Our world is a busy one, full of distractions and messages vying for our time and attention. Everywhere you look, someone is selling something.
Life is too crazy, too hectic, for us to pay close notice. Advertising has trained our ears and eyes to skim and ignore. And we do just that.
We tune out and drift, bouncing from on activity to the next. We open multiple browser windows, constantly check email, and struggle to listen on the person in front of us.
Yes, everyone does this. It’s the reality of the 21st century. But writers cannot.
If you’re going to say something worth hearing, you’re going to need to focus. You’ll need to be intentional — to break through the distractions and just write.
But how do you do that? Here are three tips:
1. Get up early (or stay up late)
Set aside a time of day when you are least likely to be distracted and write. Don’t edit or tweak. Just write.
Early morning or nighttime are ideal, because these times are typically when others aren’t trying to get a hold of you.
For me, it took some frustration before I learned how to do this. People kept calling and emailing me, and I couldn’t focus on the writing. Finally, I started getting up at 5am every morning to write, and in four months I had finished my first book.
2. Use tools to help you focus
Let’s face it. You and I are not very good at self-discipline.
Most of us, when we’re dieting, will eat a cookie when it’s placed in front of us. So we need to find ways to get rid of the temptations. Having some helpful tools can help:
- A good, distraction-free word processor. Ommwriter is good, as is any basic text editing program. (I actually do most of my writing in Text Edit, a very simple text editor for Mac.)
- An easy way to take notes. Evernote is good, as is a good old-fashioned notebook (some writers prefer Moleskine, but any will do). The benefit of using an application is you can search your notes and find things quickly. But whatever works is fine.
- A handheld dictionary and stylebook. I like having the AP Stylebook and Merriam-Webster Dictionary handy to look up words, phrases, etc., without having to go to Google and get lost in a sea of distraction.
3. Write without editing
The biggest time-waster for writers is editing.
When you clean up your writing as you go, you’re basically doing two jobs. So it makes sense that it takes twice as long, right? Right.
Instead, just try to write as quickly as possible. Just get the words on the paper. Your creative brain often works more quickly than your editorial one, so get as much done in that first draft as you can. Then go back and edit later.
Also, editing is a distraction trap, because you can spend hours tweaking hundreds of words. You can get lost in miles of reading material, doing so-called research. But what are you really doing? Stalling.
Don’t worry about grammar or punctuation or even typos — not at first. Those are easy to fix afterwards. Just write. You can always go back and edit later. But once a good idea is lost, it’s lost forever.
So are you ready to do the work of a real writer? Time to focus.
Let’s hear from you: What’s your #1 distraction when writing?
This guest post is by Jeff Goins of GoinsWriter.com. He lives in Nashville. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He recently released a new eBook called, You Are a Writer (So Start Acting Like One), which helps writers believe in themselves and master their craft. Get it here.
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My #1 distraction when writing is basically the internet
A common one, to be sure. I can relate.
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
I find that social networking platforms are my biggest distraction. Facebook, email, forums, etc. Interacting with people is a great way to keep from getting any work done. I’ve found that getting up earlier to write is beneficial for me because of that.
Yep. Totally agree.
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
Hi Jeff,
my partner is my no. 1 distraction. But I find these winter mornings over here in Oz really put a dent in my early morning starts. My motivation stays under the covers in the warm. I need a boot out of bed in the mornings.
I would imagine your new baby is a distraction for you?
cheers
Carole
Carole Lyden recently posted..Accept yourself as you are. You are a kaleidoscope of humanity.
Hmmm… Well, he certainly doesn’t make writing easier, but it’s hard to think of him as a distraction. He forces me to focus faster, which isn’t a bad thing. Maybe our distractions can help us be more productive?
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
Thanks for these tips. In a corporate culture where multi-tasking is heavily rewarded, it’s hard to be a writer.
helena recently posted..Crossroads
I don’t think multitasking is rewarded. I think productivity is rewarded (of course, I could be wrong). If we could show that focusing produced better results than scatter brained working, maybe we could eliminate more distractions.
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
Great article, Jeff. I think I’m the queen of distractions! But my no. 1 distraction is that I have too many devices on which I write. Each time I want to refer to a file, it’s always somewhere else. If I’m on my laptop, chances are the quote I want is on my netbook, or the photo I want to include is on my desktop. Bloomin’ frustrating! Every time! I do, however, get up early (-ish) to write and have found this simple act absolutely transformational! Such a great tip.
