There is someone
who cares about you deeply, someone who is just as passionate about your
writing as you are. Her name is
Airplane Mode. You can call her AM
for short. (pronounced like Amherst minus the herst) AM is devoted to creating a space that will allow you to
focus on your writing. She has
superhero powers when it comes to eliminating distractions. She is the archenemy of tedious emails. She can defeat twenty frivolous text
messages with a single toggle.
Airplane Mode wants
you to succeed. Just the thought
of you getting published brings tears to her eyes. Nothing would be more precious to her than a signed copy of
your novel. All she asks is that
you call upon her when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Her mantra is ‘Use Me!’ Use me when the noise of the world has you paralyzed. Use me when you’re almost finished with
a chapter but just can’t seem to get it done. Use me when you’re feeling inspired to make the great leap
into a new novel. Use me for
character development. Use me for
dialogue. Use me for epic
fantasy. Use me for a simple
mother/daughter story. Use me in
the morning. Use me in the
afternoon. Just use me, damn it!
If you’re a writer
who is trying desperately to survive in the hostile world of 1000 gadgets, in
the merciless world of nanotechnology, in the Golden Age of Distraction, you
don’t need a knife, you don’t need a gun, you don’t need a bomb shelter or a
HAZMAT suit. All you need is
Airplane Mode.
This Luddite doesn't have a smart phone, or an iPod or an iPad (I know: Shock! Horror!) but I do punch out from my laptop by using Cold Turkey. That way, I don't spend my day liking kitty pics on Facebook. There are a bunch of apps like Cold Turkey and, s you say, James, they are the writer's best friend.
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ReplyDeleteI just got a smart phone last year and I just recently learned about Airplane Mode. A wondrous thing. Also, I resisted getting a smart phone for so long as I just didn't want to be that connected but it has had its benefits. I discovered on a retreat that I could walk in the woods and walk and record on it my vivid scenes that came to me - and in a very theatrical voice too (only the squirrels were disturbed). When I returned to my desk to type up my words - my own acting really drove my creativity. :) And yeah, those kittie pics can be too adorable to miss, Michael! LOL
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