Finish Your Writing with the 5 W’s of Focus

Camp NaNoWriMo is upon us! You may be wondering: what do you do when you can’t focus on your writing? Today, writer DeAnna Hundley shares her set of 5 W’s of Focus to think about when pushing through the end of the month:

When it comes to creativity and writing, one of my best—and worst—traits is the fact that i cannot stay focused… at all.

It can be a great thing because, without focus, I never run out of new ideas.  Books, scripts, songs,

just waiting for the world to see them. You know how the singers of old used to put out two albums a year, because their record labels worked them like indentured servants? That’s what creativity feels like sometimes.

On the other hand, it can be a bad thing, because a) the ideas leave just as fast as they come, and b) I can never sit down long enough to actually get them on paper. Perhaps you can relate.

Luckily, I’ve developed a few helpful tips over the years that you may find useful—tips I like to call the 5 W’s of Focus! 

1. When Will You Write?

As with work, errands, and family, you need a schedule for writing that suits you. You know when you’re going to be tired. You know when the whole writing thing just isn’t going to work out. You know that you get distracted easily. You know when you want to go to that concert or wine tasting. If 3,000 words takes three hours, you may have to set aside more than that. Only you know the schedule of your life—now apply it to that book!

2. Who Are Your Characters?

Have you ever had a crush, and when you’re obsessing over them you remember the tiniest little tidbits of information about their lives? Writing can feel like that sometimes; you focus only when you’re attached.

Start with writing down the details of your characters’ lives. (If you haven’t written down your characters yet, stop reading this and grab some paper right now!) Whether you have them on your mind, or on your paper, recognize that you’re going to be spending the next few months with these people. You will remember little tidbits about them and it will make you want to round them out and expand upon them. 

3. What is Your Novel About?

Set aside your word count stress dreams and return to the thing that made you want to write. What is your novel about? Do you have a simple outline about what it’s going to be? Do you have an idea about how you’re going to write it? What is making you want to write this novel in particular? What about your novel makes it more important than almost everything else this month?

4. Where Will You Write?

Consider this: where are you writing? At home? At the mall? At a friend’s house? The beloved local coffee shop? Wherever it is, make sure that isn’t affecting your ability to write a great story. If I’m at home, I can focus. There is nothing wrong with noise, if you can handle it. I’ve tried, but the mall is a no-go for me. I love the mall, but only when I know I’ll bang out no more than 350 words. 

A coffee shop, on the other hand, only works for me if it’s almost empty. When I was younger, I would only “write” in coffee shops—because that’s what real writers do, right? Don’t subject yourself to an environment that attacks your senses negatively because it’s “The Write Thing” to do. You’re a writer, no matter the location. Some of my best writing has been done on my ugly couch, sans pants, with a terrible romantic comedy playing in the background and a glass of wine. 

5. Why Do You Write?

Why are you writing this book (or short story, poems, or screenplay). Are you writing to publish? Are you writing because you think it will change the world? Are you writing to practice? Gearing up for the bigger word goals? Are you doing it just to see if you can? 

Whatever your “why,” make sure you’re writing because you want to. You will not concentrate on anything you don’t want to do. That’s just human nature; if I see writing as an obligation and not enjoyment, then I’m going to give up.

It took me forever to write this because I kept getting distracted (go figure). I’m not in the job of telling people what to do, but I do hope my suggestions help the process. We’re all doing this because we have this irrational love for writing and an even more irrational love for procrastination. So for this Camp NaNoWriMo and all the NaNo’s after, here’s to a month of (hopefully) stressless writing!

DeAnna Hundley is a novelist, musician, and punk rocker currently located in Seattle, WA. She wrote her first book in 2017, set to be released in 2018. When she’s not writing, she is hitting up punk shows or watching Quentin Tarantino movies. Visit her on Instagram @ireneexmorgan. 

Top image licensed under Creative Commons from gordonplant on Flickr.