In a couple of week's time, I'm heading off on an overnight writing retreat at a local hotel. This is something I try to do every few months ... though the pandemic threw off those plans.
When I'm at the hotel, I find it easy to focus ... even at times of day when I struggle to focus at home. In my hotel room, there's basically nothing I can do except write.
So I'm firmly of the opinion that your working environment does make a difference to your writing.
If you struggle with procrastination or a lack of focus, or if you never seem to find the time to write, it could be because of your writing environment.
Are you trying to write at home, with distractions all around: family members, chores to be done, meals to prepare, social media to scroll through? If so, try getting away and writing somewhere new for at least a couple of hours.
You'll instantly eliminate a lot of the distractions (tip: put your laptop into "airplane" mode so you're not tempted to go online, if you're somewhere with an internet connection). Plus, the act of setting aside time like this also makes it easier to sit down and just focus on writing.
Even if you do need to write at home, you might want to try working in different parts of the house. Perhaps you simply can't concentrate when you try to sit on the sofa and write ... but you find it much easier to focus if you're upstairs, working at a little desk in your bedroom. Maybe the kitchen table never seems to work as a writing location ... but your garden shed could be perfect.
Can you change your writing environment this week? Get out to a coffee shop or library, write out of doors, pick a different room in your home, or even book an overnight hotel stay. Whatever it is, give it a try ... and see how you get on!
