The universe is full of distractions. Billions and billions of stars throughout countless galaxies full of wonders that tease away my concentration just at the mere thought of them. Such dreams as I could spend a lifetime imagining lie within those glittering points of light in this cold night sky.
Yet, closer still, the our world itself is full of distractions. The moon is full tonight - or nearly so - and I can see it through the top corner pane of my window. Luna's reflected light competes with the fluorescent glow that emanates from my laptop screen, each vying for my attention. As I sit watching the moon travel its eternal path, the near shine of the space station catches my eye. Another maze for my mind to wonder though, searching for stories that could be.
All of that is just fancy, though, well beyond the reach of this mortal body. I must focus or my words will wander much the same as my mind is wont to do. Therein lies the point. In this world where I can as easily talk to someone on the other side of the planet as I might my neighbor, it is easy to follow most any tangent that presents itself. Focus fades. My mind wanders and my writing follows as would a duckling after its mother.
How do I keep my mind on task? The greatest shiny object known to man - the TARDIS known as the Internet - lies at my fingertips. Any bit of data, no matter how obscure, is but a few clicks away. I could just...
Focus.
Music helps. The right music can set my mood in the right frame so that my words mirror my intent. The wrong choice and I'm struggling. Commercials on Pandora are like ice. They shock me away....
Focus.
How many times do I say that to myself? Hundreds. Afterwards, I ask myself, "Where are you going with this?"
Focus.
Keep the story in your mind. Where is it going? What happens next? I don't like this name for this character. Where was that list names that I liked? Did I save it to a file? Didn't Katherine Kurtz do something similar? God. Is all this rubbish?
Focus.
Write.
Yarrr...
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