Powering Down for the Sake Of Writing

By: Ebonye Gussine Wilkins

Let’s face it, in the modern world, social media is everywhere. Even if you don’t use social media in its more obvious forms (e.g. Facebook Twitter, Pinterest) you use the Internet to communicate, learn and explore. I mean, you’re reading this blog after all, right?

In this age, it gets harder and harder for us to simply disconnect for the sake of writing. In the new age of digital publishing, we get all swept up in managing our followers on Google Plus, our presence on WordPress or even ours RSS feeds. We like to stay connected with everyone that we can. Even if we don’t like it, it’s usually pretty tempting. Besides, as most people will tell you, it is easier to talk about writing than it is to write. After all, how many people talk about writing a book but never actually get around to it? Most of us are guilty of that, even with the best intentions.

So, we need to just sit down and write. Power it all down. The tablet, the phone, the computer, they all need to be powered down. If you are like me, and use the computer for writing, then at least turn off the Wifi. Unplug the Internet. Sign out of Amazon. Just do it.

Then write. Just write away.

Of course, after you’re done, sign back online so we can hear about your experiences. Did you get more writing done? Was it more or less productive? How did you feel writing without distractions? Let us know in the comments.