How do people write without the internet?
I ask that question as if I didn’t grow up without the internet, writing stories and angsty poems with nothing but a ballpoint pen and a tattered exam pad.
I’m spoiled, is what I am. I want the ability to search for a Stoic quote to support my story, and to know which other famous authors often write without the internet. But that ability poses a certain threat.
And that’s Distraction with a capital ‘D’.
Which is why I’ve begun experimenting with internet-less drafting. And you know what? I’ve maintained a writing output of thousand words per day thanks to this technique that I shall now christen Drafting In The Dark™.
It just works!
Okay, DITD™ is not a real thing, but let’s just roll with it, just like how you roll with your own doubts when writing without the internet.
I know, I know. It’s blasphemy, right? How are you going to spell correctly? And is it ‘free rein’ or ‘free reign’?
Those are very valid reasons to want to keep you laptop connected to Wi-Fi, but I can assure you that you can survive your first draft by…
…Drafting In The Dark™.
Introducing the offline mind
You have an innate voice, and you don’t need other voices persuading you otherwise.
There’s just something about not switching tabs that gives your mind the calm to produce a story. Because there are levels to flow, and I’ve found that the second wind is where you truly plumb the depths of your Source™, where even the blankest of pages will be filled to the brim.
You just have to muck through the uninspired moments first. Painfully. Word by word. Without the internet.
The payoff is worth it, though. Forgo the internet long enough and your mind will begin telling stories of its own. No longer will you be bound by ‘research’ or editing as you write.
And once you decide to write without double-checking every single sentence online, you’ll start to discover the most valuable thing a writer can ask for. Your voice.
More boredom means more writing
I love the Neil Gaiman method of writing, where he sits himself in a room and only allows himself to either do nothing or write. Sooner or later, the pain of boredom makes writing so much more appealing, and that’s what Drafting In The Dark™ facilitates.
It’s so easy to go down the rabbit hole of ‘research’ when you fact-check every single thing. That includes video compilations of cats doing stupid things.
The next thing you know, you’ll have spent the entire day scouring the internet for the best fountain pen ink that’s permanent and waterproof. This is totally not an example from my own life, by the way.
You know how Steven Pressfield talks about the Resistance with a capital ‘R’? Well, writing with the internet lets Resistance right through your front door, who’ll in turn slam said door on Mister Get-Shit-Done’s face.
So turn off your Wi-Fi. Bore yourself. Connect with your voice.
Train your writing endurance
Did Neil Gaiman really lock himself in a room? Or is that an urban myth? Did Steven Pressfield really capitalise ‘the Resistance’, or am I just making that up? Also, why am I capitalising random phrases? Have writers lost their audiences from random capitalisations before?
So many questions, so little relevance. That’s exactly what you want to avoid when tackling the Shitty First Draft—googling unnecessary information that doesn’t belong in the flow of your story.
Yes, there are many ways to skin a cat, and you could be a writer that can’t move on till you get your previous sentence just right. But guess what? You still need to fill up the page either way. So you might as well zoom through your first draft.
Ignoring the doubts for your Shitty First Draft is a skill. One that can only be trained by powering through misused idioms and silly typos.
And when you don’t have the internet backing your every sentence, you’re forced to find your angle without any support. This will build your writing skills, even if you have to delete huge chunks of wrong arguments along the way.
As Neil Gaiman said, your first draft is you telling yourself the story. It’s in the second draft where you make it seem as though you knew what you were doing all along.
I paraphrased that quote from memory, by the way.
One thing may lead to another
I’m going to be honest, I wrote this post thinking it was going to be about first drafts, but halfway through, I settled on the angle of writing without the internet.
Sometimes you just need the freedom to roam before you can find out what you really want to say.
Even after writing for a living for a decade now, I still learn new things on the daily, and my recent realisation is that the goal of the first draft isn’t to produce a final story, but to lay out all the ideas swimming in your head, so that you can flesh out the best ones later.
Basically, you’re not drafting to find the perfect ring. You’re sifting for the material to smelt one.
Writing with the internet only muddles your mind with two-way thinking. Drafting In The Dark™ keeps the traffic flowing one way: from your brain to the paper. And boy does your mind love taking interesting detours once you give it space to explore.
A technique worth trying
Don’t just take my word for it. Try it yourself. In fact, why not try both?
Draft in airplane mode for a week, then write with your Wi-Fi on after that. Do that multiple times. Notice how different your process feels each time you make the switch.
