The Isolation of Writing.

When I watch interviews with published writers, I see a common talking point. They often talk about how in order to get any writing done, they have to go to varying degrees of isolation just to even begin. George R.R. Martin is an excellent example of this.

I sympathize with Martin. He makes me feel like the things I do to get writing done aren't strange.

When I was in college I was frequently told, "To be a writer, a person needed to be consistent."

Pick any time of the day. Sit down every day at that same moment and begin writing. Some people prefer mornings, some prefer evenings. Consistency, I was told, is one of the most important parts of writing.

After spending three months doing this, I have to agree, consistency is incredibly important. 

But one of the other details that my professors explained to me, was the need to separate from the distractions of everyday life. Unplug the phone and close the web browser. Let people that you live with know that you need to be left alone. This step is even more important to me. 

I find that my subconscious often finds ways around this. I get to the end of a chapter or scene and before I know what is happening, I have been browsing Reddit or Facebook for fifteen minutes. It isn't that I want to stop working, quite the opposite. I'm very aware that getting writing done makes me feel better, while spending hours on social media can leave me feeling depressed and lost.

Separation from normal tasks is essential for creative writing. 

No matter how small or big that separation is, it must happen for a writer to get started. I know some people travel massive physical distances to get that feeling while others are able to turn down the volume on their phone and achieve the same level of focus. I envy the people on the easy end of that spectrum. I find myself unplugging the internet, changing passwords, uninstalling programs from my computer and even switching the room I'm in just to add a sense of isolation that wasn't previously there.

So don't feel bad if you get nothing done because of Facebook  or text messaging. That's a normal problem. You can identify the distractions and you have the ability to actively separate yourself from them. 

You're lucky that the thing stopping you from writing is so obvious.