Wriging

When I really need to focus, I'll put on some lyricless music. Like Blue Man Group, Donnie Darko Soundtrack, or Sigur Ros which helps my mind focus.

There's something about music that allows me to focus really intensely.

I'd recommend that you create a space dedicated solely to your writing, like a special office. If you know you're prone to distraction, then you just need to eliminate them: don't connect you computer to the Internet, don't have a TV in the room, don't have a phone, etc.

I am a fan of the library. Surrounded by people who are working, reading, and studying, I find it much easier to dedicate myself to the job at hand. It doesn't work for some people, but it's the only way I can force myself to work sometimes.

It's good to give a little thought to why you're being so easily distracted. For example, is the work boring you? If so, you might need to take a break and think again about why you took it on and what's interesting about it.

I do think Erin is right -- it's good to have a place you use for that writing project, a place that doesn't contain distractions.

Another thing that's helpful is to build in some kind of accountability. You might tell someone that you'll have bits of the project for them to review every xx weeks. Sometimes that helps.

And one other think -- You can reward yourself for concentrating well enough to finish some short term goals. (I am a big fan of that. I own several nice pairs of shoes as a result of meeting important goals.)

I've always found writing at coffee houses helps me concentrate. Not having any of my stuff around like I would at home is a big start on keeping concentration but so to is the near constant background clamor you get in a place like that. While there are tons of possible distractions, none of them are interesting and they're all in such a mash, so I just kind of automatically ignore it all.

class StumblingBlock {
public StumblingBlock(Blogger blogger) {
blogger.dontWrite();
blogger.frustration("max");
}
}

... oh, wait. We weren't supposed to Write a Stumbling Block?

I generally do what Peroty does. Sit down in isolation and listen to Debussy. Working during nighttime works like a charm, too. Always soothes my mind to know the world is asleep.

Distractions can be a pain no doubt. My sympathies with you leveillej. I find, at least for a first draft, I'll often do what everyone else mentions, turn off internet, radio, tv, my brain, with mood music, and go at it. I also find writing at the same time each day can help get me into a flow with a first draft. I'll sit down at 9:00AM, or whenever, and tell myself to pound it out for at least two hours, could be more but never less than the goal.

I'll then repeat the next day, and so forth, until I'm back in a rhythm. It's sorta like the advice to go to bed at the same time each night to get a sound night's sleep. Conditions the brain; 9:00AM means writing.

I also have to remind myself that first drafts suck. At least relative to the final product. It doesn't have to be perfect, or even mediocre, it just has to exist outside my head. If I get stuck on the immensity of the task I'll manufacture distractions to avoid finishing it... That's first drafts though. Rewriting is an entirely different beast, at least for me.