Any time you hear that your kids' school is going to introduce Nintendo Brain-training for the pupils (and leaving aside the outrageous waste of money for the tax-payer), point them towards this very revealing piece of research. And trust me, some schools / education authorities ARE thinking of this.
As I said a while ago in a previous post, and as I have said very publicly (incl on radio), these things are very clever and fun toys, briliantly marketed, but they have no good controlled research to back up half the claims. I'm not saying don't get one - I'm just saying don't get one because you think its' the best thing (or even up there anywhere near the best things) for your brain or your kids' brains or your grandad's brain.
And that's all I'm going to say on the matter. Though I do say a bit more in my book, Know Your Brain ... Which was written 2-3 years ago before this new research came out. Not that I'd like to say "I told you so" ....
Friday, January 30, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Turn away now, please. Really.
I am reeling. And nothing to do with it being the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth. I'm also cringing because I know I'm about to do a bit of blatant self-publicity and I am incredibly cautious about that but in this case how can I not do it? I have just been pointed in the direction of an amazing podcast. Amazing for me because if I was to pay someone to say nice things about me (where do I send the cheque?) they wouldn't say anything as nice as this. So, if you don't want to listen, just don't. Please. I mean that. I recommend that you only listen if you actually vaguely like me and wish me slightly well.
http://podcast.litopia.com/2009/01/27/litopia-daily-133-tin-guts-notebooks/
But if you do, make sure you choose the right one: No 133
Only two weeks ago, when I started the blog they refer to, I had no idea it would be picked up so quickly. But I have just loved writing it. There's something about blogs that's so immediate - unlike writing a book, which is SO difficult and takes SO long and then you have to wait SO long for publication day and by the time you get any feedback you have forgotten entirely what it was about.
Anyway. That's it. Off to lie down with some bits of cucumber over my eyes. I think this also calls for substantial chocolate.
http://podcast.litopia.com/2009/01/27/litopia-daily-133-tin-guts-notebooks/
But if you do, make sure you choose the right one: No 133
Only two weeks ago, when I started the blog they refer to, I had no idea it would be picked up so quickly. But I have just loved writing it. There's something about blogs that's so immediate - unlike writing a book, which is SO difficult and takes SO long and then you have to wait SO long for publication day and by the time you get any feedback you have forgotten entirely what it was about.
Anyway. That's it. Off to lie down with some bits of cucumber over my eyes. I think this also calls for substantial chocolate.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Full-time Work Avoidance Strategies
"Are you a full-time writer?” It’s a question writers are often asked. I always hesitate before answering. Yes, in the sense that I don’t have another job and I am attempting to earn my living by writing. But if I’m a “full-time” writer, how come I spend so little time writing?
Something came through the post the other day. Something dreamt up as a “project” by some arts admin person – DON’T get me started but they LOVE projects – in a salaried ivory tower. It was designed to help me discover my goals and aims and outcomes and targets and objectives. All these are different, by the way, but you need to be a full-time salaried arts admin person to understand how. I hadn’t asked for this thing to be sent but I had a little look at it. (Work Avoidance Strategy, No. 1).
Part of it asked me to draw a circle and divide it into sections like a pie-chart, according to how much time I spent on any activity in one day. Because it was a caring-sharing kind of a document, it also said that I could, if I preferred, do percentages instead of pie-charts. Actually, I didn’t prefer either, so I decided not to waste my time, and just get on with some writing instead.
Trouble is, by then I was distracted by the question: how much time DO I spend on writing? So (Work Avoidance Strategy No. 2) I made a list of all the things I do that are work-related but don’t actually involve writing. Lists are things I do well. Pie-charts and percentages are not.
Here’s my list: doing talks for schools, conferences, festivals etc; planning those talks; answering the copious emails that fly around during the months leading up to those talks; booking travel / accommodation for those talks; calculating costs and sending invoices related to those talks; office admin such as dealing with computer problems, stationery, things breaking, tax stuff; doing committee work for the various things I’m involved in, especially the Society of Authors, which I chair in Scotland and which occupies HOURS and HOURS; answering emails and letters from fans (both of them); answering homework requests from readers who have to finish their essay by Monday and need my help or their teacher will kill them; research; copy-editing or proof-reading a typescript that has just arrived back on my desk needing checking; writing the cover blurb / dedication / author notes / stuff for Amazon; writing articles for websites / magazines / newspapers; doing interviews; thinking up and then acting on publicity ideas; organising events or launches; travelling a LOT. Oh, look, for goodness' sake – this is boring (but a very good Work Avoidance Strategy).
