November is historically a terrible month with:

• Thanksgiving
• work assignments coming due (relatively little happens in December compared to what has to be done in November)
• ...

What do you think will be your biggest distractions?

I know mine:

• NaNo forums (yes, I post here and in the ML forums quite a bit...)
• NaNo tool maintenance (this has lessened in the past couple of years, but I still fiddle with the tools like NaNo Faces)
• Illini basketball
• TEDxNaperville November 6th

I usually try to ensure I don't post/fiddle/watch unless I have made my word count.

What are your strategies for keeping focused on your novel?

--Tim

Mine comes from who i am...a person with ADHD. Many of the symptoms OF A.D.H.D can be my greatest enemy when doing nano. Last year, I at least had my medications...but this year, I don't have any...so focusing on tasks, completing tasks, starting tasks...will all be extremely difficult...

BUT, considering i LOVE nano...and A.D.H.D-ers can focus on something if it interests them (as opposed to washing dishes or doing laundry)...i may HYPERFOCUS...and then dishes, laundry, and chores don't get done!!Lets also include the fact i have general anxiety disorder too...and i am hosting thanksgiving with my family...so the stress of getting the house ready may leave me too weak to want to write...or no time!

but, as far as general distractions, my husband and i JUST got cable back, i JUST got back into Sims 3, i a currently playing (again) Twilight princess....I OWN LEGOS and i haven't finished building my house...need i say more?

My big ones are:

• Social media: I usually turn off my router at some point in the month to force myself to get my words out.
• Thanksgivings Day: Just got to plan around that one.
• My younger sister does a lot of community theater: She in Oliver this year. The only showings are in November. I'm carpooling with my parents to go see it and plan on writing in the car on the way there and back. I won't nearly get as many words as I usually do on a weekend day, but at least I'll get something in.
  
  
• Eye fatigue: Not really a "distraction" per se, but it kept me from meeting my goals on many workdays for the last two years. A few months ago I bought computer glasses (Gunnar brand) and they've helped a lot. You'll probably see me wearing them to a few write-ins. I know I'll need them for the all day write in. My eyes hated that last year.

1) My job. Work + commute eat about 11 hours of my day.

2) The furry children. Dusty bookshelves and filthy dishes can wait, a dog that has to potty or a cat that's hungry cannot.

3) Netflix. 'Nuff said.

I plan on tackling these by:

3) Limiting my TV time until AFTER I've hit my word goal.

2) Can't really get around these responsibilities. :/ sorry.

And the piece de resistance,

1) quitting my job!

Yes, I am going to QUIT! I've dreamt of this moment for years, literally! Since the current job eats up so much of my time, I'm going to quit so I finally have the time to find a new one! I'll finish my master's program this Saturday, and will be ultra-super-overqualified to push carts around.

ziplizard wrote:My big ones are:

• Social media: I usually turn off my router at some point in the month to force myself to get my words out.
• Thanksgivings Day: Just got to plan around that one.
• My younger sister does a lot of community theater: She in Oliver this year. The only showings are in November. I'm carpooling with my parents to go see it and plan on writing in the car on the way there and back. I won't nearly get as many words as I usually do on a weekend day, but at least I'll get something in.
  
  
• Eye fatigue: Not really a "distraction" per se, but it kept me from meeting my goals on many workdays for the last two years. A few months ago I bought computer glasses (Gunnar brand) and they've helped a lot. You'll probably see me wearing them to a few write-ins. I know I'll need them for the all day write in. My eyes hated that last year.

Can we both add "furry babies" to our lists? lol!! Mine will circle the back door...and then go out and "hahaha NOPE i'm just goin to sniff each leaf"...and then when i get in side...i'll forget to go back to writing...

either that, or he'll get in my lap and ...it's kind of hard to type when you have a dog between you and a laptop keyboard haha

I'm actually a doggy aunt, not a doggy mom. I used to live with my sister and that's her dog, Tiffany. Tiffany is a great writing buddy. As long as you're not snacking, she'll curl up in one of her dens and leave you alone. She did used to hate how I would pace back and force when I got writer's block since she doesn't like being alone in a room. She would follow me and look at me like "Why can't you just pick a room!?"