Draft In The Dark™ often enough and you’ll start to notice that it’s just like a writing sprint. But where sprints encourage you to write more through speeding up and thinking less, writing without the internet does this by reminding you that you’re the sole source of your words.
Want to enhance the process? Try writing with pen and paper. Some writers have even taken to typewriters or the Alphasmart to curb writing distractions. I personally just turn off Wi-Fi on my laptop, because sometimes the best solutions are the simplest ones.
Whatever you do, just remember this: there’s no one way to write. But if I could summarise this post in one sentence, it’d be this: Draft In The Dark™ to tap into the Source™ so that you can avoid the Resistance through the Shitty First Draft.
Ha ha. I just made that up through the power of my mind. No wait don’t leave.
On a more serious note, just remember that writing is rewriting. Too bad I can’t tell you who came up with that quote, though. I’ll need the internet for that.
Do you write regularly without the internet? Share your experience in the comments! Also, if you haven’t joined the newsletter already, you’re missing out on a ton of exclusive content similar to this one!
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Pingback: Why You Need To Write With Your Internet Turned Off – Her Scripturient Mind
I write without internet as well. Before I turn the internet on is the time when I’m most creative. So I draft almost every morning and then post it later in the day. Have a lovely Saturday!
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There’s just something magical about writing in the morning. I’ve tried writing during other times of the day, but I find that it’s much easier to avoid the internet when I’m still fresh and the problems of the day haven’t poured in yet. Thanks so much for stopping by!
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So true!
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HI Stuart, This is definitely excellent advice. We need to be able to do without Wi-Fi connection and it is a challenge. You know how certain phrases or words suddenly come to you but you no longer trust your own memory or mind so you google to make sure you have not got the words or phrase wrong. If you do that once, twice, and then it becomes a habit, a BAD habit indeed. When I find myself constantly counterchecking certain information or word, this very act not only derails me and it affects your creativity and makes you doubt what you want to say in the first place. Thanks for the post. Cheers :)
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Lol yeah. Drafting with the internet is so dangerous in that regard. There are just too many rabbit holes to step in, and apps designed by engineers whose sole purpose is to steal your attention. And even the ‘productive’ tasks like you mention can steal time away from us without us knowing. That’s why I like to just free-write the first draft, mistakes and all. Always appreciate having you here, LH!
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I am a big fan of writing with no internet Stuart for dissolving the distraction factor. Even focused writers seem pulled to and fro with the internet; shutting it down dials you in on writing and nothing else.
Ryan
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Oh yeah. I’m very curious to how I’d perform had I actually NOT had the internet, versus relying on my willpower to keep my laptop’s Wi-Fi off. I should try heading out into nature!
Thanks for stopping by, Ryan!
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Stuart: Introducing a new concept! I call it Drafting In The Dark™!! All you have to do is—
Shakespeare & other pre-internet writers: boy, please😒.
I’m sorry, this just popped up in my head immediately I read the first few paragraphs 😂.
On a different note though, I just wrote a lil’ about this [first drafts] the other day. It’s better to keep writing that first draft even if it’s trashy. In the end, it’s better to have a pile of ‘trashy write-ups’ to pick the good stuff from than to have just an empty can.
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Haha, not only did Shakespeare draft in the dark, but he also did it with a quill (which, after googling, I learned that it was a pencil he’d actually used).
And here I am complaining that my keyboard isn’t soft enough to write properly, lol.
Ooh yes. Having a pre-written crappy post is much better than having a blank page. It reminds me of how much writing is actually rewriting. Great to see you here again, btw!
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p.s. is your post about first drafts in this current blog you have on your Gravatar profile? Or was that an offline draft.
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It was an offline draft. You’d see when I deliver it to the world😋
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Just yesterday, we experienced a major internet outage. This effected the city I live in and a neighboring city.
With the internet down from sometime yesterday morning to sometime this morning, I was forced to work in the dark.
As so it happens, I was working on a first draft.
To my surprise I was able to finish the draft more efficiently then when I have the distraction (internet) on.
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I love the feeling of being untethered. Surely, we could turn off the Wi-Fi and experience the same effect, but it’s not as effective as actually NOT having internet.
Glad to hear that it worked for you! Here’s to more drafting in the dark!
