By Darlene L. Turner @darlenelturner

Some say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what if the picture was blurry and out of focus? It’s worthless.

Or is it?

Have you noticed when you first press the screen on your phone to take a picture, it goes fuzzy before taking the perfect, clear shot? It has to go out of focus before going into focus. 

There have been many times in my writing journey where I’ve felt the exact same way. Unfocused. I settle in to write and find myself getting distracted. Ding! Was that an email?

There are too many competing priorities trying to gobble up our time. We need to take back our lives. So, how do we do it?

Here are some ideas to consider.

Get rid of distractions – Limit the amount of TV time. I love being able to PVR my favorite show because after I write I can treat myself and watch it before bedtime. Also, turn off social media while writing. This includes email and our phones. I’m bad about leaving my cell beside me and when it dings . . . well, you know what happens next. 

Clean our writing corners – Getting rid of clutter helps. It can get messy and distracting. When it does, I find myself unmotivated. I recently took some time to de-clutter my office. It felt good and I now want to stay in my writing corner. Keep it clean. 

Go somewhere out of the norm to write – Need to be inspired and find a new character for your next book? Take your laptop or journal to your favorite café and write. It’s a great way to sit and watch others interacting and maybe catch a few conversations (inconspicuously of course). 

Go on a writer’s retreat – I know this may be difficult right now with our pandemic world, but try booking a weekend away to write. Plan a quarterly or annual trip. This could be for one night or more, depending on your pocket book. There’s just something to be said about getting away from our homes to write. It forces us to put our fingers to keyboard or pen to paper. 

These are a few ideas that help me focus. You may have others.

But what about my faith? Yes, the lens of my faith camera can also get fuzzy. Satan uses distractions to pull me away. These can be little or big, but it doesn’t matter. They’re still distractions.

I need to keep myself focused and in constant communion with God and in His word. Being equipped with His full armor will put the blurriness into clear focus and my eyes on Him!

Darlene L. Turner’s love of suspense began when she read her first Nancy Drew book. She’s turned that passion into her writing and believes readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message.

Darlene won the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense twice and an ACFW Genesis award. She’s represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. Her debut book, Border Breach, released in April, 2020 with Love Inspired Suspense. She has two books releasing in 2021: Abducted in Alaska (March) and Lethal Cover-Up (August).

Darlene met her husband Jeff at the turtle races in Ontario, Canada. She loves flavored coffee and plaid shirts. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.