You either uphold it or you don't.
In this particular case, this has been an excellent day. Got up reasonably late (past 8), proceeded to hack the terrorist beard off my face, then started writing around 9. Didn't stop writing till just a short while ago, whereupon came into the front room to keep typing whilst watching Pacific Rim and then Castle.
On the subject of Pacific Rim, it is not the best film that I've ever seen, close, but not quite. However, it is easily the most watchable film that I've ever seen. Had the DVD less than a month, and in that time, including the Ultraviolet copy that's on the tablet, I do believe that I've had it on more than twenty times. Not always to sit down and watch it to the exclusion of all else, but certainly to have on in the background while I was doing something else.
Which brings me to the thought for today.
When writing, does it matter if you do it in complete silence, surrounded by music, alone in the dark, or with a film on another screen and a Nerf gun in hand to shoot those who interrupt?
For me, there has to be an understanding, if I have something on in the background, it has to be something that I've seen before. Not just once, but seen multiple times, I should be able to quote it backwards (and given my particular OCD that's not difficult), so that when its on, I don't stop what I'm doing to watch what's going on on the screen...
Anything else is a distraction, and this year, I can't afford distractions...
The other thought about writing was what do you use to put your writing out into the world? In my particular case, it's both electrons and old fashioned coloured water on dead trees. While I can write faster on the computer, there's always going to be a place for the pen, and those who know me, know that.
So I thought to make another aspect to this blog, that of what I use to write and why I like it, in turn this will develop into why things inspire (or fail to inspire) me, and what in turn gives me most back.
Thus, a few things today, a few new chapters to The Shift, enough to put me back on target for where I should be on day two, with some left over for tomorrow.
This is John Dodd in the Socialist Republic of South Yorkshire and Goodnight England, Wherever you are...