Congrats on quitting your job!

Anobi wrote:And the piece de resistance, 1) quitting my job! Yes, I am going to QUIT! .

AMAZING! Congrats! I hope you feel as relieved as you can. :)

Going to add a human face to this thread (so many cute furry things!)...

1) Work. I go through somewhere close to 80 submissions each week, on top of editing 1-2 full books a week. And since it's deadline-based, it's from home, which means any time I spend doing other stuff comes along with an "I could be working..."

2) Boyfriend. He often needsrides to work and always needs attention. I guess he is like my dog?

3) Food Network. Nuff said.

Anobi wrote:And the piece de resistance, 1) quitting my job! Yes, I am going to QUIT! I've dreamt of this moment for years, literally! Since the current job eats up so much of my time, I'm going to quit so I finally have the time to find a new one! I'll finish my master's program this Saturday, and will be ultra-super-overqualified to push carts around.

Congratulations! Good fortune on your job hunt!

--Tim

then maybe you can borrow the doggy for writing purposes and be all "I'll return the fluff ball when nano is done...she helps me get things done!"

Can I take a guess? Maltese like mine? very cute!

"This week on Triple D!!! We'll be hitting all the Chicago favorites..."

me: WHAT DID HE SAY?!?!?! TURN UP THE VOLUME I NEED TO WATCH THIS

future me: *has only visited one place and thats it so watchin the episode was pointless and all it did was waste 30 minutes of time i could have been using to write...BUT I AT LEAST FOUND OUT WHERE GOOD FOOD IS IN CHICAGO! *

A day job and teaching two nights a week. :) I usually read at lunch time, so I plan to replace that in November with writing on my iPad. I should also have time to write before one of the evening classes.

Heh, my sister would hate me if I stole her.

And yeah, she's a maltese

I am highly amused by everyone's support. :) You guys are great!

I'm my worst distraction, I'm easily distracted. I have short attention.

can i also add games???? We have a Wii U and i am currently mario-karting and legend of zelda-ing...and i'm playing SIMS3 on my computer...because i'd rather improve my sims writing skills rather than my own XD

I am just going to have to find a way to force myself OUT of the house and AWAY from these distractions

Goddess_Astra wrote:"This week on Triple D!!! We'll be hitting all the Chicago favorites..."

me: WHAT DID HE SAY?!?!?! TURN UP THE VOLUME I NEED TO WATCH THIS

future me: *has only visited one place and thats it so watchin the episode was pointless and all it did was waste 30 minutes of time i could have been using to write...BUT I AT LEAST FOUND OUT WHERE GOOD FOOD IS IN CHICAGO! *

For me it's all the cooking competition shows. Lol

I track which board games I play out of curiosity, and so I looked at my board gaming habits last November, assuming it slowed down a lot, but it actually didn't slow down at all, and I went out like 10 nightsto play board games. I still managed to get 50k last year, but it still could interfere this year.

I'm also wanting to make progress on my board game prototypes as a couple are pretty close to being ready to pitch to publishers, and when I feel inspired to work on that, it's hard for me to stop and write instead.

Also, this year it looks like I will be attending FOUR Thanksgivings: my family, my girlfriend's family, and two different weekend "friendsgivings" that my friends are hosting. So yeah, that should suck up a lot of time I usually spend trying to catch up.

crap!!! your thanksgivings remind me that i too...have TWO that will celebrate...my family and the inlaws!!! my family one week early AND at my house...and my inlaw's up north near McHenry...

Thankfully, the in-law thanksgiving...i only have to bring a pie...maybe biscuits...but MY thanksgiving...FSDJKSDFKJDSKJFDSFJLS i have to clean the entire hosue AND cook various things...and i HOPE to have my office cleaned by then so i an have a get away...but...SMALL HOUSE WITH BIG FAMILY...ergh!