Susan recently posted..Liberating Truth
Thanks, Susan!
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
I’ve been fighting the “getting up early” thing for a long time — but, when I did do that for a short time, I got much more writing done than I ever had before. My brain is so uncluttered in the early mornings, before events of the day (and e-mail, and Facebook) have a chance to whirl around and create noise in there.
I think the key for me is to start getting up just slightly earlier, and get in the habit of using that time. Because every time I try to make a grand gesture and start getting up at 5am, it never lasts.
I’m also thinking about one of those programs that you can set to block certain sites like Facebook and Twitter during certain hours. Haven’t had the nerve to actually install that one yet, though :)
Love the tip about having a dictionary nearby — because you’re absolutely right, there have been many times I’ve gone to look up a word and “woken up” thirty minutes later while reading blogs or checking Facebook!
When I start googling something, it’s only a matter of time before I’m looking up ways to order a chili dog from New York…
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
My number 1 distraction is my family. When I’m working they just continue to talk to me. So I sleep later than everyone else, that way, it’s real quiet and I can churn out words :) Great post, Jeff!
Anne Mercado recently posted..About to sip coffee, pregnant or breastfeeding mom? Wait!!!
Great suggestions! I’ve found that writing in a journal — you know, the old school style of just pen to paper — helps me not get distracted. Writing on paper makes me put my entire body into my writing forcing me to focus as if writing becomes performance art.
javacia recently posted..Words With Friends: Communication and friendship are the keys to a healthy marriage
I find that I am all over the place, thinking about the many things to do, google, texting and family, but when I put the pen to the pad my mind, body and soul ignites and I can’t be stopped. Yes, like performance art.
Editing on the fly is my biggest distraction. I’ve always gotten up early or stayed up late. However, the writing process gets slowed down by spill checkre and grammar; checker operation.
I use Word to write; therefore the easiest fix so far has been to turn of the spelling and grammar checkers on the first draft.
If you want to write faster: Bee wear the read squiggly lions!!
Steve
Steve Maurer recently posted..What Your Writer Needs to Know
Ooh, that’s a good one, too. And by good, I mean terrible. I edit too much, too.
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
Yup. That’s part of why I do my writing in a plain text document. When I’m done, I’ll paste the results into Word to see the misspellings and typos I missed.
But really, the editor in my head is many times worse than a spell checker. Misspelled words are the piddly stuff. Piddly, I say! The editor is far more concerned with overhauling the paragraphs before they’re even finished.
Having the right tools or getting up earlier might be helpful for me, but what I really need is to *stop editing while I’m writing.*
Victoria Neely recently posted..What’s the Point of This, Anyway?
Phone calls and texts are very distracting for me – no one thinks I work so they can call or text just whenever and it isn’t interrupting me. I put my phone on silence so that I am not tempted by the little dings or rings!
Of course, the internet is a distraction too and I try to make a list of things I want/need to look up without going to look for it just then because like another commenter, I will “wake up” 30 mins later not remembering what I even was looking for on the internet!
Finally, a dictionary is great to have handy but even more so, I like a thesaurus – old school, hard copy.
Sometimes, I purposely “forget” my phone in the other room so I can actually get some work done.
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
Great post Jeff. Social networking sites and email are my biggest distraction, as well as the guilt of not doing housework or anything else done. I used to get up early but summer is my busiest time at work so it’s not possible right now. I bought a desk and rearranged my bedroom furniture to accommodate it, but I STILL end up writing in my Lazyboy chair in front of the television….another distraction!
Wendy Reid recently posted..Insecure Writer’s Support Group – June Post
Jeff, I love your parenthetical note in section 1!
I constantly hear from leadership, productivity, writing, etc… blogs about the importance of getting up early to do your best work. This has been a constant struggle for me as I have done 99% of my work from the hours of 10pm-2am. Granted, after midnight is pretty late, but I find that time to be just as serene and distraction-free as 5-7am would be for others. I’m much more able to write after my day’s work is done rather than before when I am still anxious about all I need to accomplish.
I think the importance is to find time where you can work alone to be creative and free of distractions. Thanks for acknowledging night owls like myself!
Austin D Hill recently posted..Four Ways Vision will Benefit your Life
Totally makes sense, Austin. Find what works for you.
