The View on My Street

As Spring Begins to Intrude Upon My Writing

As winter turns into spring, it has gotten harder and harder to stay indoors and focus on my writing when I’m feeling the lure of warm sunshine-filled days and soft breezes just outside my door. This is my second favorite time of the year–after fall–and it’s all too tempting to ignore my looming writing deadlines.

We novelists and freelance writers often don’t have bosses just down the hallway. This is the time of year when we have to work real hard to summon self motivation and discipline. Here are a few tips and tricks I find myself conjuring to help keep me motivated and get my writing done–even when I'd rather be walking through the park or around one of the many shimmering lakes in my hometown. Maybe they will work for you, too. Or maybe you’re just curious how writers deal with this.

1. Before I start writing, I set a goal for the day. Usually it’s a word count, sometimes it’s a number of pages or hours on the clock. Either way, I don’t quit until I get it done.  Having a goal helps me stay focused and motivated. Most days anyway.
   

2. Before I sit down to write, I make sure to minimize any possible distractions. I turn off the ringer on my phone and lower the volume of email beeps on my laptop. I shut the door to my office, which serves as notification to my family not to disturb me unless it’s urgent. 
   
   The birds outside my office window–and there are many in my wooded neighborhood–are another matter entirely. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out how to make their chirping work in my favor. I try to think of them as happily singing and cheering me on, telling me, yes, girl, you can do it. You can focus and get those pages written.

3. This may seem counterintuitive but I do sometimes take short breaks, especially if I become stuck or need time to figure out where to go next in my writing. A quick break seems to help my mind unwind and get the creativity flowing again. I might eat a snack or check my email.

Most of all I remind myself that the colorful blooms down the block and the blue sky above will still be there when I get done with my writing for the day. And I’ll feel so much better while enjoying it when I know I’ve taken care of business first.

That’s all I have for you for now ‘cause, you know, an 80-degree-not-a cloud-in-the-sky-spring-afternoon is calling. And I’ve completed my writing quota for the day.