How can I stay FOCUSED when writing a paper?

Question

Writing a paper that another reader will understand can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. As you gather your thoughts and begin your paragraphs, there are three essential items to keep in mind:

1. Make sure you understand your goals for the paper.
2. When editing, underline your topic sentences and make sure that each following sentence supports that topic sentence.
3. Share your writing task with someone; they should ask you clarifying questions about the purpose of each paragraph. Finding a tutor that can do this quickly and clearly can save you hours of unfocused time.

Typically an instructor in college will give some specifics about the purpose of the writing assignment in the syllabus or the actual assignment. If this isn't clear, don't be afraid to reach out and ask them. A good teacher likes questions like this! A good way to ask would be to write via email something like: "Thank you for teaching me. Could you please help me contextualize three clear writing goals that I can focus on while I'm writing this paper?"

Answer 1

Staying focused when writing a paper is a common experience, but there are many strategies you can use to maintain your concentration!

One thing I love to do is create a dedicated workspace. This involves finding a quiet, comfortable spot where you can work without distractions. Ideally, this space should be reserved solely for work; this can help signal to your brain that it's time to focus.

The second tip (that others have mentioned) is to clear goals. Before you start, outline what you'd like to accomplish. I recommend dividing your paper into smaller sections (or goals) to make your project feel more manageable. This will also help keep you motivated!

There's a popular technique called the "Pomodoro Technique". I personally get distracted pretty easily when writing or reading and I've found this method works great in helping me finish tasks! The technique is pretty simple. You simply work in bursts (usually 25 minutes), followed by a break. This technique can help maintain high levels of focus and prevent burnout. I recommend using a timer to set your preferred amount of time (25 minutes, 60 minutes, or another increment).

The last thing I'll recommend is to try your best to limit distractions. This means setting a "Focus" on your phone (or "Do Not Disturb"), turning off or pausing notifications on your phone and computer. If you need the internet for research, consider using apps that block distracting websites during your work sessions.

Reach out to me for more tips! And best of luck.

Answer 2

I taught writing at universities for more than 13 years, and every time a student came to me struggling with how to stay focused, I noticed three patterns:

1. They didn't have an actual claim that was the focus of the paper. Without an actual central argument or question you're trying to resolve, any paper will lack cohesion. If you're struggling to make a central claim, chances are you're still in exploratory mode. That's OK! But you need to recognize where you are in the writing process, and work on revisiting your evidence and sources again in order to make sure you can develop a claim with confidence.
2. They didn't outline the paper (what we professional writers call "pantsing it" -- writing by the seat of our pants). Think about when you're driving a car: most of the time you have a destination in mind. In order to get there, well, you need to know HOW to get there. You need a roadmap. The same is true when writing a paper, no matter the length. Even if outlining seems like a cliche step, it's a cliche step for a reason. It will help you organize your thoughts, recognize early where there are gaps that you need to fill in, and give you clear understanding of the goal of each movement of your paper.
3. They don't answer "so what?" throughout the writing process. Once you've established your main argument and outlined your paper, you need to make sure that everything you add to what follows answers the "so what?" It's easy to lose focus if you start adding points that don't have immediate relevance and impact for your central claim. This doesn't mean that your paper will be constantly repeating the same "so what?" though. The goal is to expand on how different evidence and sources help us understand the central purpose of the paper better. So if you're bringing in points that don't (1) define key terms or clarify complexities, (2) add implications for or nuance to, or (3) expand upon/enrich our understanding of the topic, it's likely you will stray from your focus. So the simple guiding rule is: can you answer, "So what?" If so, keep it, state the so what, and keep going. If not, time to go back to your outline and figure out what is actually relevant and important at this point in the paper.

I hope my students' past struggles help anyone struggling to stay on topic!