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Dopamine detox is another hard task. No internet, no electronics for a full 24 hours. I’ve done it a couple of times and it has led to a lot of scribbles, doodles, yard work, and more scribbles that lead to planning out random stories that will probably never be written. I also use a program called “Cold Turkey” that blocks selected websites (or the whole internet) for a select amount of time. That comes in handy when I’m typing my manuscript.
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Call me a fan of the unnecessary, but I now find myself drawn to devices like the Alphasmart Neo after writing this post. Of course, I’m not willing to spend the money required to ship something all the way to Malaysia, so I guess it’s pen and paper for now. I guess scribbling has a good place for the internet-quitter, eh? Thanks for the comment, JB!
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Ohh my dear love the topic! But you do know if there is no Google it isn’t the end of the world in getting to know new words or to check word spellings.
1. Dictionary go back to basics!
2. Try to download offline Dictionary it has a spell checker!
Hope this helps.
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Lol, and to add on: 3. Just use pen and paper.
Am appreciating analogue mediums more these days because of this exact reason. I’d get an electronic typewriter if I could, but there’s no substitute to the old scribbling on paper when all else fails. Thanks for sharing!
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Your welcome!! 🤗
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When I plan to write I organize my thoughts then write. Although most of what I write while the internet is off do not make it to my blog.
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Some might say that the act of writing alone does wonders to your brain, and that it’s good to have a substantial write-to-publish ratio. Thanks for sharing your interesting insights, Moses!
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Interesting fresh topic Stuart and I agree with you, I write without the internet sometimes in my men’s fashion blogs, recently I was drafting my new blog topics on Microsoft Word without google the meanings of terms such as “Fashion Proactive, Stylish accessories for men” , I just wrote what came from the top of my head 😴though the internet these days is a need for research and study purposes😊
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I often write really shitty first drafts that make me want to cry. And my anxiety causes me to clam up and feel like there’s nothing I can do to it anymore to make it readable. So I give up.
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I hope it makes you feel less alone that all writers go through that exact same problem. The trick is to flip the script and not try to create your best work until you’ve gotten your first million words out of yourself. All the best, Rachael!
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Hear hear! I love having the ability to quickly research something while writing (or looking up synonyms), but the Distractions can sometimes be overpowering. Recently I was searching for a movie trailer on YouTube, and an hour later, here I was watching “Idiots in Cars”. *facepalm*
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I can’t imagine not having the internet for your genre. Maybe you already have most old-movie facts stored somewhere in your head, but I’d assume so much research is required to come up with the educational posts you put up. I still remember that post of yours about the Wilhelm scream!
But yeah, double-edged sword, this internet thing. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
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The internet is a constant source of distraction, whether I’m writing or doing just about anything else. I applaud your discipline.
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Oh, and I love the analogy about sifting to get the material to smelt the ring. That was sheer poetry!
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I’ve taken to stopping watching YouTube while eating lunch because that just leads me down the algorithm rabbit hole. It’s an uphill battle, trying to fight the world’s best engineers and designers.
Which is why sometimes I think an Alphasmart or a typewriter would be wonderful (something with a keyboard that doesn’t require me to stare at a screen).
Anyway, thanks for stopping by!
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Speaking of the world’s best engineers and designers, Athleta is a high(ish)-end clothing store in the US. Lately, they’ve been putting ads on all the web pages I visit, and darn it if I haven’t bought 4 dresses and a sweater from them in the last week! Manipulative bastards (but the dresses are so cute)!
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Funny last line here Stu as always. I have to look up things sometimes so I’m grateful for google.
Just to get a base sometimes. I miss free writing my writing is so bad these days…
I use grammarly but don’t pay for it and darn thing shows up and runs words together. so annoying. Great post See you next time!
💖
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Oh yeah, I think that’s a wise choice, not paying for Grammarly, since our spellcheck does a pretty good job on its own (especially Google Docs).
I enjoy looking things up too. But I’m also starting to learn how rewarding it is to draft without being tethered to the internet.
Great hearing from you, Cindy!
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Totally and as it is it changes things and merges words so who needs that. Agreed.
You’re so write.. I so agree with you. Sometimes things come out and i’m like wait “how did you know that”.. so I google it anyway.. 😂 I’m shockingly riight a lot!!!
Great to be here always. Stu.. Thanks.. a pleasure!
