Unplugging

Have you ever walked away from your computer? I don't mean leaving your computer for a few minutes, or even a few hours, to do something else. I mean turning your computer off and ignoring it for a length of time.

What about your cell phone? Or your land line? Or your fax machine? Your television? What about your favorite mp3 player?

All of these technological advances can help with writing. Eventually, the work needs to go into the computer. It just does. And cell phones are quite handy for creating voice memos or entering in quick notes. There really isn't anything that isn't a source of inspiriation, whether it's the right music to get you in the mood or a pundit that breathes life into a point you'd like to make, or even the crazy antics of your Aunt Lucie (my apologies to anyone with an Aunt Lucie - I mean no attack) that she reports in a fax sent to all the family every week, it's all ideas that encourage you to get it all down

But what about the distractions? The internet is a big one, as is that one last Solitare game; one more episode of Scrubs. So, why not remove it all? Unplug yourself for a period of time. Force yourself to be disconnected. Turn off your cell phone and your fax machine. Disconnect your internet. Better yet, if you're mobile, take your computer somewhere you don't have internet access. Even better: write by hand for a time.

Now's the perfect time to give this a try. The contest deadline is just around the corner on Saturday. Unplugging might give you that extra push to get things done. Just don't let yourself be driven to distraction by a dirty bathroom or a less technological hobby. Unplugging might be limited to technology in practice, but not so in spirit.

How long can you stay unplugged?

Contest announced!

BNO is sponsoring a contest! With prizes! And not lame prizes like punches on punch cards or candy - real prizes.

What do you need to do to win? First, you need to enter. To enter, you'll need to write something using the theme "bridges." Fiction and non-fiction should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words, poetry no more than 22 lines. We're looking for black and white cover art too! There's a $10 entry fee, with one entry per person.

What are we offering up? Winners will be published in a chapbook, due to be released in May. There's also a cash prize. Entries are due no later than March 20, 2010.

There are more details here, on the website.

Go write!