Lucky us, as we don't have to worry about Augusten Burroughs' tip:

Don’t hang around with people who are negative and who are not supportive of your writing. Make friends with writers so that you have a community. Hopefully, your community of writer friends will be good and they’ll give you good feedback and good criticism on your writing but really the best way to be a writer is to be a writer.

But maybe I should follow Zadie Smith's advice to unplug the internet when writing.

http://99u.com/articles/7082/25-insights-on-becoming-a-better-writer


A plea from me. Please ignore Kurt Vonnegurt's example in his advice about writing what you care about. Potholes are not things to get passionate about if it is outside your house (unless you live on a 60 mph road and/or are a motorcyclist). Drive round it and write with passion to the mayor about your vulnerable neighbour instead.



Edited by Sharley at 20:48:00 on 05 January 2014

Drive round it and write with passion to the mayor about your vulnerable neighbour instead.

With respect, he wouldn't be so vulnerable if you could refrain from driving on the pavement to avoid the speed bump.

Please, fellow WWers, ignore this ludicrous advice: drive on the road. Won't anybody think of the children?

[snicker]

I was having a grumpy day (something to do with cats misbehaving during my writing session and derailing the whole thing). Now I am smiling again. Which isn't okay. How am I meant to sulk properly under these conditions?

You know my road, Gaius? Full of speed bumps. I'd drive around them, but I'd hit a pothole instead.

Does one hit a pothole or, rather, hit the bit where the pothole ceases to not be, IYSWIM?

That would depend on the depth and width of the pothole.

Can we continue this conversation in February when I have finished my Dryathlon? I might be on the right wavelength then.

;-)