May I divert your attention here for a moment?
The first thing that springs to mind when I see the word “diversion” is magic. Which isn’t surprising, since I’ve been writing and editing a novel (or three) about a magician called “The Great Dagmaru” for the past five and a half years. Making someone look the other way is an art, whether it’s in order to perform a trick behind their back or whether it’s to cause them to pay more attention to you.
Yet some might say it’s easier now to create a diversion: our attention spans are shortening with so much going on around us and in our own living rooms, on our screens where everything is the next biggest or cutest spectacle. For as far as entertainment goes, it seems to me that those of us who still read novels are the last holdouts of the ability to concentrate. And still, so many books, so little time. A novel must capture the reader’s attention in the space of a few sentences or it will be passed over. And authors wonder why the blurb is so much harder to write than the book itself.
But I digress.
All this talk about diversions and how they entertain has led me to seek the difference between a diversion and a distraction. According to my trusty thesaurus, it seems diversions are happy things and distractions are less-than-desirable things. Somewhat. The synonyms for distraction range from “delirium” to “relief.”
One way or another, diversions and distractions add up to procrastination.
***
Looking for a fun diversion? Look no further. Please check out my A to Z Challenge-inspired novelette “All Good Stories.” It’s a romantic comedy about two best friends who belong together – Xavier knows it, but Jupiter has her eye on another guy: a shady character named Bob.
“Delightful, Light-hearted tale with great twists!” ~ Lori Carleson, 5 stars, Amazon review
“Quirky and charming.” ~ Bobby Underwood, #11 top reviewers on Goodreads – 5 stars
Click the picture to find it on Kindle, or get it on Kobo here: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/all-good-stories
April 6, 2017 at 9:32 pm
Ahh…you are seriously hilarious!
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April 7, 2017 at 11:20 pm
😀
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April 6, 2017 at 4:30 pm
ADD here. Diversions that should bring me back to the moment very soon are lost to the shiny chicken distractions everywhere!
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April 7, 2017 at 11:23 pm
It’s neverending! 😛
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April 8, 2017 at 1:14 am
😛
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April 6, 2017 at 2:14 pm
I am pretty easily diverted, especially when surfing the net! 🙂
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April 7, 2017 at 11:24 pm
Oh, the Internet is the worst! 😛
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April 8, 2017 at 9:39 am
🙂
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April 5, 2017 at 4:35 pm
I hate writing blurb! Nice post.
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April 5, 2017 at 4:55 pm
Ugh, me too. Thanks, Iain. 🙂
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April 5, 2017 at 4:19 pm
Distractions are much worse than diversions when driving
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April 5, 2017 at 4:57 pm
They certainly are! Until you take so many diversions that you run out of gas, I suppose. 😉
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April 5, 2017 at 10:44 pm
Haha. There is that. Almost happened to me in Saudi lol
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April 5, 2017 at 10:53 pm
Where haven’t you been? – Yeah, okay. I’ll read your A-Z to find out. 😉
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April 5, 2017 at 11:34 pm
Lots of places left. I worked in Saudi for 5 years. I tend to go back to South Africa instead of exploring elsewhere
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April 6, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Like me with Japan then. Some places just keep you coming back. 🙂
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April 5, 2017 at 4:19 pm
Too often, diversions are distractions, aren’t they? That’s really not how many of them started–at least in my case!
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April 5, 2017 at 4:59 pm
I think that’s because some diversions are so darned addictive. *stares at Facebook games* 😉
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April 5, 2017 at 3:19 pm
Most of my diversions are distractions…
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April 5, 2017 at 8:49 pm
Yep, mine too. 😛
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April 5, 2017 at 3:00 pm
I needed a diversion this week. Not a great one!😂
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April 5, 2017 at 8:52 pm
Hope you find just the diversion you need then, my dear. 🙂
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April 5, 2017 at 2:42 pm
Chipmunks deserve your attention 🙂
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April 5, 2017 at 8:52 pm
I think so! 🙂
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April 5, 2017 at 2:13 pm
Most all my distractions are diversions. I say that because I enjoy almost every distraction I get into, thus, I tend to let them become diversions. 😀
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April 5, 2017 at 2:21 pm
That’s the way to think! 😀
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April 5, 2017 at 2:08 pm
I am often distracted. I am going to start using the word diversion instead. It sounds better after reading your post.
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April 5, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Doesn’t it? 😀 Thanks for stopping by, Manee!
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April 5, 2017 at 2:05 pm
I tend to find diversions to doing my work all the time. 😉
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April 5, 2017 at 2:13 pm
Hard to resist, isn’t it? 😛
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April 5, 2017 at 2:13 pm
Too hard!!!!
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