Leilanie Stewart

Lately I have been finding it very hard to focus on my writing. My brain is too flighty and my attention span nonexistent. Can anyone relate?

Things that distract me from writing

1. Netflix

I have been binge watching “28 days Haunted” and “Surviving Death.” Both are fascinating: whether you are a paranormal author like me, or whether you have an interest in supernatural phenomena, or both of the above, I definitely recommend these shows. Though, if you are an author, please don’t watch them when you should be writing!

2. Chatting on Wattsapp

I am guilty of sending mindless memes to my friends. I have multiple wattsapp chats on the go, and send random various stuff to each, depending on the flavour of the group. I see my wattsapp friend groups in real life too, so it’s not a totally online distraction – but it is fun.

3. Social media

Instagram and Facebook are my biggest distractions. I could mindlessly scroll all day if I didn’t lose my phone in the sofa cushions at least 50% of the time. I check into all of my socials too much – more than I need to and often in the middle of a juicy paragraph, causing me to lose my thread.

4. TV

Now, I can almost hear you say, “why on earth would you have the TV on while you write?” The answer is, not for me, but to entertain the youngster in the family. Though, I must say, one or two times I have been known to look up and laugh at “Pinky Malinky”. I am forty-something going on four at heart.

5. Real life

I try to switch off, as best I can, while writing; but sometimes conversations in the real world can throw me right out of my writing flow. Luckily I’ve developed a few short-attention-span-skills over the decades and I can pretty much slip back into the flow of whatever WIP I’m tackling, on the spot.

What about you? Any distractions that are tough ones for you – whether you’re writing, editing, reading, or anything else?