💖
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Ah, stuart. stuart, stuart, stuart (with a lower case ‘S’). I literally love your ending line to every single post! It’s hypnosis or something, but it makes me NEED to comment. Thank you. And I love the Neil Gaiman method of writing, and this can be applied to the internetless life pretty easily. And Grammarly just told me this sentence isn’t easy to read, but to hell with that. And the Alphasmart seems extremely cool, it definitely competes with my long-perferred Freewrite. Thanks for this post, and it’s great to be back after taking a break from the whole blogging thing!
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Freewrite definitely knows how to target a niche. I’d love to come across an Alphasmart, which I’ve seen go for less than $50 secondhand though. That’d be sweet. Till then, I guess I’m not in the proper region to find the device.
Always appreciate you stopping by, and I’m glad you’re back! Can’t wait to see what blogging shenanigans you’re up to!
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Yes, I turn off the WiFi when I sit down to work on essays or fiction. However, with one tap of my finger it is too easy to turn back on for the tidbit of “research” I need. Instead, I’ve trained myself to write a note in the margin (“Check wedding stats for 2022”) or (“Find Hungarian last name”). Then, I set aside time devoted just to research, fact-finding, etc. I recommend Cal Newport’s book on Deep Work for a thorough look at internet, email, social media distraction on how to combat in order to live and create more fully and deeply.
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Oh yeah. I’m planning to read Newport’s book Digital Minimalism too, because I’m very aware that I need help culling apps and distractions on my devices.
I do the margin thing too! But for me, since I mostly draft on a word processor, my comments exist in square brackets. Certainly helps with the research itch.
Lovely insights. Thanks for sharing, Evelyn!
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Hey Stuart,
Thank you for bringing this piece to the light. Boredom seems to be the topic for me these days; Seven weeks into a social media break with an occasional scroll on Linkedin for the job search. May try the DITDT. Curious about what the result will be. I’ll share my conclusion.
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Seven weeks!? That’s amazing! How are you feeling in general? Less wired, I’d assume? I need to go on an internet break as well. I mean, the internet is great for utility purposes, but for recreation? I think it frazzles the mind a little too much. Yes, please do share your conclusions, and thanks for visiting!
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Yes, I feel much more relaxed and less anxious. I also get bored enough to be creative around the house and join programs that will benefit my personal growth. The original plan was 1 month, in June, but then decided to extend the period to 3 months. Let’s see how that works out. In the meantime, I’m riding this wave of mental energy as best as I can.
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it’s so easy to fall down the rabbit hole when you stop to research something. I’ve taken to the red brack method (not a real thing just what I do). when I have a moment of “What’s that thing called again?” to keep myself from falling down the research hole, I simply put brackets around it and make the text red to remind myself to come back to it in edits
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Yes! I do it with square brackets too. It’s just much more prudent to keep going rather than fall down the rabbit hole in these cases, because who cares how large the Milky Way is? Just put a placeholder figure and get back to the facts later. Great to hear that we share methods, Meagan!
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I look forward to reading your interesting, informative, and humorous posts every Tuesday. Somehow, I couldn’t yesterday.
I can relate to this: “Drafting In The Dark™ keeps the traffic flowing one way: from your brain to the paper. And boy does your mind love taking interesting detours once you give it space to explore.”
I write until all my thoughts are on the screen and then go to Grammarly for editing and internet to get quotes or research.
I remember way back in 1980s when my daughter was in an elementary school, I was horrified to read her essay running from page one to three without punctuations or a pause.
When I mentioned this to her teacher, it was her turn to be shocked! She said, “Oh no, no, please don’t ever tell your daughter to edit as she goes. It will curtail her creativity and easy flow of her thoughts. Let her get all her thoughts on paper, and then she and I will edit. So she learns how to organize and polish her writing.”
Words of wisdom!
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Coincidentally, my daughter went on to get two degrees in creative writing and works as a writer and managing editor.
So, if the internet fails, I have my own Grammarly at home who can help me.
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Oh wow. What a great teacher your daughter had. And in the 1980s too! Knowledge then existed in silos compared to today, so I’d have loved to have a teacher that approached the craft like that.
And yes, the more I DITD, the more I realise the meaning behind ‘you can’t edit a blank page’. Because those who write a perfect piece on their first try are either liars or geniuses, and I’m neither, so I might as well put all I can on paper first.
Thanks for your lovely words, Chaya. You have no idea how much your first sentence made my day!
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My chest is hurting just thinking about not having the Internet turned on! I believe you’re right on this issue, but I have to reflect on the best way to go about this for myself. I know that even if I turn off Wi-Fi, I’m going to be fighting the temptation to turn it back on, or simply reach for my phone with mobile data.
