One of the most frustrating aspects of writing is dealing with distractions. You could be making steady progress on your current work-in-progress, only to be derailed by interruptions and negative thought patterns. But to be successful, or at least to successfully complete that beloved work-in-progress, you need to figure out a way to conquer those distractions.

There are two types of distractions: external and internal. External sources of distraction occur outside your work space. It could be extraneous noise, like ambulance sirens blaring in your neighborhood, the sound of drilling as construction work is being done outside your window, or a group of children playing. There could also be external interruptions closer to home–the frequent ringing of your phone, the sudden desire to do housework or the constant temptation to check your social media for updates.

For the purpose of this post, I’m focusing on internal distractions–the ones that claim valuable headspace. Those thoughts are often counterproductive, derailing you from your best creative efforts. There are five internal distractions that I’ve come across in my writing practice, and I’ve given each of them a name. You’ve probably met them at some point too. 

For each “character,” I’ll briefly describe how each one interferes with your writing practice and what you can do to limit its impact.

Negative Nellie
Nellie is a chatterbox who won’t stop talking about what a horrible writer you are. Her negative self-talk grates on your nerves and drains your self-confidence. If you keep listening to her, her words will sink in and you’ll begin to believe all the negative comments she makes. Negative Nellie is adept at pointing out all your faults and suggesting how you will never measure up.  Negative Nellie’s main purpose is to slow you down enough to make you rethink your career as a writer.

To offset Nellie’s negativity, you have to remain positive. To turn those negative thoughts into positive action, try repeating some affirmations. Here are a few examples, or you can create your own:

* I’m a talented and creative writer who works hard to develop my craft.
* I write every day with passion, enthusiasm, and determination.
* I experience joy whenever I write.

Debbie Doubter
Debbie is Nellie’s close cousin. They’re very similar in mindset, though Debbie isn’t as relentless in her derailing efforts as Nellie. Still, her words can hurt you by prompting you to question yourself. “What made me think I could become a writer?” or “No one will ever want to read what I’ve written.” Once you begin to doubt yourself, you lose faith in your writing, and you lose heart. If enough doubts set in, you might give up on writing altogether.

What you need at times like this is more confidence. One way to gain that confidence–and keep the self-doubt at bay–is to focus on your small successes. Did you write only 300 words when you were aiming for 1000? Congratulate yourself on those 300 words. Did you finally finish that chapter you’ve been slaving over for the past week? Great! That’s one more milestone you’ve reached. When you celebrate each small success, confidence builds over time.

Wendy the Worrier
Wendy wastes much of her time worrying about things that will likely never happen. That’s because her thoughts are geared toward the future instead of being focused on the present. “But what will you do if you fail?” she might ask. “What about your regular job? You can’t give that up just to write full time.” 

The solution to all this worry about the future is to stay in the present. The truth is we can’t control what happens in the future, but we can control what we do in the here and now–like writing. We can control what we write and how much we write. But we can’t control how people will respond to our writing. Their emotional responses belong to them. Focus on what’s important now, and the future will take care of itself in its own time.

Unfocused Fiona
Fiona is a distraction magnet. Every little thing bothers her. She can’t concentrate on any of her work because her mind is drawn to so many things, like activities she’d rather be doing on a fine summer day or knowing that her friends are out enjoying dinner while she has to finish the  next chapter. Maybe you had an argument with your spouse, and you’re still feeling upset about that and can’t concentrate. Or maybe you’ve learned a loved one has died. Emotional disruptions can interfere with your productivity too because you’re thinking about those episodes rather than on your current project.

The antidote to Fiona’s lack of concentration is to work in small bursts. Rather than one long writing session of, say three hours, work for twenty minutes, then if you feel up to it, do another twenty minute session later. Those smaller sessions don’t require as much emotional or physical energy. The fact is being under such emotional duress isn’t going to help your writing. If, even these shorter sessions don’t work, then take a break from writing and exercise self-care for your emotional needs. Another option is to work on non-writing tasks that will still give you a sense of accomplishment. Try sketching out a few scenes or sorting through files. 

Critical Chris
I’ve saved Critical Chris for last because she is the most disruptive relative of all, and I think she affects almost every writer. Critical Chris can’t help herself. She’s down on everyone. No matter  how talented another writer is, she’ll find fault with their writing. “It’s too business-like. You’re not writing for corporate executives.”  “There’s too much dialogue.” or “Is this the best you can do? I’ve seen ten-year-olds write better stuff than this.”

Admittedly, it’s hard to shut off the criticism. But it’s imperative to try. For every criticism, reframe it as a positive statement. For example, if Critical Chris complains that there’s too much dialogue, your reframed response might be: “Sure, but the situation calls for it in the story.” Or “it’s only the first draft; I’ll fix it during the revision.”

If any of these characters are frequent visitors in your headspace, acknowledge that they’re there, then find a way to minimize their distraction. Most importantly, keep writing. Writing is a form of therapy. 

Have any of these internal distraction characters interrupted your writing life? How did you handle them?