How to avoid distractions, part 2

Part 1

4. Don’t read other people’s blogs, and especially don’t comment on them.

Who are these folks anyway? There’s a picture and sometimes a whole paragraph about them, whatever that proves.

And how did they figure out what they know about [insert subject here]? Did they read it on a blog by someone who read it on another blog? Or in a book about writing? Or did they figure it out for themselves?

So far I’ve found only 3 things that all writers agree on:

Read lots (some say literature, some say genre, some say everything, some say never force yourself to read something you don’t like, some say do force yourself to read something you don’t like)

Write lots (set a target, don’t set a target, find a good time, find any time, outside, inside, on your bed, under your desk)

and

Adverbs are bad

As for commenting, these bloggers may have a dozen followers or a hundred, all potential readers. Hopefully none of them do read because they’re all away writing their books or reading or eradicating adverbs. They don’t need to know you’ve been there, or what you think.

I do try to comment on everything I read, even if it’s just a “Jen was here” (plus a link back to my blog in case they’re interested in another writer’s thoughts).

But that’s because I’m still learning about writing and am allowed to make these mistakes.