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Yup, I feel the same. That’s why we have to approach it the antidote way—small and increasing exposure.
To be honest though, since I already do things for at least an hour without the internet (like running or walking the dog), writing without the internet for an hour seems doable too. I tell myself I’ll have the other 23 hours of my day to fall down any rabbit hole I want, and that helps. Hope you give it a go!
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“That includes video compilations of cats doing stupid things.” Lol!
“Basically, you’re not drafting to find the perfect ring. You’re sifting for the material to smelt one.” Oooh, good one.
“No wait don’t leave.” Ha! Entertaining while providing good insights, as per usual. :)
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Am glad you didn’t leave then, Betsy :P
Appreciate you taking the time to read and show your support as always!
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My pleasure, Stuart. And what you said was good advice. I’ve fallen prey to research during drafting too. Next time I feel my hand slipping the mouse to a new browser, I’ll remember what you said. And watch a vid of cats doing stupid things. ;)
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DITD – I love it. Many Canadians were forced into this last week when one of our national wireless and internet providers had a system-wide outage forcing many to live without Internet for almost 24 hours! GASP! Perish the thought! It really highlighted our dependency on something that didn’t exist just a few short decades ago. I wasn’t affected because our services are with a different carrier. Otherwise I may have been forced into DITD.
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Interesting. Our mobile carrier went offline for about half a day last week too. I wonder if that was related, lol.
Losing the internet and the ability to watch cat videos is actually beneficial, I’d say, but to not be able to process payments, check customer records, or compare documents? That sounds like a nightmare. We are indeed very dependent on the internet, and its downfall will mean ours too. Thanks for this great reminder!
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The outage definitely highlighted some bigger concerns with business, especially financial services. Many bank sites were down for hours and the entire Interac payment system was down, including all bank machines and debit card payments. It was complete chaos. I’m sure many companies are having disaster recovery meetings this week.
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Great point.. similar to my post The Long and Short of It, emphasizing longhand over computers.. you’ll find your long term memory improves as well.
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Definitely! I do feel a huge difference when doing copywork by hand and by typing. Something about stewing with your thoughts for just that extra second gives you so much more processing time. Thanks for stopping by as always!
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See I can relate to this because… I don’t have internet at home so when I sit down to write, it’s because that’s what’s in my head. It’s wonderful because it’s not connected to other things I’ve read and I have to go into town to post things. Sometimes I spend HOURS writing on my sofa! This week I ended up posting something I was going to post two weeks from now only because I wrote it and then read the news when I went to town several days later and realized that it could be relatable LOL! Totally unplanned!!
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Oh wow. That’s actually such a luxury, to be able to function one-way like that. And that’s how I believe the first draft should be written—without any fact checks or research.
I’d assume you’d get into such a deep flow from writing for hours on the sofa. I envy you, because I doubt I’d be able to do the same for more than an hour. Thanks for sharing your process with us, LaShelle!
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It’s tough because I have about 100 farm things to do and sometimes I feel guilty for dropping the ball to do this but I know that it’s as much for me as it is about sharing with others
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I absolutely love this Stuart. And it’s so true. We’ve become so reliant on checking everything and researching those finer details that we often lose our own personal voice. I’ve written entire articles in my Notes on my phone with no wifi but I have to admit to going back afterwards and editing through research on the internet. Maybe it’s time I tried more lucid writing. Thanks for a great post. Very thought provoking and inspiring. 🙏
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Oh yeah, we definitely should edit with the internet, because that’s when we want to set everything straight (can’t put out fake info now, can we?). But drafting without the internet is such a blissful experience, once we can get past the withdrawals or curiosities. Thank YOU for sharing your process!
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This is so true! Distractions on every other website tab. Yet I find that when the creative juice flows, I can’t write as fast as I can type all my ideas down. Sighhhh…So your workaround of switching the WIFI off is a helpful one and a reminder that sometimes, the pen truly is mightier than the keyboard! Thanks pal!!
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I’m actually looking for devices like the Alphasmart Neo 2 now, because it’s the portable equivalent of George Martin’s old computer with Wordstar, lol. There’s just something to be said about one-way writing rather than being inundated by useless information during the process itself. Here’s to finding awesome workarounds. Thanks for stopping by, Kelvin!
