Year end systems check. Check. Check, is this thing on?

[Dien Rice]

I've managed to improve some of my systems...

For example, when writing longer pieces... I write them "bass ackwards!"

I used to always start at the start, and write till the end... Keeping everything in my head...

The problem with that is when you get interrupted, it really throws you, because you lose all the stuff in your head...

Now, I break a longer piece into sections...

And... I write the sections in (roughly) backwards order... Starting at the last section...

Also, I'm happy just to jot down notes (to be fleshed out later)...

Writing in this "nonlinear" way somehow seems more "robust" to interruptions... They don't throw me as much any more...

Also, it means I write the introduction last. That's often a good thing, because I can "mull it over" in the back of my mind while I'm writing the other sections, so I'll (probably) end up with a much stronger introduction, which will "grab" people...

Best wishes,

Dien

Originally Posted by Dien Rice

Thanks Gordon,

I'll admit something...

The pandemic, combined with having a young child, has really thrown me for a loop...

My systems that worked before... were thrown into chaos...

One "system" I had (which I've written about on the forum from time to time) was working on my laptop in various locations... Cafes, five-star hotel lobbies (for the price of a cup of coffee), and so on...

The "change of scenery" away from my own home was stimulating... (Might be related to ADD/ADHD...)

Just sitting at home, in the same room, with the same four walls, doesn't "stimulate" me the same way (everyone's different)...

But, because of the pandemic, I didn't really want to spend time in those places any more, mingling with everyone!

On top of that, having a VERY ACTIVE (yet charming) young child (now almost 1½ years old), while being stuck at home, was very distracting!

Basically... Lots of interruptions...

More chaos!

But... finally... I think I'm learning how to deal with these things...

It's still not as good (from a "focusing" point of view) as before, but getting slightly better...

Best wishes,

Dien