“Your focus is your future.” Oprah Winfrey
The ability to pay attention to our writing for sustained periods of time is key to making steady progress on projects, improving our craft, and gaining access to “the zone” where time is suspended and our words seems to be writing us instead of our writing them. So any focusing aids we can take advantage of are extremely valuable. Here are a few simple but powerful approaches:
Sit quietly for three minutes before you begin: So often when we launch into a writing session, we’re still feeling the fallout and pressure from other activities —whether it’s something we’ve just done or something we have to do later in the day. Instead of letting this get in the way, why not let it go? Give yourself a chance to be quiet and still. When they meditate, people are often given the instruction to just sit for a few minutes and let themselves “arrive” on the cushion and settle in— this is the same idea for us as writers—arriving at the page.
Write down your intention when you begin: Before you actually dig in to the writing task you plan to tackle, take a little time to write down on a piece of paper or card what you plan to accomplish during your writing session. It might be to “Work on chapter 6 of my novel” or “Come up with five ideas to handle the plot problem in chapter 3.” Whatever you want to do, write it down. Again, setting an intention is a very helpful technique that’s used in meditation. It gives your mind a touchstone to return to when it wanders — as it always does.
Listen to sound tracks or classical music: Some people like to work in silence, but others find that having music playing in the background helps them screen out distracting noises if they’re working in a café or even a library. Film soundtracks or classical music may be best, since lyrics will just be another distraction. A few favorite instrumental albums you play only when you’re writing can be a reliable way to get into a writing mood. Using certain pieces of music as “triggers” to help you slip into your writing mode is a great idea — it’s a technique that elite athletes use to get themselves psyched for competition.
Focus fuels our creativity—so let’s stay on track and write on!