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I have a couple of writer friends who take this method and run with it. They go on weekend writing getaways to places so far off the grid that there is no Internet, thus avoiding the temptation to take a peek. I’m not sure I have that kind of discipline, but I think your point is well taken, especially on a first draft.
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Lol maybe your friends are onto something, since you don’t need to have discipline once you throw yourself off the grid. I’ve been having decent success doing this first thing in the morning since I don’t really care for social media when I’m still half asleep.
Thanks for weighing in, Pete!
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You have a point. The internet is such a time suck. Even when I say I’m just going to do some writing on my laptop w/out the internet, it’s so addictive.
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Ha. My pattern is ‘I’m just going to check Instagram to see if I have messages’.
Then next time I look up it’ll be half-an-hour at least. So yeah. Best to put things out of range instead of relying on our discipline.
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Given how self absorbed I am, and how little internet knows about me, I don’t have any problems in writing this way. If anything, I produce my drafts without internet, and then correct them with the help of it, after everything is set.
And you know, your offline word processor can also do spelling and grammar check for you, just in case some internet kid is reading this, and doesn’t know about that.
I do not recommend writing programming tutorial without internet though. You’re just setting yourself up for bashing in your comments section with wrong info everywhere, which would be in a form of code, which is harder to correct.
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Lol, I used to work alongside programmers and yeah, based on what I’ve seen, they wouldn’t be able to do their job without the internet. It almost seemed like they don’t remember things, and only look them up when needed. Anything they remember is caused by repetitive usage. Else, it’s mostly Google.
Thanks so much for adding this insight, Tanish!
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It is impossible to remember everything. Maybe you could have done programming in 70s that way, but ever since, things have gotten more and more complicated.
Trying to remember everything about multiple programming languages across multiple operating systems is a waste of time now.
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Ha Ha! How can I spell without internet? Nothing more to add😀.
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I guess the only thing to do now is to break all the rules and claim it as artistic license. Who needs spelling amirite :P
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I love how you describe the freedom of DITD! I am prone to researching and diving into off-topic rabbit holes when drafting, so I can see the many benefits of this technique. Besides, the revision stage is where I can clear up descriptions with neater synonyms and get specific details right, right? :D
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Ha. ‘Research’. That’s what I tell myself too when I’d wasted another hour on Instagram. I also tend to research things like ‘best cheap pens’ and ‘ink-resistant notebooks’ when the topic is about running.
So yeah, I guess DITD benefits the both of us. And yes, during the editing phase, anything goes!
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Your ending is so funny. Did you write this post without the internet?
I used to write with pen and paper but now I only use pen and paper if I don’t have my laptop lying around and I’m on the go. It seems more daunting to write with pen and paper. Do you feel the difference? (Verses when you type without Wi-Fi)
I love your advice about boredom helps you write more 😆 Now, I just need to turn off the Wi-Fi…
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I drafted this post without Wi-Fi, yup, but edited it with the internet on, lol.
Yes, pen and paper really is more daunting, especially since you won’t be able to keep up with your thoughts, but it results in a different flow, I feel. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.
Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it!
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This is such a great idea, and honestly something I never really even thought about! I find that I don’t get distracted by my internet being on while I write, but I do make sure to have all notifications OFF, because that does get distracting for me very quickly. I think the fact that I handwrite quite a bit means that even when I’m typing, I’m still pretty single-minded while I’m writing. I’m not sure if I would go internet-less though, because then I wouldn’t have my music and my playlists are too big to download 😆
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That’s a very good perspective. It makes me want to follow up if having the music on is better for writing. But I’m pretty sure that’s a matter of preference.
I’m so envious of you for being single-minded. I handwrite a lot too, from pen-pal letters to journals, but I still find my mind roaming during my writing sessions.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
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hehehe I feel like you’ve described me as a person/writer… I always have a tab open for the thesaurus and another set on the Google search bar. Why am I always Googling, “is word word hyphenated?” And you’re right, the more you search, the deeper of a hole you fall into on the world wide web! Then all of a sudden you’re looking up sales at Old Navy!! Noo!!
Also, being locked up in a room with only the choice to either do nothing or write seems like a dream (literally, a dream) BUT ALSO a nightmare at the same time!! Am I the only one who thinks this?!?! Lol
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Hahaha. I always have thesaurus open too, and the hyphen thing is the writer’s life for sure. For me it’s idioms as well, because sometimes I just can’t recall that ‘rats and sinking ships’ thing. But like you said, sinking ships may lead to sinking time in websites that don’t concern me.
