Beating procrastination: 5 tips for staying focused when writing

I’m not sure whether to call it writer’s block or simple procrastination, but sometimes I find it difficult to finish a writing assignment.

Though many times words flow easily on to the page, occasionally the well runs dry. I’ve found this happens most often when:

1. I don’t really understand the topic and need to do more research or get clarification from a client.
2. The topic has been written about a dozen times (sometimes by me!), and I need to find a new perspective to give it life.
3. I just don’t feel like writing.

This morning, I experienced the third scenario. As a result, I checked my email. Several times. I cleared out a substantial backlog of posts in my Google Reader account. I posted a few replies on Twitter. I ate a snack. All of these – minus the snack – made me feel slightly more connected and organized. But they did very little to help me finish the article I was supposed to be writing.

So for those of you who are reading this to avoid your own writing projects, here are a few techniques I’ve used to move beyond the writer’s block/procrastination doldrums:

1. Write something. Anything. A blank screen is menacing. Remembering that whatever I write first will probably be deleted in the end makes it easier to commit. Often I retype existing text rather than cutting and pasting it because doing so helps me get in the groove.
2. Start from the middle. The headline and lead paragraph are often the two most difficult sections to write. Skip them, write the body of your piece, and then add the introduction.
3. Close your browser window. Having instant access to the Internet makes it far too easy to distract myself when a to-do item flits through my brain. By simply making a list of items I’d like to research, I stay more focused.
4. Promise yourself a reward. Yes, this is a tactic that also works well with my five year old. But I’ve found it doesn’t take much. If I write three paragraphs, I can look up something on my “to research” list. Once I finish a draft, I can go outside for a walk.
5. Follow Hemingway’s advice.

“The best way is always to stop when you are going good and when you know what will happen next. If you do that every day when you are writing a novel you will never get stuck.”

Though Hemingway spoke from his experience writing fiction, the same advice holds true for all types of writing.

This is far from an exhaustive list. Please share your comments on how you stay focused and productive.