Well, let’s see … I set an appointment with someone else to get into an art or writing project. My favorite confederate in crime right now is Ben, my husband, and he meets me either 1) in a program where he can literally read and interact with something I am currently writing as it comes out line by line or 2) he sits across from me at the studio table and draws or paints at the same time I am.

Couple reasons I do this. Let me see if I can put them into a tangible form because I’ve never really explained it before, but it’s made such a strong and unusual brand of focus for me — one that knocks out so many distractions I used to get so frustrated with — that I thought I might share here.

There’s something about having a confederate in crime for your writing that helps solidify it and make it happen faster than writing alone used to do. I think that’s why people love crit groups honestly. I never had that experience before when I wrote alone and I’m not sure anyone else has ever tried writing in front of people except perhaps Harlan Ellison with his window stories.

I’m lucky that it’s my husband, because he’s a very relaxed and easy-going kinda fella. In a way I want him biased to like everything I write so that I’m free to make as many typos and stupid rough draft mistakes as I like as if it were for my eyes only. He reads what I write and when I’m done with a section he comments when I ask him for any input. And often we even co-write, and input at the same time.

I got this notion because he used to come around while I was drawing and give me pointers on what I was doing wrong on a piece of art. I was a total novice and he’s very good at art, so his constant presence and input was not just soothing to me but helped my sense of discipline. It was such a pleasant routine, and it was something Ben helped me become better at in the routine. I thought — why can’t I apply this to writing?

Of course Ben can’t always be there. He works and he’s busy with his own hobbies. And I don’t always need the prompting once I’m in the white heat of a project. But even if he’s painting, he’ll sit in the open shared window and watch me write as his own leisure. It’s become his TV. The inner world of Fiona Avery taking form for his amusement alone … He digs it. I’m very lucky he does too because it’s highly flattering to be someone’s exclusive entertainment. Though this is also how Mark Twain would tell stories to his kids, for what it’s worth.

Now, I’m more excited to sit down with him and work on a piece of fiction or a new piece of artwork than I am to surf the net or watch TV. We make time for it. It’s communal. I think writers are more communal than we at first might suspect. It’s probably why we go to places like other websites, or down to the shop, or to that cafe, or … We go where there’s something going on, right?

So I just created pockets of writing time to be the same kind of exciting place to be. That’s the place where it’s happening around here. And that’s the place I want to be more than anything in the world.

Consequently, I do this for Ben too – - with art and his graphic design work, I give back to him what he puts in for my writing and budding art. We are a team and we often multi-task. But it doesn’t have to be a spouse. It might be a kid, a neighbor, another writer. I’ve actually had many variations on the confederate in crime throughout my writing life, and it has always been more fun to be with them than to haunt my usual distractions.

Like J.Peterman … and Williams Sonoma … oh god …

–Fiona

Glenda: I’d love a mountain retreat, but I think that’s easier said that done….

I agree, Jana, that distraction can be good. I’m in between books now, which is why I have the luxury of obsessing. But even when I’m in downtime mode, I still have work to do, and it ain’t gettin’ done right now as fast as it should.

And Kelly, I like the control freak thing a lot. Part of what I’m doing now is worldbuilding for my next project. That’s some energy I can harness during these last few days of the campaign. Thanks!

I’m mega distracted right now. Some of it is the election, most of it is the required “downtime” after a novel’s completion. Unlike some authors who can just jump into a new project without a break, I need to step back, gain perspective and then start up again. Reboot, as it were. Usually that takes at least a month. So right now I have the attention span of a gnat on crack cocaine.

I’m spending that time feeding the brain, reading all sorts of different stuff from Victorian mysteries to Urban Fantasies and even non-fiction and high quality smut. Hopefully after World Fantasy the brain will settle down and we get to business. If not, well, it’s gonna have to happen anyway. I can’t be distracted forever.

For life distractions, I find I just can’t write if I’m messed up emotionally. Sometimes, especially if it’s something I can’t do anything about, I just need to get away. Take a walk, read a book, watch a movie, treat myself to a lunch. Something like that.

On the other hand, if it’s something I can do something about (say my kids require discipline or I’m having an argument with my wife), then I have to deal with it. It’s the only solution, and I can’t go back to writing until it’s done. Honestly, until the situation is taken care of, I just don’t care about writing.