Monday, July 25, 2011

The Camera as a Writer's Tool (for Procrastination)

There are many things a writer can do to avoid writing. Today's tools for procrastination are the camera and scanner.

1. Take your camera outside and photograph the weather. Here's a shot from winter 2009 (just to cool you off since it's hot in so many parts of the country). It was early in the morning, the air was frosty, the snow fluffy, and the whole neighborhood was white.




2. Pull out your old picture albums, and scan and organize your best prints. I turned up this picture of me as a kid. That's kinda the way I look today when I discover a great new book to read. Some things never change.




3. If you've forced yourself to sit at the computer, open your photo editing software and play around with graphics. I took this photo in Norway in 1998.




Here's the altered version.




4. Follow your pet around and try to get the perfect shot.




5. Figure out silly games to play on your blog, such as: Whose Eye is This?



Hint: A Northern Colorado mystery author.



Okay. I know I'm not the only writer who procrastinates. It you write, what are some of your favorite ways to avoid working on your current project and what tools do you find most helpful?

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pat - What a great way to avoid writing! :-). I actually like playing around with my camera and my 'photo editing software, too. When I should be writing and am trying to muster up what it takes to do that, I sometimes play around with my blog. Checking site stats is vital, you know! So is making sure that each link still takes you to the same place it did yesterday. So is going through each blog listed on the blogroll and seeing if there's anything new. So is...

Jan Morrison said...

Patricia - you know that I love avoiding writing by taking photos. This past week I took about a zillion shots of my grandson playing baseball, some old roses and of course, my fave - the chickens. Now I gotta get to work!Jan Morrison

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Pat .. gosh we can do so many things - and distract ourselves .. like blog! Let alone writing ..

Love that altered photo of the trees - quite melancholy looking ..

Cheers for now - I haven't got my camera out yet .. one day - Hilary

Jemi Fraser said...

Procrastination is fun! I like Scrabble on my iPod and visiting blogs :)

Terry Odell said...

I shoot Snoods.

Terry
Terry's Place
Romance with a Twist--of Mystery

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I practice on my guitar. And play games on my iPad.

Patricia Stoltey said...

Ah, so many ways to enjoy life and avoid writing...makes me wonder sometimes why I keep going back to write one more book.

RHYTHM AND RHYME said...

I have had a day today to avoid writing......going to my daughter's for the day, had a great time now have to catch up with my comments.

Yvonne.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I was doing some goofy photo stuff just this morning!

Talli Roland said...

Beautiful photos, but ah! I don't need any more procrastination methods!

Patricia Stoltey said...

This morning I went vacuum cleaner shopping. How's that for craziness?

D. U. Okonkwo said...

Oh I hear this. Writing is hard, so of course it's not easy NOT TO WRITE. I browse the Internet, talk to friends, read, blog....oh gosh, I better go back to my ms! :o)