Productive Writers Don’t Drift

Drifting will leave you in a sea of words without a paddle

I think I’m addicted to drifting. HELP! I need intervention…

Have you ever felt like screaming those words, hoping someone would come to your rescue? You’re not alone.

What is drifting

Drifting happens when we get distracted. We pause our writing to verify a fact, do a little research, or check our social media engagement. Minutes or hours later, we wake up to the fact that we’ve been drifting further and further away from our current writing project.

Distractions are common to every writer, but not every writer has the same set of distractions. However, there are a few that seem to affect the majority.

Common distractions

I’m going to start with the one that kicks me into “drift mode” the fastest and for the longest time.

1. Research — this one gets me every time because I can’t seem to ignore the clickbait, the not-to-be-missed-video, and of course, those Google-generated ads designed especially for me. And if that’s not enough, there is always a fascinating website related to my research that needs exploring.
2. Friends who view my writing as a hobby — I love my friends but honestly, sometimes they can be the densest group on the planet. They just don’t get it! They’re always dangling another type of clickbait in my direction. “Come have lunch with the girls. Let’s have a spa day. Store X is having a blowout sale. You’ve got plenty of time to write later…”
3. Home is the most distracting place on earth — Working from home has its own universe of distractions. It’s cluttered with other people and things who have mastered the art of setting you “adrift” — your spouse, kids, grandkids, roommates, and pets. Enough said.
4. Technology — Would it really kill us if we didn’t answer that phone call, check the weather app, or complete a new level on our favorite online game?

Why do we drift

Now that we’re all feeling really down on ourselves because we’re circumstantial pushovers, let me share something that may take some of the heat off us.

Psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert found that the human mind is actually wired for this state of continuous distraction.

At least all our drift time can’t be blamed on us. What a relief!

How can we control our drifting addiction

• Put yourself in lockdown — No kidding. Remember when you were a kid and your parents put you on restriction and sent you to your room. This is the same principle. As a writer, you messed up when you allowed yourself to be overcome with distractions. So a little self-discipline is called for. Put yourself in lockdown for a specified time. Whatever time of day is your best writing time would be ideal. Oh, don’t forget. No T.V., no phone, no tablet, no cozy reading, no napping — just write.
• Set a specific goal — No coming out of lockdown until your deadline or goal is complete. Make it your aim to finish something. It could be a specified word count, on-topic research, submission tracking, new story drafts, edits, etc.
• Keep everything you need at hand — Don’t give yourself a reason to leave lockdown because you forgot to get your cup of coffee or left your notebook in the car.
• Hit the ground running — The right mental attitude is your best friend. Don’t stroll into lockdown — charge through the door. Get excited, build anticipation, raise your productivity bar to a crazy, impossible level and then run for the finish line. Whew! With all that energy focused on writing, distractions will run for cover.

When is drifting a good thing

You weren’t expecting that subheading, were you? Until I started researching this topic, I have to confess that I never thought there might be a good side to distraction for writers.

A study conducted by Northwest University has found that highly creative individuals are generally more easily distracted than the average person.

So there’s your sign. You can now proudly declare that your high distraction level is indicative of your creative genius.

Capitalize on your distractions

How? Turn them into inspirational moments. NEVER walk away from a distraction without acquiring an inspirational gem. That gem is most easily found in analyzing what caught your attention in the first place.

If the image, concept, question, fact, premise, or conversation was luring enough to catch you, it would probably do the same for many of your readers. Keep a notebook full of these gems to use in your future writing projects.

Here’s your takeaway

1. Lockdown is a great writing practice.
2. You’re a creative genius in disguise.
3. Turn distractions into inspirational gems.