Week 10 Lab: 7 Tips to Remove Distractions While Blogging
By Akshay Hallur
When browsing articles on Writers Write, I came across this article and knew it would be a must-read for myself. I think this article is something that anyone in this class, or anyone that is blogging in general, could benefit from. Blogging is much different compared to journaling - compared to writing in a notebook, I believe that doing anything online can make it so much easier to get distracted when the Internet is at your finger tips.
The 7 tips from this article are:
1. Create an outline
2. Find the perfect time and place to write
3. SWOT Analysis
4. Turn off external distractions
5. Create and follow a timeline
6. Distinguish between drafting and editing
7. Train your brain
Some of these did stick out to me more than others; following a timeline, turning off external distractions, and training your brain are all things that I can easily do to help me stay focused when I'm writing on my computer. I feel like even having my phone across the room on the charger (compared to being next to me) makes all the difference as well. Something else I've realized I benefit from is turning my computer notifications on do not disturb - or else I get my texts across my laptop screen mid-writing. Creating a timeline is important because it eliminates the likeliness of letting yourself procrastinate, and training your brain to develop good writing habits that help you stay focused is obviously a no-brainer. Even dedicating 25-50 minutes to focus and then giving yourself break can make all the difference.
Writers also need to remember that no matter well they write, there's always room for improvements. Like Akshay Hallur writes, we must remember that even the smallest distraction can have a significant impact on our creativity in the long run.
Focusing. Link here
Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteThese are some really good tips! Some of these I do already such as creating an outline and turning off external distractions. Sometimes I even put in earplugs to minimize distractions and it helps a lot! What is SWOT analysis? That's funny what you do with your cell phone, keeping it in a charger across the room because I do the same thing! I think I'll try to find a perfect place and time to write. That might help me get in a comfortable mindset quicker.
Hi Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I stumbled upon this post and as a result, got some great tips out of it. I definitely agree with you about leaving your phone on the other side of the room so you aren't tempted to scroll through it. I've also found myself placing my laptop on do not disturb so I'm not constantly distracted by the barrage of texts and notifications that pop up on my screen and demand my attention. I'll for sure look into implementing some of these other tips while blogging.