’t fill up your time. Relaxation is the key, as opposed to doing stuff that distracts your attention. You know your deadlines, so you’ll gradually pull yourself back into it. A kind of guilt trip, and all quite effortless.
Absolutely no idea if this works.
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July 8, 2007
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Es, that sounds like great advice, thank you! I’ll certainly try my hardest to follow it, esp points 8 and 9 and watching some inspirational movies. Sometimes it’s just not worth fighting to stick to the daily word-count. I handed in the final draft of Joshua Book 1 last Monday so I reckon I’m due a few days off.