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Here we are one week left to go of NaNoWriMo. Todayās theme is Distraction Free Day, but we have put together 4 essential tips for you to have a Distraction Free week!
Writing your first novel, is quite a challenge. You keep staring at that white void in your word processor, and you think: āHow on Earth am I ever going to get this done?ā. Itās very tempting to just give in to your fears and doubts then, and just go do something easier.
During NaNoWriMo, you have to write almost 12,000 words per week. Are you on track? Itās a daunting and intimidating challenge for first-time novelists. But perfectly doable, if you have a good strategy that enables you to create a story without being distracted all the time. Just as an army general doesnāt go into battle without a solid plan, so should a writer have one before entering into the war of art.
Follow These Strategies to Join Successful Novelists
Follow these strategies, and youāll join the countless number of people that can proudly call themselves novelists.
1. Write In The Morning
āWhy should it matter at what time of day I pick up my pen?ā, you might ask.Ā
Well, to be honest, a lot of writers have been successful despite each having his own different schedule and habits. Some write as soon as they get out of bed, others in the afternoon, while another might write in the depth of night. But that doesnāt mean there couldnāt be an optimal time to get your writing done.
As it stands, there has actually been scientific research into this. Studies have proven that people are actually most productive in the morning. This is linked to our circadian rhythm, which is our bodyās internal biological clock. This rhythm causes our alertness and concentration to peak right after getting up, up until about noon, after which it starts to slide down again. And an increased level of focus will cause you to be much less be distracted. One key condition for this to work is that you donāt have a hangover from the night before. Getting to bed on time will also increase this strategyās effectiveness.
2. Write Consistently
Routine, in an intelligent man, is a sign of ambition. A modern stoic knows that the surest way to discipline passion is to discipline time: decide what you want or ought to do during the day, then always do it at exactly the same moment every day, and passion will give you no trouble.’
- W. H. Auden
Since youāre still reading this, we have already established that you are, in fact, intelligent. All we need now is to establish a routine, and all the signs of ambition will be present.
All joking aside, using a set routine really might be the one most important strategies you can use. In fact, it can even be said that it is a critical element of success.Ā
Writing consistently and implementing routine has many facets.
First of all, you have to write at a set time, and write every day. Even if youāre not going to follow Strategy #1, either because you have a job to go to, or youāre just really not a morning person, itās still important to have a set time of day thatās dedicated to NaNoWriMo. Take your Google Calendar (or whatever it is you use to manage your time), and mark one or more hours per day for writing your story.
An second aspect of routine is that you set a minimum daily word count, and then make sure you get that amount done.
If you go about writing 500 words one day, 2000 words the next, and 300 words on Saturday, youāre setting yourself up for failure. Since you have to write 50.000 words during NaNoWriMo, that means about 1700 words per day, or 3-4 pages, which is perfectly doable on a daily basis. You donāt have to write a single word extra, but if you do, all the better.
3. Take Breaks / Use the Pomodoro Technique
If youāre writing for hours on end without any rest, your mind is definitely going to get exhausted. As a result, youāre going to run out of steam, and whatever you put down on paper just isnāt going to be top notch, even if you do get to the required amount of words.
Thatās why itās useful, crucial even, to take breaks when writing. However, weāre not talking about the kind of breaks where you watch five episodes of your favorite TV show. Short, intermittent breaks where you just let your mind recover a bit are really useful in accomplishing this goal. A really good tactic to use breaks is the Pomodoro Technique.
With the Pomodoro Technique, you write for an allotted amount of focused writing (typically 25 minutes), after which you take a five minute break, and resume working. After the fourth time, you take a longer break of about fifteen to thirty minutes. If you are the type of writer who really gets into āthe zoneā, then you can always make the focus session longer, but you might want to extend the breaks a bit too.
That way, you can stay fresh and focused throughout your insane writing frenzy.
Learn more how to do āPomodorosā here
4. Use A Productivity App
It used to be that writers made use of pen and paper. Then came the typewriter, which made things a bit easier. Since a few decades, we have these things called personal computers, which are even more convenient. However, thereās a big drawback to writing on a PC.