Oh yeah. I think the locked room technique is a little advanced, especially if your mind is still used to reaching for your phone ever few minutes. I’d love a typewriter for this exact purpose though.
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This is brilliant! Thank you for the inspiration, Stuart!
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And thanks for inspiring me through your comment, Wynne! I appreciate you taking the time :)
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🤣 I’m guilty of watching silly cat videos instead of working on my blog. 🤣
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Oh I have a ton of internet-vices that snare my attention and I need to do something about it as well. One piece at a time, eh?
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Great post!
Depending on what I’m working on sometimes I use the internet sometimes I don’t. Each project is different. I do love my Alphasmart Neo for working on the go when all I need is something to type on (like on trails, out at the park, or even down on the couch or out in the yard).
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Omg you have an Alphasmart? I never expected to meet somebody with one, so now this post has extra merit, lol. It looks mighty portable for that purpose, and you can draft something much quicker than pen and paper too. I think I need to go look for one now.
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I honestly recommend it. I use it a lot on trails and when hiking because I get inspired outdoors. It’s thin enough to throw in a light pack with snacks and other gear and I want to say mine was fairly cheap (under $20 us)
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Hahaha, I have tried this too. But my fingers get so itchy to switch the Internet back on because like you said, we have too many irrelevant questions that bother us just as we want to write. I give up halfway after too many questions and the need to check my spellings and facts.
But I guess you have just convinced me to try it again several more times. Thanks!
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Ugh yeah. It’s so easy to want to google random questions that pop into your head, and one thing leads to another, and the next thing you know, you’re back on the video rabbit hole, which sucks up so much more time than simply reading. Hope it turns out good for you on your next try!
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Thanks for sharing Stuart. You are right. The stories that I had written when I was a kid were pre-internet products.
I’m going to put myself through what you had suggested.
Once again, thank you for your post.
Namaste 🙏😊
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I guess it’s up to us to impose these limitations on ourselves, because with the widespread developments of tech, it’s so easy to get connected once more. Wishing you all the best on your Drafting In The Dark™ (heh)!
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Thank you Stuart 🙏
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This is an intriguing post because the internet is so ingrained in our society. I’ve always felt that sitting and writing with my laptop was relaxing, but I frequently tend to edit as I write. Well, I’ll try your suggestion of reading offline for a bit and see where that takes me. Thanks!
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Oh trust me, I’m as connected to the internet as they come. I don’t even know how I managed to draft my latest pieces without it. Do let me know how your journey into DITD goes!
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I tried it out this morning, and it wasn’t as hard as I thought, particularly the spelling aspect. It was nice to just write and not get distracted with editing!
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I am not a blogger but I love to write what’s in my head…I do journal most days…I am also of the generation before the internet came out, when all you had was your imagination or a drive to the library. As I am exploring new options in life I feel the pressure of using the internet…but I love it when people use the internet to push back and encourage others to not use the internet! We are forgetting that being bored is a GOOD thing! Thanks for the word in humor😊
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I have to admit, I totally grew into this internet thing. I’m thankful that I wasn’t exposed to developmental challenges that our children might have today, thanks to constantly being glued to their devices. I also have to admit that I haven’t been bored in a while (the reflex to reach for my phone is always there), and I might need a proper detox from the internet. Anyway, thanks for your lovely words!
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Hey good morning. I laughed when I read this because I returned home after being away for over two weeks to find that the internet didn’t work After restarting the modem three times, and calling tech support and restarting a fourth time, it still didn’t work. I was bummed. So I’ll be writing and working in the dark until the service person arrives (or longer) on Thursday. I am using WordPress reader on my phone right now, but I’ll connect using my phone as a hotspot as a backup. It works but it is slow.
Yes. I get distracted looking for a quote or fact checking or simply going off on a tangent. The post I published Sunday took at least an hour longer because I lost focus. Thanks for giving me reason to laugh and helping me switch a negative into a positive. Peace.
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That quote thing really gets me. I’ve gone so far as to insert brackets like [that Neil Gaiman quote about just make art]. Sometimes the quote exists, other times I remembered wrong, but either way, I’ll end up with a finished product instead of having wasted an hour looking for the perfect quote (and falling down the rabbit hole).
Glad to have made your day, and I hope you get your internet sorted soon! Also, do let me know how it feels to write without the internet!
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