Pushing past procrastination: Tips, tricks for distracted writers

There are few skills more imperative to success than the ability to write, which is celebrated in many forms. Fiction writing and life writing are specifically recognized in the month of November, as both styles are integral to culture as a whole, in different ways. 

Fiction can stretch the imagination and create new worlds — like the work of the late great Stan Lee. It can also make biting commentary on modern life and offer subversive perspectives, like the satirical work of Paul Beatty. Life writing generally consists of documenting life, and can be manifested in journals, diaries, autobiographies and biographies. Depending on the context, this style can be deeply therapeutic or incredibly informative, capturing the mundane and remarkable in life alike. 

Whether it be in a personal journal for fun or an expository writing assignment, Rutgers students know a thing or two about sitting down and putting a few words together. Still, as integral as writing is, it is easy to get distracted while doing it. Writing oftentimes requires the focus and isolation that we don’t typically grant ourselves, due to the omnipresence of social media and the never-ending stream of content thrown in front of us every day. If you’re looking to focus and churn out some improved writing, try some of these pointers.

Accept that you’ll get distracted

This surely seems contradictory, but accepting that you’ll lose focus when writing is a crucial step to getting better at focusing. Far too often, resurfacing after a hazy procrastination session dissuades people from continuing with the task at hand. Losing your train of thought is definitely frustrating, but it shouldn’t be so demoralizing that it leads you to put off writing altogether. The quicker you accept that distraction is a fact of life, the easier it is to start to catch yourself slipping into another round of time-wasting. 

Try writing in an unfamiliar location

The perks of having a room are obvious -- you can arrange it however makes you most comfortable and calm. In fact, the places we live often become centered around settling in and relaxing, especially for people who are constantly on the move. But, the familiarity may breed a lack of attentiveness. Writing in less familiar spaces, like an unexplored nook in a library or even a louder area like a student center might be what you need to break out of old habits.

Write to a schedule

This tip is especially relevant for life writing styles like journaling, but works for any style or form. If your schedule allows, fitting in “writing time” might set you in the right frame of mind to get to business. Whether daily, weekly or even monthly, the routine may help you to settle in to writing easier. To avoid monotony you can cross-pollinate this approach with writing in different locations, switching between spaces at the predetermined writing time.

Leave yourself notes 

With longer projects and assignments, issues often arise when trying to pick up a point that you left the last time you were writing. Instead of leaving concepts adrift between writing sessions, dedicate some time to leave yourself a few notes on what you would’ve continued to write if you didn’t have to stop. When returning to your work you don’t have to adhere to the ideas you left for yourself, but they can be crucial to keeping the themes and voice of the piece centered. 

Writing is what you make of it. It can be exciting or excruciating, depending on how you approach it. Whether you love fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting or anything in between,  writing requires considerable discipline. With these tips and others specific to your personal tendencies, some effort and plenty of practice, anyone can greatly improve their writing.