I must be ADD, ADHD, have severe attentional issues, hard time focusing, etc. I can say this because I work with kids with these labels and though I hate labels and labeling these kids, they might just be the right labels for us adults who can't focus. Adult writers, in particular. When it's time to get down and write, I can be so unfocused, it's ridiculous. I start to do laundry, clean the cabinets, bake some muffins, talk to my friends on Facebook, walk into the next room looking for something I can never remember. You name it, I find it and do it. And, like many writers, I have a day job that takes up much of my time. So, when I can find time to sit in front of the computer, I should be focused on my story. Or my blog. Why do I have such a hard time?
I can think about my characters and what might happen next in the story, never really knowing, of course, until I sit down to write. But as soon as I put my butt in the chair, as my mentor, Anita Riggio, used to say, my mind wanders to every place but where it should be, my work at hand. I know I'm not alone in this so perhaps we should label this phenomenon. Let's see...MW for Mind Wanderer, UIC- Unfocused In Chair, JURTC- Jumping Up Ready To Clean, BFL-Bounding For Laundry, WTCH- Walking To Clear Head, MML- Mood Music Listener, MHM-Mental Health Meanderer, CC-Closet Cleaner, PP-Patchwork Painter, and last but not least, AFB- Addicted to Facebook. I'd love to hear yours, if you're focused enough to name it.