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
My first and biggest distraction is me. I bring about too perfect things in my scehdule(I’m coping with perfectionism) and if a slight mistake occurs in any part of it, my whole working day is lost, It lost me many days these holidays. Can you tell me how to cope with it? To just do the main tasks even when the schedule is not fit and up to the mark? I tried to do list and not to do list, but to no good. Thanks a lot for this post, a great one.:-)
Good one. I guess this is mine, too. Well that and shiny li—uh, what was I saying? ;)
Jeff Goins recently posted..How Great Writers Prepare for Big Projects
I wish I could write without editing. It’s the bane of my existence that I must edit everything as I go, even texts. I wish I could be one of those people to shoot a quick email and not fret about word choice. I waste so much time on writing that is disposable.
great points, jeff. i hadn’t thought of using a handheld dictionary/thesaurus in a long time. but you’re right; when i google something, i often get sucked into the internet (oh look, sailboat lessons in aruba!).
three things that have helped me continue to write (crank out volume):
1. short, timed sessions: i set the timer for twenty minutes and write non-stop until the timer goes off. i figure i can do anything for twenty minutes. i’ll often reset it and for 2, 3, 4 rounds. but even if i don’t, and only write one time/day for twenty minutes, i end up writing a lot.
2. set challenges/deadlines: telling myself “i need to write more” doesn’t motivate me very well. but setting a deadline, such as having all edits to Chapter 30 done by sunday night, or ten pages a day for one month, really helps. i know what my task is, there is the thrill of getting it done in time, and it’s finite and measurable.
3. having writing buddies: when i tell my writing buddies what my challenge is, i know they’ll hold me accountable. and when i know they’re working on a challenge too, it spurs me on.
it’s taken me a while to figure this stuff out, but it really helps.
Short, timed sessions are a great idea! I know SARK talks about micro-movements a lot.
Finding a regular time each day to write is a challenge. And with a toddler, my energy level during my “free” time is pretty low.
Thanks for the post. It’s nice to have a little nudge sometimes.
Amy
Amy I. Bloom recently posted..Scriptic Prompt Exchange
Hye Amy, your toddler must nap each day, why don’t you schedule that time to sit down and write, you’ll probly get a good hour. If you know that you are going to have lunch and then a time out just for yourself, it could be an energy boost for you.
It will be interesting, a generation from now, to compare pre-internet writing (fiction, journalism, technical manuals, whatever) to post-internet writing. I bet some clear and very general differences will emerge and will be traceable to how our brains have been rewired by 140-character Twitterature.
Great post. Inability to focus is, without a doubt, the killer of writers.
I like Write or Die as an aid to staying on track–if more than a few seconds go by without you putting words down, it makes your choice of horrible noises (babies screaming, alarm clock blaring, et al.), or on “Kamikaze” mode it starts to delete the words you’ve struggled to squeeze out.
Nothing motivates like the threat of punishment, amirite?
James Houston recently posted..Photo Friday
Random question: Do you think the Twitterverse had helped or hindered the writer?
Charles Singletary recently posted..What/Who is The Writing Righter?
Great post! Thanks for this important reminder, and for the tips!
Thanks for giving me permission not edit! I edited all of my dad’s stuff when he was writing his doctoral thesis and a lot of his students essays. I got to use that big red pen and make marks all over their papers, so now I think, “Oh I can’t leave that or it will be red!”
Taking a deep breath and making a commitment not to edit until I am done writing for the day. I can do this! :)
Awesome. Hope it goes well!
Jeff Goins recently posted..Great Artists (and Writers) Steal
Jeff, great post! I completely agree that distraction is an enemy of good writing. Within the communication model itself, it’s called interference and can be generated at any point along the communication cascade.
As writer’s not only do we have to be mindful of distraction as we create content, but it’s equally important for us to generate captivating content that holds the attention of our intended audience – inoculating them from distraction. Great thoughts as always!
Tor Constantino, MBA recently posted..My Guest Post on ProBlogger Today…
Way to break it down, Tor. Thanks for the comment! Great to hear from you!
Jeff Goins recently posted..Great Artists (and Writers) Steal
You want to get away from distractions caused by your software? Write with vi (pronounced “vee-eye”). There’s nothing in the window but your words. The learning curve is steep, but worth it. Available for Windoze at vim.org, and for Macs as MacVim. (Other flavors of vi are available, with some variations in capabilities.)
