Focus
Distractions abound in this day and age, but aside from social media, I also get stymied by my thoughts. My different selves. I’ve probably known them for a long time, but only in the past months am I coming to terms with their voices, their tendencies, the irritation they sometimes cause. Gentle now, I remind myself. I’m their boss.
I’m learning about stillness, about finding who I am without my yearnings and fears. I do catch a glimpse of calm, but those moments feel fragile, undeserved even. Swinging between misery and joy, it seems, is the “right” way to go about this world. I may be having an appreciation for mindfulness, meditation, all that trendy well-being stuff that are actually timeless. Next thing you know, I’ll be vlogging my five o’clock morning routine, my skin care products, what’s in my bag, what I eat in a day. Yikes. It’s a slippery slope to go from savouring your life to becoming part of that great noise.
Your Prompt:
Write a slower version of a short scene from a favourite work of fiction (yours or another author’s). Have the character focus on the minutiae of their actions, notice features of other people or objects in great detail.
Quick Tip
Find yourself bored with your work in progress? Your mind may just need sustenance; pick up a new book. Try an author you have not read before. Browse the library for a genre or topic that is not your usual read, but makes you feel curious. Immerse yourself in new stories and writing style.
About Writing Desk
Years ago, I gave up blogging for good. But I changed my mind and here we are. Aside from maintaining a consistent writing practice, my goal is to build a live space outside social media for content that supports the creative process, free of mindless, addictive, and AI-generated distractions.
May your visits here be frequent but brief. The idea is to offer something that will light a spark, not distract from your writing. For this reason, I don’t post Writing Desk on social media. Thanks for stopping by!
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Found Words
“But that was it! Inasmuch as the departed had lately been alive, an obituary should retain their passing warmth—not be all hopeless gloom!”
—Andrey Kurkov, Death and the Penguin (Translated by George Bird)
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Leah Ranada 