Things that Irk an English Major

Part 7: Staying Focused

Ah, staying focused, or rather attempting to stay focused. A struggle that is all too familiar.

Besides the obvious obstacle to staying focused: being interrupted, there are several other things we English Majors face that keep us from being focused. Normally this problem occurs while writing, so I will be focusing on that. Funny right, I'm focusing on what keeps me from being focused while writing. Did you follow all that?

Commonly I find myself and other writers to be distracted while writing by more writing. By that, I mean we will be writing perfectly fine, the plot rolling along smoothly when, out of nowhere, an idea for a completely different story appears to us. Of course we have to stop what we're doing and write it down, because it could be a best seller when we get around to writing it. By then, I'm sad to say, we often have forgotten what we were trying to say with our original story. Or worse, our only desire is to work on the new idea, because ideas for it just keep coming; it's as if writer's block doesn't exist when you're not focusing on what you should be.

Another problem we have staying focused is that we get these ideas out of nowhere at the worst times, meaning we're trying to sleep or there isn't any paper around. So of course we have to get up, after we've already stayed up late studying, because we can't resist another story idea. Just add it to the hundreds of others we thought of but haven't gotten past the first chapter of because we get an idea in the middle of them too.

Sometimes the problem doesn't lead us to another story. Sometimes ideas make us rethink what we've wrote, because by going back and changing one thing we could change the way the story is going, a feat I struggle with conquering. Or perhaps it is an idea for later on in the story, and now I have to stop and think about how to get there from the point I'm at. Will the story need to move quicker, slower, or will another idea change my mind again?

Now if I could just stay that unfocused on things that are a waste of time!

Sincerely,

A frustrated aspiring editor, Elaura_B

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A/N

You know, they say a writer is never done editing and revising, that they only get to a point they're happy with. I am here to offer my help with this, well, with the editing part anyways. I can attempt to help with revisions also, but I do not feel that that is a strong spot for me just yet. Perhaps we can try it together? Let me know if you wish for me to edit anything, yes ANYTHING, for you by private messaging me.

Please comment and vote. Thanks!