Jim Crigler recently posted..“Seen Sean?” is now available!
My number one distraction is the “Paralysis of Analysis” I research the heck out of things and then I edit my writing as I’m writing it.
William J Yancey recently posted..Biofield Perception: A Series of Pilot Studies with Cultured Human Cells | Abstract
Two things: My stone deaf mother blasting the TV because she refuses to wear her hearing aids and like most other people, the Internet.
My number one distraction right now has to be my new house. However, summer vacation is coming in a couple of days, so then it will be my two kids. I hate morning time, so I try to find time at night to do some extra work, like work on my books or blogs. I take care of private client work during the day.
Nicky LaMarco recently posted..Do You Really Have What it Takes to Become a Freelance Writer?
My #1 distraction is my perfectionism, i.e. I edit and correct as I type. As you say, I’m doing two jobs at once. However, in my own defense (no pun intended), I worked for some 30+ years in the legal field and multi-tasking wasn’t something you could live through a day without. Multi-tasking was a survival skill and expected of all employees. I’ve been retired for 6 years now, and I can’t break the habit! But you’re helping me, Jeff. Really you are!
Sherrey Meyer recently posted..Light, Gladness and Thanks
Hi Jeff. My writing life has been on hold these last weeks – house moving and all that – and then when I do make time for myself the usual bag of distractions takes hold. Internet – emails – Skype etc. Today I put OMMWriter to the test and immediately fell in love! Thank you for wise counsel and thank you for good direction. G
Emails and newsletters are a great distraction for me. Good thing I set up an auto filter that moves them to a newsletters folder, which I read whenever I get burned out from writing hours on end.
Nelle Zaragoza recently posted..First Month: Announcement
That’s good. I’m currently unsubscribing from almost EVERYTHING in my inbox.
Jeff Goins recently posted..Great Artists (and Writers) Steal
Hi,
I just love this post, thank you. Recently I have had a great fortune of stumbling upon Jeff Goins’ web page filled with great writing resources. His ‘Manifesto’ and ‘You are a writer’ book are great; inspirational as well as helpful.
I truly envy people who can write without editing … this is one of my biggest obstacles. I am for ever haunted and often held prisoner to words underline in red on my laptop screen. As English is not my first language, I am constantly painfully consciences of mistake I make, to the point of being paralyzed. That fear, although not the only one, kept me from actively writing for years. It was only very recently that I muster courage to write a blog, and to my surprise I found that some people even read what I wrote! For that I am very grateful. Fulfilment and joy writing brings me is not on par with anything else, and in my heart I know that for that reason alone I should just write first and edit later … still I am editing while writing these lines and worry already whether or not they are grammatically, stylistically or in any other way correct. It simply is a torture!
Thanks for reading, Daniela! I’m honored.
Jeff Goins recently posted..Great Artists (and Writers) Steal
IF I could do anything, ANYTHING, to keep from editing as I go, I would be thrilled. #3 is my absolute downfall. I just can’t get past re-reading and editing. It is a terrible sickness.
Judith Flickinger recently posted..I am a Writer, Day 5: Jeff Goins Writing Challenge
One thing to try is to write more quickly. When you slow down, you start to second guess yourself. Someone once told me the creative part of your brain works more quickly than the editorial part. I believe it.
Jeff Goins recently posted..Great Artists (and Writers) Steal
It took NaNoWriMo to grasp this concept. Once I got it, though, my speed increased vastly.
Charles Singletary recently posted..What/Who is The Writing Righter?
My real job!
Grayson Pope recently posted..Start Loving Like You Mean It
I totally get that. However, I think our day jobs can help us focus on our dreams, if we let them. One way to do that is to think of your day job as practice for your dream job and use it to develop better habits.
Jeff Goins recently posted..Great Artists (and Writers) Steal
My number one distraction is definately editing, I like it to look good straigt away (I get a bit OCD about it). As a result I find it hard to get into a flow when I write and it takes hours to write a 1500 word essay.
I’m on a summer break from my Psychology degree, so you have given me something to work on during the summer.
