So, who remembers when I said I was going to start taking one day a week ‘off’ from the internet?
Well, that was almost a year ago (ah-hem) and I can’t honestly say I’ve developed the habit.
In fairness, I’ve been more mindful of my internet usage and the time spend in an internet-daze, clicking and skimming and not really taking anything in, but I still spend a lot of time online. I still can (and do) fritter away precious hours of my writing time on Twitter and Google (not to mention Pinterest).
Also tricky is the fact that the internet is essential for some of my work (freelance, blogging, book promotion), and extremely useful for the rest (research for novel-writing). The line between ‘wasting time’ and ‘work’ is not always clear.
However, as Holly Lisle says, writers need to find the ‘silence within themselves’ in order to get their best work done. I know when I’m in the ‘writing zone’, when my internal chatter quiets and I find my focus and it’s brilliant. Loud music helps me find it. Working in my writing shed helps me find it. Turning off the internet *definitely* helps me find it.
So. I’m going to try again. If you see me on Twitter tomorrow, tell me off!
[Image credit: Hyperbole and a Half]