Hello!
Quick heads-up: Writers' Cafe closes at the end of tomorrow (or possibly today if we run out of places!) and won't re-open until September. There are still a few places left. Check it out: aliventures.com/writers-cafe
Do you struggle to focus when you're working on your novel or short stories?
Maybe you're intenting to write for an hour, but you find yourself "warming up" by scrolling social media or news, then you manage a few sentences before getting distracted again.
This is really common. It doesn't help that the devices we write on are generally connected to the internet, so we have an entire world of distractions literally at our fingertips.
And distraction isn't always a bad thing. Letting your mind wander for a bit may help ideas to flow better. A random news story or social media comment could even spark a new story.
But even if you have hours free for writing, it's frustrating to feel like you've ended the day with not much to show for it. And if your days are hectic, you want to make the most of the bits of time you do have.
Here are four fast ways to focus:
#1: Turn Off Your Internet Connection
Some of my most focused brainstorming is done in the clubhouse at my kids' football club, where my laptop invariably fails to connect to the wifi! Switching your wifi connection on and off takes seconds ... but even that little barrier to being online can help you to stay focused. (If, like me, you write in Google Docs, you can set it to work in Offline Mode.)
If switching off entirely doesn't make sense for you (maybe you're doing research), you can use browser extensions to block whole sites or parts of them. I use LeechBlock to hide the YouTube homepage feed, so I can still access YouTube to play music.
#2: Set a Timer
This is one of my favourite instant ways to focus. Set a timer for, say, ten minutes … and just write until the time is up. Ten minutes may not seem like much, but you might be surprised by just how many words you can get down when you’re truly focused.
If you struggle with the “getting started” bit of a writing session (me too!) then a timer can be a great way in. Set it for, say, three minutes and you’ll hopefully have got over that initial hump without needing to doomscroll for half your writing session.
#3: Write Down an Intention
There’s nothing wrong with sitting down to write without much idea of what you’ll be working on. Sometimes, it’s fun to just follow where inspiration leads, or to try out different ideas without pressure.
But if you want to make progress on a project – perhaps a novel or short story – then it’s really helpful to have a clear intention for your writing session. That could be something like “write the next 500 words” or “edit the next scene” or “outline everything up to the first plot point”. Having a clear goal makes it a whole lot easier to stay focused.
#4: Tell Someone You’re Writing!
Last week, I wrote about how helpful accountability is for writers. When you sit down to write, iot might be the case that most of the time, no one even knows what you’re doing. If you instead spent 30 minutes on Instagram, no one will know about it … except you.
In Writers’ Cafe, we have live writing hours nearly every day, where we get together, briefly share our intention for the time (see #3!), write for a set time (see #2!) and then come back together to share how it went. Plenty of people, me included, find it easier to push on through moments of distraction when we know we’ll be reporting back at the end of the hour.
Writing can take a lot of energy, and it’s no surprise that focusing often feels hard. If you struggle with focus – please be kind to yourself! Pick one thing about to try this week, and see if it makes your writing sessions easier and more enjoyable.
Happy writing,
Ali
P.S. Writers’ Cafe closes tomorrow and I usually find that the majority of people join on the final day! We currently have 5 places left as I write this, so if you want to be sure of getting one, I recommend signing up today. Here's the link again:
aliventures.com/writers-cafe
Use the password alinewsletter to get freebies at aliventures.com/newsletter-secret
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