Richard Bibby recently posted..Anxiety Overview
Between waking up early and staying late, I prefer the being up early morning. The earlier the better, like around 5am or 6am. But that time is allotted for story ideas. Last month, I purchase this writing software called Storybook and it has helped a lot. I could enter the characters, tags, locations, and chapters. I’m a slow writer with so many ideas but unable to put them into one book. But lately, thanks to my employer, I’ve been applying kanban principles on the writing. The kanban is for prioritizing to-dos by visualizing it. It helps. I’m praying. So I have index cards, lots of them, and rolls of masking tape (smaller size) for posting the index card on my notebook. I don’t use Post-it notes. I prefer index cards.
Definitely social media!! :-) And here I am, doing it again….hee hee
Hello Jeff,
I think i get distracted by many things like those filthy smelling sales mails, Facebook notifications, my gadgets, girls. :P But my belief Is I get distracted because I wanted to, I was searching for reason and I found one.
We can always find reasons for distractions if we’re looking for one. But we can’t get distracted if we seriously or consistently work with our plans.
“Distraction is inevitable.”
BTW, Awesome post…
Romy Singh,
Romy Singh @GeekyWriter recently posted..How Important Is My Smile? Or Your?
My number one distraction right now is the long to-do list constantly running through my mind. I work full time and have a husband, 3 month old baby, and a dog. There is always something to do. When I schedule time to write I have to carve in enough extra time to power down that part of my mind.
Have you considered writing in small increments? Like a 15 minute break for example?
Charles Singletary recently posted..What/Who is The Writing Righter?
I write whenever I get the opportunity.
When you schedule your time, how much do your attempt to set aside?
I generally do at least 3 hours.
I imagine its a lot more difficult to take such a large chunk from your day. Thats simply my opinion.
Charles Singletary recently posted..What/Who is The Writing Righter?
It doesn’t matter. Just keep doing it. I’ve been writing in 15-30 minute increments for a few years now. Another advantage of writing on paper–bootup time is fast. Just keep doing it and after a while it becomes a habit.
One of several reasons I compose on paper is exactly this point about distraction. When writing there are a hundred little moments of pause. Even when all you are doing is writing, that doesn’t mean you’re writing constantly. In those little moments of pause, distractions can enter (note that I distinguish here between a distraction and an interruption).
When I’m at a computer, those little moments can easily become a toggle over to email, FB, a game, or … well … just about anything. It is the Internet, after all. And every one of those moments can expand into minute and hours and, most importantly, a loss of focus and momentum.
When it’s me and the paper I get just as many little moments of pause, but here is the difference. In those moments, there’s no hotkey. There’s no popup. There’s just me and the paper. Mostly, in those moments, I doodle. But I stay focused.
Works for me, anyway.
I definitely agree with you. I use paper 50% of the time, mostly when outlining and fleshing out ideas. I only use the computer when doing a draft.
Charles Singletary recently posted..What/Who is The Writing Righter?
Love this article. Distraction has been a major force in hindering my productivity when it comes to writing. Participating in NaNoWriMo helped significantly, but I slack without a specific deadline. These tips (and OmmWriter) help a lot. This also inspired me to write an article that will hopefully be featured here :). Dream Team!
Charles Singletary recently posted..What/Who is The Writing Righter?
I try so hard to just write and not fix typos as I go but I just can’t let them go. The little red squiggly screams at me. A friend once recommended typing with the monitor off but that’s hard to do with a laptop.
Jamie Kocur recently posted..Trying to get there
This is an easy one, Jamie. Only spellcheck on purpose. Turn off your spelling and grammar checker (just Google to learn how). Then write. Then, whenever you are in an edit phase, turn it back on, use it, then turn it off again. Works great!
I find that writing in paper and pencil, double spaced stops a lot of the distractions. There are no squiggly red lines, and if there is a true rewording to go on I can either erase or write it above. I also keep a journal with sections for quotes, story ideas, and notes that come to me during the day, I carry it with me all the time. When I do go to the computer I can use that time to do editing as I go, I have also turned off the grammar correct if it becomes too annoying.
My biggest distraction is the internet and after that it is daydreaming. I turn off the internet using a program called Freedom which locks me out of the internet and I use a program cslled Write or Die to set time and word goals. It is interactive so it plays horrible sounds if you get too far behind or stop typing for too long
If anyone would like to, I’ve posted a new weekly initiative that stimulates the micro-writing mind. Feel free to participate :)
Charles Singletary recently posted..Fifteen Minutes of Fiction
My distraction is daydreaming out my window. I seem to think words will come from outside my window.