Let's see this years distractions include:
1. Work
2. A 5 year old
3. An apparently high risk pregnancy and more Dr appts than I expected.
4. My grandpa's funeral services.
5. A 5 day trip to Vegas.
6. Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
7. who knows what else...

I'll manage and get through it all and come out on top but there will be some hectic times in there.

Good luck to everyone. Sounds like it will be some busy times ahead for people.

Main one is internet and the online role plays I have going. The next biggest one is I have a court date on the 17th due to an accident I had in October and since I don't know what to expect it's been making me nervous.

Others are work, the convention I have quite literally right after NaNo (Dec 4-6) and I'm on staff for that, not being fully unpacked from moving (6 months after the fact), and my chronic pain issues that usually prevent me from being comfortable in one spot for any length of time.

The Walking Dead, The Originals, The Good Wife, Blacklist, the list goes on and on. I'm a TV junkie. I don't think there's a support group for that. I hope there aren't any good movies coming in November. I'm a movie fanatic also. :-(

slrphebos wrote:The next biggest one is I have a court date on the 17th due to an accident I had in October and since I don't know what to expect it's been making me nervous.

I had to go to court many years ago for an accident that snowballed because of a speeding ticket late by ONE day...that was on my record when i GOT the accident...It's not much to worry about. You go in, just be polite and cordial. Be honest and breif and it helps to dress nice. When I went infront of the judge...i put on my best "sweet girl" look (also helped that i dressed appropriately as well" and just told him honestly...that "my dad told me it was MY responsibility to pay the speeding ticket...i would have paid it on time but i was waiting for a paycheck to cover it and i was only late by oooonnneeeee day and thus, it went on my record!"

He dismissed the ticket on my record because i had done every thing else the state says you should do when you get a ticket (take that damn boring traffic class for 4 hours...it gets removed from your record..ugh)...and my only fault was that i paid the ticket ONE DAY late.

Again, just be honest and polite. If you don't try to "pull any shit"...and you get a pretty nice judge..."May the odds be ever in your favor" ...I promise you...based on my experience...it wasn't that bad...and i was nervous to high hell when i went (doesn't help that I have anxiety disorder as well lol)...but it went smoothly and i was in and out in 30 minutes. If memory serves me, you go at the appointed date and time..and then into the building and follow the signs to the court room...and you wait in line until the bailiff ushers all of you in and he will explain to you the rules...like...no talking, no cell phones, etc etc...and you go in and wait until your name is called...

This year there are family responsibilities that will take time. My husband is trying to find a job and has some health issues. So, I'm trying to take some of the pressure off him by seeing to my mother-in-lawon my day off. She's been ill and had to give up driving. She doesn't live really far from us but it is chunk of time to check on her and get her food etc. The home helper comes 2 days a week but expensive. My mother-in-law doesn't have a lot of assets but just enough to prevent her from getting financial aid for her care. Sigh. It's not terrible. Everybody's got something with which they are coping. Putting myself in my character's world is a great escape.

here are your variables:

• b babysitter
  
  
• c children
• ssick
• hhealthy

Here is the equation:

3c + b -2hc + sc = sb(sc)

my eldest Kept saying yesterday in the car "my throat doesn't feel good" and i kept replying "DON'T BREATHE ON ME!!!!!!!!!!!!"...and mom tried to all the doctor to see if an appointment was available...but nothing was...

I've already been dealing with allergies all season...so i hope it's just that....but i can't tell if i feel something in my throat...or not. So, the passing of germs leads to sickness which means...like in my story...I may feel miserable and not write. I AM ALREADY BEHIND ONE DAY!!!!

Allergies i can handle...i have allergy meds for that...but if i get a cold?! OR A FLU?!?!?! I keep forgetting to go in and get my flu shot...and at this point, if i am ALREADY sick....it won't matter if i get my flu shot today or next week..because i highly doubt the shot can work miracles in an hour

so, i am crossing my fingers that all i have is just seasonal allergies.