It is a problem experienced by the best of writers at one time or
another: struggling to focus on your writing because of external
distractions. Do you always have just one more email you’d like to reply
to before you start writing? Need to get the kids their dinner or help
them with their homework? Want to make sure your stationary
cupboard is fully stocked? There are so many reasons not to buckle down
and get on with the business of writing! If this sounds like you then
here are a few tips for focusing on your writing and getting your work back on track:
Set a Writing Schedule!
It’s important to see your creative writing as a job and the best way to
do that is to set yourself daily deadlines, just like you would in an
office environment! How you organize these deadlines is up to you:
what’s important is that you set them, achieve them, and they are
realistic. Some writers like to set themselves daily word counts: for
example, they must write 1,000 words a day. Other writers prefer to
focus on quality rather than quantities of work produced and instead try
to work solidly for certain chunks of time instead: you must sit at
your desk for two hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon,
for example. It doesn’t matter what targets you set, just set them and
stick to them!
Stay hydrated and avoid alcohol
The list of writers who have struggled with alcoholism during the course of their career is seemingly endless. Raymond Chandler abused
alcohol for the entire duration of his writing career. Welsh poet Dylan
Thomas spent much of his career boasting about his drinking and his
health deteriorated rapidly towards the end of his life due to this
vice. He ultimately slipped into a coma whilst drinking to celebrate his
39th birthday and died four days
later. Finally Edgar Allan Poe died at the young age of just 40, and his
unexplained death has been attributed in turn to a mix of alcoholism,
drugs, cholera, and tuberculosis. Although all of these writers had huge
success during their careers, of course, there is no glorifying
drinking as you write. There is no merit to drinking simply due to the
ill-conceived idea that it might contribute to your art. If you do feel
you are drinking too much during the writing process then seek help before the problem escalates too much. You can find support wherever you are from Florida alcoholic help,
to New York rehabilitation centers. Don’t be tempted to reach for a
beer or a glass of wine whilst you’re working, but do keep hydrated.
Being properly hydrated will actually help to increase your
concentration. Water makes up approximately 60% of your body mass
and about 80% of your brain, so it makes sense that drinking it will add
to your brain power!! Keep a jug of water on your desk as you work,
and get into the habit of sipping throughout the day.
Create the Perfect Work Environment
Working on your laptop whilst curled up on your sofa might feel comfy,
but it certainly won’t aid your productivity! If you want to work smart
then work at a desk: preferably in an office or a separate room away
from the hustle and bustle of family life. If that’s not possible (if
your desk is in your living room for example) then ensure that you turn
the TV, radio, or any other stimulus off whilst you’re trying to wrote.
Listening to Oprah might be a pleasant way to spend the afternoon, but
it won't help your work! Keep your working environment tidy and clutter
free; after all, having a tidy space is conductive to having a tidy
mind. Finally, avoid the lure of the writers favorite haunt: the coffee
shop. Working in a coffee shop with your laptop and a latte may make you
feel like a ‘real writer’ but it certainly won’t aid your word count!
The people-watching opportunities in a coffee shop are endless, and it’s
far more exciting to see what’s going on around you than it is to edit
that final chapter. Stay at home and increase your productivity
instead!
Written by Claire Baines
No comments:
Post a Comment