How to Eliminate Distractions While Writing Your First Novel

When National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) rolls around, countless new writers typically take part in the challenge. Many of them excitedly began the difficult process of actually sitting down and writing their very first book.

Since I've participated in the annual challenge on multiple occasions, I like writing about my experiences, and providing helpful NaNoWriMo tips for new writers and participants. In this particular article, I'd like to share some points about eliminating writing distractions.

Eliminating distractions before you get started with writing your manuscript will need to be a regular thing. That means each time you sit down to work on your novel, you have to do what you can, to get in the writing frame of mind.

What you are about to consider, are some ways to help eliminate distractions, both internal and external.

Eliminating Distractions

There is absolutely no nice way to tell you what you'll have to do if you ever want to get your book written. I'll just be straight with you. To get people to stop taking advantage of your writing time, you're going to have to put on some big girl panties or some big boy drawers.

That means learning to put your foot down and not let anyone disturb your writing sessions. Easier said than done right? Maybe that might be the case in the beginning, but trust me, things will eventually start to change. But make no mistake, that change has to start with you.

The good news is, this information can help and pretty soon, the change will begin. Your new writing routine will start to become second-nature to you. In fact, you won't be the only one conscious of your new routine.

You'll discover how to start making it abundantly clear to everyone around, that you're in the middle of a writing session. Until you get to that particular point, there are a few simple things you can start off doing to eliminate distractions.

Tie Up Loose Ends:

If you have a ton of things to do that require immediate attention, clearly you won't be able to concentrate during a writing session. Your aim is to be disciplined and create a practical schedule and routine.

But at the same time, you have to be reasonable. If something pressing needs to be taken care of but you try and write anyway, you end up wasting time and being less productive. So before you prepare to immerse yourself into your writing session, make sure there are no loose ends to subconsciously distract you.

Be Relatively Comfortable:

When you begin a writing session, the last thing you need is to be wearing shoes, clothing, or anything else that might cause you discomfort. If you're not comfortable in what you have on, these things will become a good excuse to interrupt your session.

Interruptions can cause you to lose your writing groove and disrupt your pace. It's better to think about what you're wearing before the session starts.

The same thing is true about your workspace. You want to be comfortable to some degree, but not so comfortable that you get lazy or sluggish. Resist the urge to write while you're reclining or laying down, especially in bed. You'll feel sleepy before you know it. Writing after a big meal can also have this affect, so monitor what you eat (and drink) prior to your writing sessions.

Unplug:

If your life and circumstances allow you to go incognito for a couple of hours when it's time to write - DO IT! Turn the outside world off completely while you write. No texting, no reading texts, no making or receiving phone calls or emails, and no visitors announced or unannounced.

(Okay, that might be going a bit far if someone drops in and it's an emergency, but still…) The main thing is to prevent people from assuming they can just drop by when you're writing.

So put a "DO NOT DISTURB" sign on your door or near your workspace and prepare to write.

Final Thoughts

This information was created specifically for participants in the National Novel Writing Month challenge. But that doesn't mean you can't use it at any time you see fit.

The same principles and strategies are involved, no matter when you decide to put them to the test.

That means you can learn to eliminate distractions and get started writing your novel in November, or any other month.

Remember, this is about more than simply reading the information and deciding if it sounds good or not. The whole point is to allow what you've read here to motivate you to action.

Good Luck

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