😂 could add several more to your list, as follows…
- run around after young adults
-take yourself off to the heart of government to visit and annoy your member of parliament
- go to London Pride (a 6 hour round trip by train)
- do shit loads of washing(the weather is very nice)
- write angry poems
- look after your dead friends cat and house
- make shrine to dead friend outside her house and endeavour to keep the candles burning day and night
- have bi-polar and a shite sleep routine
- create a shrine on your dining room table to your dead dad who would have been 100(and listen to complaints from husband that there’s now no room to eat at the table. Deal with it darling!)
hahaha, this made me laugh, I hope everyone lists their avoidant literary behaviors! I bet London Pride was amazing. The question is, how to feed the creative process versus avoid it? I want to read your angry poems!
Thank you Laura! Pride is this Saturday- the planning of the outfit is very time consuming and lots of fun- another good way to avoid writing. I’m part of a charity so part of an organised group.
I have shared some of my angry rants in your Sunday night writing group, so Chris has had the joy of listening to them. Just written one called Suited & Booted about fascism. That’s a jolly one! 😂
Are you posting in our private FB group? I’m certain the whole experience of London Pride will feed your creative process - it’s always a balance isn’t it? I have to say I’m a little bit envious you get to go! Going to stalk your Substack now for more entertainment and avoidance.
Bless you! I keep forgetting to post in the FB group. Will make an effort. Don’t waste your time looking for my substack- I think there’s one thing on it. Too busy avoiding it and doing other things!
Tried to post my Suited & Booted poem on Instagram earlier, but after half a ffckn hour of tapping with one finger when I pressed the post button it disappeared 😱I nearly cried. So I’m now writing it out long hand and I’m going to photograph it. Shall post in the FB group. Promise 🤞🏼
Haha! So true! Yesterday a friend told me I should write a book about X, and I said I planned to. But, cough, I am XX old and bettah git goin'!! Thanks for the shove in the derrier. Sp? (Webster: rear, rump, rear end, backside, seat; buttocks, cheeks, hindquarters, haunches; French derrière; German Sitzfleisch; technical nates; informal behind, sit-upon, stern, BTM, tochus, rusty dusty; British informal bum, botty, prat, jacksie; Scottish informal bahookie; North American informal butt, fanny, tush, tushie, tail, duff, buns, booty, caboose, heinie, patootie, keister, tuchis, bazoo, bippy; West Indian informal batty, rass; humorous fundament, posterior; British vulgar slang arse, clunge; North American vulgar slang ass; ) Doncha love Webster!! Will get off it, hopefully, after the weekend. hahahahahaha
In addition to about half of your list, these are all reasons that I've used over 20 years...
Move cross country...or cross State...every few years. It's a good way to avoid writing for 4 - 6 months.
Take up a new musical instrument.
Enroll in another personal growth course that you won't finish. (It will occupy your mind with guilt for not completing another thing.)
Follow your research down a never-ending rabbit hole.
Listen to the bully in your head when it tells you no one will want to read your book.
Research another idea for another book.
Sabotage your income so your mind is too worried to focus on writing.
Compare your writing to anyone else who has written on your subject.
Break a bone.
Attempt to go back and fix long-lost relationships.
Pay for the book to be published before you are sure what you are writing about.
Hmmmm....
This is a good practice in awareness. I am in awe of this list that has held me back.
Awareness is a good thing.
I love "research another idea for another book." And all of this. Ouch.
Love this Laura, thanks; couldn’t help but add some of my own:
18. Feel a moment of inspiration and then loose your words.
19. Carry around your rough draft of 220 pages for ten years and counting
20. Start painting instead of writing
21. Globe too frustrated with tech to move forward
22. Don’t read
23. Play stupid words with games over and over waiting for the bot to play back
24. Buy more plants
25. Move every 1 1/2 years
26. Feel that you can’t form a complete sentence, let alone paragraph that makes any sense at all
27. Regret not knowing how to take care of yourself
28. Try to save the world
29. Try to save your wife
30. Try to save yourself instead of just writing
31. Complain about the heat or air or not the perfect place to write
32. Complain about anything
33. Keep saying it is just not the right time yet, I guess
34. Keep guessing
35. Go on and on and on instead of not writing
Ummmm, I can relate to ALL of these!
Ha ha ha! I can't tell you how many times clients of mine have avoided creative work by getting a puppy. It is a powerful choice.
😂 could add several more to your list, as follows…
- run around after young adults
-take yourself off to the heart of government to visit and annoy your member of parliament
- go to London Pride (a 6 hour round trip by train)
- do shit loads of washing(the weather is very nice)
- write angry poems
- look after your dead friends cat and house
- make shrine to dead friend outside her house and endeavour to keep the candles burning day and night
- have bi-polar and a shite sleep routine
- create a shrine on your dining room table to your dead dad who would have been 100(and listen to complaints from husband that there’s now no room to eat at the table. Deal with it darling!)
I think that’s enough for now!
hahaha, this made me laugh, I hope everyone lists their avoidant literary behaviors! I bet London Pride was amazing. The question is, how to feed the creative process versus avoid it? I want to read your angry poems!
hahahaha, no room to eat at the table. Kitchen tables were made for shrines and art.
Thank you Laura! Pride is this Saturday- the planning of the outfit is very time consuming and lots of fun- another good way to avoid writing. I’m part of a charity so part of an organised group.
I have shared some of my angry rants in your Sunday night writing group, so Chris has had the joy of listening to them. Just written one called Suited & Booted about fascism. That’s a jolly one! 😂
Are you posting in our private FB group? I’m certain the whole experience of London Pride will feed your creative process - it’s always a balance isn’t it? I have to say I’m a little bit envious you get to go! Going to stalk your Substack now for more entertainment and avoidance.
Bless you! I keep forgetting to post in the FB group. Will make an effort. Don’t waste your time looking for my substack- I think there’s one thing on it. Too busy avoiding it and doing other things!
Tried to post my Suited & Booted poem on Instagram earlier, but after half a ffckn hour of tapping with one finger when I pressed the post button it disappeared 😱I nearly cried. So I’m now writing it out long hand and I’m going to photograph it. Shall post in the FB group. Promise 🤞🏼
This is great except your lanai is magic and I experienced the exact opposite! Draft completed while looking at that gorgeous view! Pure bliss ❤️
I wrote my WHOLE book there and in Kai Bar in Kilauea. Nothing quite like my Lanai! It misses you, and the cows are back.
A gem
Make another pot of coffee.
Realize you MUST clean the kitchen before you can concentrate.
Haha! So true! Yesterday a friend told me I should write a book about X, and I said I planned to. But, cough, I am XX old and bettah git goin'!! Thanks for the shove in the derrier. Sp? (Webster: rear, rump, rear end, backside, seat; buttocks, cheeks, hindquarters, haunches; French derrière; German Sitzfleisch; technical nates; informal behind, sit-upon, stern, BTM, tochus, rusty dusty; British informal bum, botty, prat, jacksie; Scottish informal bahookie; North American informal butt, fanny, tush, tushie, tail, duff, buns, booty, caboose, heinie, patootie, keister, tuchis, bazoo, bippy; West Indian informal batty, rass; humorous fundament, posterior; British vulgar slang arse, clunge; North American vulgar slang ass; ) Doncha love Webster!! Will get off it, hopefully, after the weekend. hahahahahaha
I took a break from thinking about writing my book to read this. Thank you.
Thank you, Laura.❤️