Fight the Distractions ~ by Sheri Hathaway

 

Camping was a big distraction from writing this summer!

I don’t think any summer has held the volume and intensity of distractions that this summer has brought. My daughter and family moved to the city, requiring help with shopping or babysitting while they shop. In appreciation, they invited me along to a seasonal event, one that we often attended when all the kids lived at home. Those memories must be relived. Then the whole family decided to go camping. Then my friends decided to do something fun, so naturally I had to go along. 

In the meantime, I have flowers to attend to, raspberries to pick, and any of the other numerous plant and outdoor chores that grow with the season. 

Our prairie summers only last a given number of days so why not take advantage of it? I can write in the winter, right?

None of these activities could be denied. All are important in their own right. Decisions must be made to manage the hours God gave us in each day. May I offer a few suggestions for managing your time? 

1. Take charge; gain power over distractions: Previous experience has taught me it’s practically impossible to write – the kind of writing I do in long stretches of quiet time safely hidden away in my office – through a summer. Last spring, I looked ahead at the calendar and decided not to write during July and August. Taking charge over distractions by planning for them gives me a sense of power over the unexpected. Don’t let them take charge of you. You’ll only feel frustrated. Planning for them will give you a sense of power over them. Believe it or not, some things are more important than writing. Ecclesiastes 3 teaches there is a time for everything, and summer – my kind of summer – isn’t a time for writing… unless it’s a different kind of writing. 

2. Alter writing habits: Usually I write at my computer but in summer, I return to my old practice of slipping a notebook into my purse or market bag, with pen attached. I pull it out and write in a quiet – well, not quiet, then times when I’m doing nothing, like riding in the car, waiting for something or someone… Those times pop up if I watch for them. I know it’s not real writing, but it’s keeping my head in writing by planning for a bigger project later. 

3. Change the way you think about distractions: That invitation to the Taste of Saskatoon led to an unexpected art sale bordering the Taste grounds. I talked to a vendor, made some notes, and tucked that idea away for a future article. Wherever you go, stay alert to possible writing, no matter your genre. Think of distractions, not as a hindrance, but as a source of possibilities.  

4. Alter my expectations: I don’t plan to write a long piece or anything profound in summer. The final draft will come later, maybe this fall, maybe this winter. During short periods of writing in summer, I’m simply taking notes to develop later: future ideas for articles, changes to make on that blossoming book,  a catchy phrase for a poem… But… 

5. Warning! Retain some semblance of order: There is nothing more frustrating that having time to really write, remember a great phrase or idea I wrote down on the beach last July, and can’t find the book I wrote it in. Just as you developed the self-control to write regularly, use that self-control to maintain a useful organization practice of your notes. Keep the same notebook for an entire summer, moving it from one bag or purse to the other as you go, clearly write a meaningful title on the cover, for example, “Writing notes, June – September 2022”, and when normalcy returns, put it on the same shelf as your other writing notebooks so you can find it when you want it. 

We all have distractions so take charge of them and use them. They may still annoy you, but not as much as when they threatened to ruin your day. 

Sheri Hathaway is a freelance writer and watercolour artist living in Saskatoon. She writes historical pieces focusing on farm and family. Her writing has been published in the Western Producer, Neighbourhood Express, Freelance magazine and others. Her online home is sherihathaway.com and on Facebook at Author Sheri