Wednesday 31 January 2018

Writers' displacement activities...

...or rather, mine. So far this morning I have done the following (rather than write):

Necessary:
Shop for lunch.
Buy two birthday cards
Wrap two presents
Put on a wash
Email publisher

Not so necessary:
Have coffee
Buy daffodils
Phone a friend (she was out 🙁)
Chat to husband

Unnecessary:
Arrange daffodils (above) in a time consuming way
Remove ALL the fluff from the tumble drier filter with a small knife
Check emails 15 times
Chat to husband again
Write this

I have succeeded in doing no writing at all. I'd call that successful displacement 😀



23 comments:

  1. Oh how I recognise displacement activities. I must just put in that new light fitting. It'll just take a few minutes then I'll do so and so. Three hours later there's no time to do so and so. What a disappointment. Ah well.

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  2. It is an absolute necessity that I have everything straight and orderly on my computer desk before I can write a word. Displacement in spades! Also, all the little "nagging things" have to be addressed first. I've always found it quite unbelievable that a writer can write anywhere and under any circumstances.

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    1. Ooh! Tidying my desk! I'll add that to the list. Thank you, Jill!

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  3. A new word for me. I understood, but still felt the need to look it up. And that, by the way, can be a very useful displacement activity as well - especially for a writer. (Looking up words you may be thinking of using. Or not.) And I too need a tidy desk before I can start upon anything serious that means cluttering it up again...

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    1. Looking up words - I'll add that to the list, DT!

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  4. I wonder how many professional flower arrangers slip away from the daffodils to write.

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  5. Chatting to your husband is absolutely necessary, Frances! As is having coffee and buying daffodils. You were out buying the necessary things like birthday cards anyway, weren't you.
    When I work from home, I need to have everything else out of the way first, too. Otherwise, I can not focus properly on the task at hand.

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  6. Replies
    1. Daffodils are de rigeur at this time of year, Yvonne, especially at just £1 a bunch!

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  7. It's amazing how much cleaning you get done when you should be writing!

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  8. A sort of procrastination by another name.
    I love daffodils - not seen any yet round these parts...

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    1. Daffodils are in all the supermarkets here, Maria, for just £1 a bunch 😀

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  9. Sounds so much like my day, minus the fluff removal (I don’t have a tumble dryer).

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    1. Oh good! I'm in good company then, Wendy. What's the cure?

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  10. Been there and do it regularly, Frances!

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    1. There must be a club for this, Rosemary. I've almost polished the sliver ( a job I loathe, and we haven't got much).

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  11. Writer's displacement activity...I like that at least my affliction has a name. :)

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