Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Fifteen Minutes - Give or Take

One of my fave authors, Laurie Halse Anderson, has initiated her Fifth Annual Write Fifteen Minutes a Day Challenge (see here -http://madwomanintheforest.com/blog/) I will admit I've never participated in this exercise before. However, I'm intrigued by the notion. For those of you who aren't of the writerly-persuasion, you may be unaware that often times many of us who dare set pen to paper do so in the most disorganized of fashion. An hour here, five minutes there. Three days on, two days off. Unfortunately it's too easy to succumb to life's little distractions. (Oh excuse me, I just got a Words with Friends request.) Now where was I? Right, distractions.
Yes, it's not always easy to remain focused on the blank page. Not with the internet lurking so close by - usually right there at the top of the screen. (Pardon while I see who just DM'd me on Facebook.) Then of course there's the dog needing a walk, the kids needing to be fed, the phone needing to be answered. Just when did everyone become so, well...needy??
Fifteen minutes should not be so hard to spend wisely. According to Yahoo, the average person can accomplish some pretty useful things in that short period of time. Once can empty a bloated inbox, unload the dishwasher, weed your garden, fold the laundry, etc.You get the gist. So it only stands to reason that a writer with a fairly decent supply of creativity should be able to crank out an uninterrupted paragraph or two, in fifteen minutes right?
Or not.
I'm guessing that dear Ms. Anderson hasn't deemed this a "challenge" without good cause. (BRB  - must answer a text.)
Okay, I'm back and I'm ready to rumble. Perhaps this writing challenge is exactly what the doctor ordered to help cure the pitiful writer with a benign case of attention deficit. Thanks, Laurie. I think...;)

3 comments:

  1. It does sound like it should be the easiest thing in the world to do. What's fifteen minutes in the scheme of a day? But like you said, there's my 4 kids, my husband, my dog and let's not forget that cleaning must be done. I don't know. That sounds a lot easier than it really would be.

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  2. Ahh Louise, you have just written the story of my life, and I bet that of many others. The heat has forced me to uncover a secret that may just about save my life... take myself away from this my desk, this my kitchen, garden, living room and descend into a lower world where I cannot be reached- the basement.

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  3. Hooray for the basement! I've always been a big fan :) I think the secret is being ALONE. The Muse does not respond well to lots of clatter and chatter. Thanks to you both for commenting!

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