You see, you canāt use a pen, a piece of paper or a typewriter to:
- Watch thousands of different movies and TV shows
- Play an equal amount of addictive video games
- Read news sites and blogs (like youāre doing right now)
- Watch funny cat videos on YouTube (hey, Iām guilty of this too)
- Communicate with the rest of the world through social media
- Browse a wide collection of naughty graphic materials
See the problem? Thatās quite a list of distractions. Writers didnāt have all these luxuries in the past, and that probably made it a bit easier for them to get any work done. Talk about first world problems.
No worries, because every problem has a solution: FocusMe
Hereās what you can expect from FocusMe:
- Automated Productivity ā You can set a schedule that automatically starts your website/app blocking at the scheduled times you set. Youāll never āforgetā to turn on your productivity software again.
- Time Tracking ā See where your time is going ā view how much time you spend and how many times you open each website or application. All data is stored securely on your PC, not in the cloud.
- A More Flexible Website Blocker ā Most other productivity software only allow you to block sites. FocusMe has a Time Limiter feature to set a daily time limit for your list of ādistracting, but occasionally needed sitesā, like Facebook, YouTube, Gmail, etc.
- Take Better Breaks ā FocusMe has customizable break and Pomodoro timers built in. If your 10 minute break usually turns into an hour break, or you just canāt pull yourself away from the computer for the entire day then this is what you need.
- Impossible To Bypass ā If your willpower gets weak FocusMe has your back. You can either make it very difficult to disable your website/app blocks, or downright impossible (not even I can get by the Forced Focus mode).
- Advanced Blocking Capabilities ā You can set allow rules and only block sites that you find distracting. For example maybe you want to block most of reddit.com (sorry, Steve), but keep access to the parts you need for writing inspiration like reddit.com/r/writing/
Ā
My team and I are at the ready to make sure you get the most out of our software, if you have any questions or want help just shoot us a message or use our live chat service via focusme.com/support.
During NaNoWriMo, youāll get top class support just like all our users do (read our reviews).
Whether you use FocusMe in November or not, we wish all Wrimos the very best of luck to complete your novels and keep focused!
p.s. Donāt forget your phone! Itās best to put it in flight mode, turn it off, use Screen Time for iOS or use our free Android app.
p.p.s. Want to read more writing tips? Check out our article on our blog Distraction-free writing? 6 writing hacks you can do right now
Jon Rumens is the Creator of FocusMe, an app thatās dedicated to make the world (including yourself) more productive. As a former procrastinator, he has made it his mission to increase Novemberās worldwide novel output.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the key message is to find your most alert period and make that your dedicated writing time. The article notes many studies show concentration is higher in the morning.
If mornings donāt work for you, pick another consistent time when youāre least likely to be interrupted.
Build in flexibility by setting a minimum daily writing target (even if small) and sticking to a similar time each day. The article emphasises routine and daily commitment as important.
If you miss a day, donāt reward yourself with guilt, pick up again the next day.
Because writing for long stretches without rest leads to mental fatigue and diminishing returns. The article explains that using short, focused sessions (like Pomodoro 25 min/write +5 min/rest) helps maintain fresh, high-quality output.
They can absolutely help, when used intentionally. The article states tools like FocusMe enable scheduling, blocking distractions, and time-tracking.
But if a tool adds complexity or constant notifications, it may become a distraction itself. Choose wisely.
Treat your phone as one of your biggest distractors: switch it off, put it on flight mode, or leave it in another room. The article suggests doing so to minimise temptation and help you stay focused.
Either modify your environment to reduce those interruptions (ear-plugs, noise-canceling headphones, dedicated space) or schedule your routine when the environment is calmer. The article emphasises making a dedicated time and space for your writing routine.
While the original article doesnāt explicitly cover editing, the principle of ādistraction-free writingā implies writing first, editing later. Focus on creation during your dedicated sessions; save heavy editing for separate time blocks to maintain flow.
Donāt panic. The articleās consistency strategy recommends routine rather than perfection. If you fall behind, try writing two shorter focused sessions the next day or adjust your expectation and keep moving forward rather than fixating.
Look for one that has: scheduling/blocking features, minimal distractions, time tracking, and is simple to use. The article lists features of FocusMe (automated scheduling, forced focus mode, advanced blocking).
Prioritise usability over having the āmost featuresā.
Use the four strategies as ongoing habits: pick your best time of day, write on a schedule, take productive breaks, and use tools to minimise distractions. These donāt expire at the end of November. The mindset and process can become your writing standard year-round.