And I’m not even counting the other very important things, like having coffee with friends. And buying new shoes.
The reason I’m vexed about this right now is that I’m in the middle of a ridiculous period of not being able to write because my diary is full of these tasks. And why have I allowed this to happen? Simple: because all those things are SO much easier than actually writing, which is much harder than you might think. In fact, there’s a great quote (Work Avoidance Strategy No. 3 was to find out who said it - Thomas Mann) – “A writer is someone for whom writing is harder than it is for other people.”
The good thing about all this is that I am now absolutely desperate to write. And with any luck really wanting to write will mean I write better. So, not writing makes me write better? Hmm, I like that. I should do more not writing. Bring on Work Avoidance Strategy No 4: coffee and chocolate.
STOP PRESS PS
Actually, I wrote the above stuff a few weeks ago as a real work avoidance strategy and then work got in the way and I forgot to post it. I guess that means that work itself became a work avoidance strategy avoidance strategy. This could get seriously complicated and I am not sure my brain can cope.
More importantly - I think - I have started another blog, which has been taking me away from this blog (blogs are stupendously brilliant work avoidance strategies and having TWO of them is bliss). It's called Help! I Need a Publisher! and is aimed at unpublished authors. www.need2bpublished.blogspot.com
And now, I must go and do some work. After I've checked the other blog. And had chocolate.
Something came through the post the other day. Something dreamt up as a “project” by some arts admin person – DON’T get me started but they LOVE projects – in a salaried ivory tower. It was designed to help me discover my goals and aims and outcomes and targets and objectives. All these are different, by the way, but you need to be a full-time salaried arts admin person to understand how. I hadn’t asked for this thing to be sent but I had a little look at it. (Work Avoidance Strategy, No. 1).
Part of it asked me to draw a circle and divide it into sections like a pie-chart, according to how much time I spent on any activity in one day. Because it was a caring-sharing kind of a document, it also said that I could, if I preferred, do percentages instead of pie-charts. Actually, I didn’t prefer either, so I decided not to waste my time, and just get on with some writing instead.
Trouble is, by then I was distracted by the question: how much time DO I spend on writing? So (Work Avoidance Strategy No. 2) I made a list of all the things I do that are work-related but don’t actually involve writing. Lists are things I do well. Pie-charts and percentages are not.
Here’s my list: doing talks for schools, conferences, festivals etc; planning those talks; answering the copious emails that fly around during the months leading up to those talks; booking travel / accommodation for those talks; calculating costs and sending invoices related to those talks; office admin such as dealing with computer problems, stationery, things breaking, tax stuff; doing committee work for the various things I’m involved in, especially the Society of Authors, which I chair in Scotland and which occupies HOURS and HOURS; answering emails and letters from fans (both of them); answering homework requests from readers who have to finish their essay by Monday and need my help or their teacher will kill them; research; copy-editing or proof-reading a typescript that has just arrived back on my desk needing checking; writing the cover blurb / dedication / author notes / stuff for Amazon; writing articles for websites / magazines / newspapers; doing interviews; thinking up and then acting on publicity ideas; organising events or launches; travelling a LOT. Oh, look, for goodness' sake – this is boring (but a very good Work Avoidance Strategy).
And I’m not even counting the other very important things, like having coffee with friends. And buying new shoes.
The reason I’m vexed about this right now is that I’m in the middle of a ridiculous period of not being able to write because my diary is full of these tasks. And why have I allowed this to happen? Simple: because all those things are SO much easier than actually writing, which is much harder than you might think. In fact, there’s a great quote (Work Avoidance Strategy No. 3 was to find out who said it - Thomas Mann) – “A writer is someone for whom writing is harder than it is for other people.”
The good thing about all this is that I am now absolutely desperate to write. And with any luck really wanting to write will mean I write better. So, not writing makes me write better? Hmm, I like that. I should do more not writing. Bring on Work Avoidance Strategy No 4: coffee and chocolate.
STOP PRESS PS
Actually, I wrote the above stuff a few weeks ago as a real work avoidance strategy and then work got in the way and I forgot to post it. I guess that means that work itself became a work avoidance strategy avoidance strategy. This could get seriously complicated and I am not sure my brain can cope.
More importantly - I think - I have started another blog, which has been taking me away from this blog (blogs are stupendously brilliant work avoidance strategies and having TWO of them is bliss). It's called Help! I Need a Publisher! and is aimed at unpublished authors. www.need2bpublished.blogspot.com
And now, I must go and do some work. After I've checked the other blog. And had chocolate.
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