Tips For Writers By Mary Jaksch Are you prone to digital distraction? I am. In fact, I’ve increased my ability to be digitally distracted so much that I hardly notice that I’m putting off writing.What is digital distraction?Reading emails How often do you check emails? When I’m stuck in procrastination, I happily check my emails every twenty minutes or so. After all, there could be an email that’s really important. I usually manage to find a few that I absolutely have to reply to at once. (After all, anything is better than having to tackle writing the piece I’m trying to avoid).Checking stats Once I’ve finished with my email, I check my blog’s stats. If I’m desperate to avoid starting to write, I not only take a note of the visitor numbers, I also look at who’s linked to my blog and what people searched for on google. That can take a long time (very gratifying for a procrastinator!) And it’s so important (or so I tell myself…)Tuning one’s blog A great way of digital fiddling is tuning my blog. I can spend a lot of time upgrading my plugins, finding new ones, or changing what’s in the sidebar. If I’m really desperate about avoiding to write a new piece, I’ll even look in the spam folder!Surfing the Net Surfing the Net is a great way to stave off writing! I always justify why I’m doing it. I start reading posts on blogging, or procrastination, or writing. In my mind I call it ‘research’.Networking Networking is important, right? (Anyhow, that’s what I tell myself). Writing Tweets, putting something up on Facebook, responding to google groups – this is sure to take up endless time. And push out the dreaded moment when I have to start writing a difficult post.Using productivity programs Using a productivity program is the ultimate way to procrastinate. After all, all programs needs fine-tuning. Maybe you want it to sync with your calendar? Or you want to add some more important tasks? I’ve learned to use up a lot of time using productivity programs.Finally, a moment comes when I run out of digital fiddling. And the piece I need to write is pressing against it’s deadline. Now what?Want to be a Published Author?The Proven Path From Blank Page To Bestselling Author.FREE WORKSHOP: Register Now To Save Your SpotHow to stop digital digital distractionsThere are three actions you need to take:1. Disconnect your computer from the Net. It can feel strange for a moment. As if we’ve left the world behind. But it really means re-connecting with ourselves.2. Turn off all programs on your computer, except for the one you’re going to write with.3. Write the first sentence.As writing coach Marla Beck says:In order to finish writing a piece, you must write, even if your end-product is a hole-filled Swiss-cheese draft.The great thing about writing is that words breed words. Once you get going, writing gets easier. In order to avoid feeling overwhelmed, I give myself clear goals. For example, I’ll say, ‘I’m going to write at least 500 words, then I’ll stop.’ [This post is now 513 words long.]What is your experience with digital distraction? How do you overcome procrastination? Image courtesy of Pixabay TweetPinShare