Wednesday, August 16, 2006

The Burning Question

Writers sit at their computer all day and write, right? And what happens when writers don't feeeel like writing?

So here's the question: What's your favorite way to sit at the computer and not write?

7 comments:

Helen Brenna said...

Many days before I sit down to write, I'll play a game of spider solitaire. I think it helps put me in the frame of mind that there's an answer for everything, that things work out, even my writing. The only problem is that one game often turns into two, or three. I can play spider solitaire until the cows come home, and since we only have cats and dogs at this house ...

Sudoku another one. But don't get me going on that one, or I may not get anything done today.

Unknown said...

E-bay, research, Google Images, reading Other Peoples' books, getting a snack in the kitchen. . . surfing the web. . .

I have a million ways to avoid writing. In earlier days, I used to surf the Match.com profiles. Now sometimes I go for recipes.

anne frasier said...

about 4 years ago i was doing research for a book set in georgia and south carolina. i came upon a regional message board and became addicted. (never posted to a message board or blog before that.) pretty soon i was spending maybe 6 hours a day on that board. so was everybody else. we laughed about our addiction, but it was real. one of the reasons i started a blog was in hopes that it would help with my message board addiction. now i'm addicted to blogging. i have about 10 - 15 i visit more than once a day. i have about 30 i visit at least weekly. this really cuts into my writing -- who has time to write??? because i still hang out on the original message board. i've been on it so long that i've actually met most of the people, talk to them on the phone, and send family photos back and forth. it's absolutely NOT a writing board, which is a large part of it's appeal. i go there to get away from writing. and to laugh my ass off. gotta do that every day.

Michele Hauf said...

Oh, cripes, I Google myself. Pitiful, isn't it? But it's good to find out what is being mentioned, said, snickered, or whispered about you. But not too often! :-) And if not myself, then I'm out there Googling my daughter's latest boyfriend. VERY valuable research tool, I must say.

Michele

Kathleen Eagle said...

Michelle, you can google your daughter's boyfriend? Hmm. I wish you hadn't told me that.

I stayed away from the internet and e-mail for a long time because I knew I'd get hooked. I blame my writer friends for dragging me into it. When I first got started with e-bay, one writer told me she was cutting herself off, having to go "cold turkey." I laughed. A year or two down the road I had to do the same thing. E-bay is deadly for us packrats. Yep, I'd say my pet distractions are internet connected. It sure ain't cookin' and cleanin'.

Kathleen Eagle said...

Another of my distractions is signing petitions and reading the political links sent by a friend who peruses the progressive blogs daily. My excuse is that the work has been done--she's finding the good stuff--and I'm keeping up. I'm telling myself that these e-petitions make a difference. Oh, and I dilligently write e-mails to my reps in DC when I get a heads-up on an issue I care about from one of the grassroots groups. And I care about a lot of issues. What can I say? I'm a child of the 60's.

Helen Brenna said...

Kathy, at least what you're doing is constructive. Can't say that about my spider solitaire or Sudoku addictions!