In Locus magazine, science fiction author
Cory Doctorow gave some tips for how to write despite the distractions of the
internet. Here’s his number one:
" Short, regular work schedule - When I'm working on a story or novel, I set a modest daily goal — usually a page or two — and then I meet it every day, doing nothing else while I'm working on it. It's not plausible or desirable to try to get the world to go away for hours at a time, but it's entirely possible to make it all shut up for 20 minutes. Writing a page every day gets me more than a novel per year — do the math — and there's always 20 minutes to be found in a day, no matter what else is going on. Twenty minutes is a short enough interval that it can be claimed from a sleep or meal-break (though this shouldn't become a habit). The secret is to do it every day, weekends included, to keep the momentum going, and to allow your thoughts to wander to your next day's page between sessions. Try to find one or two vivid sensory details to work into the next page, or a bon mot, so that you've already got some material when you sit down at the keyboard."
You can find the rest here.
(Another great source of tips and techniques for being more productive and creative is my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. To subscribe just send an email request to [email protected])
