Removing distractions for the perfect copywriting environment

As a copywriter, having the optimal environment in which to write is as important as any of the tools at your disposal. Keeping it free of distraction will allow you to focus, improve your consistency and ultimately result in better quality copy. Here are some pointers to help you keep you on track and on target.

Stay off Twitter!

You sit down, ready to write a top-notch blog post. Your computer is at the ready, a giant mug of coffee sits by your side. One final check of your writing plan and it’s time to start on your opening paragraph.

Fast forward 45 minutes – you’re only 4 lines in, but have managed to check your email twice, reply to mentions on twitter, and RSVP to next weekend’s parties on Facebook. Continue this way and you’ll have your online social life organised, but not a lot of words on the page.

When trying to stay focused, minimise the number of things that can interrupt you and you will get less interruptions. Make sure people know you are working – do not let your partner get you into watching Despicable Me. Change your IM status, post a “going off the radar” message, and most importantly, close everything. That’s Twitter, Facebook, Reddit, Skype and whatever else you don’t need for work. Put your phone on silent and answer your text messages later.

Create some ambience

Now that you’ve removed all sources of potential distraction, it’s important to create a positive atmosphere to work in. This doesn’t have to mean candles, incense and an experimental jazz-fusion album, just whatever will keep you productive and motivated. For most people, television is not a good source of background noise to work with. Try some music – preferably calm and instrumental. Don’t pick something you’ll sing along to unless you want half the lyrics from Sweet Home Alabama in your blog post.

Once you’ve picked some appropriate background music, make sure you’re comfortably seated and that you can stay focused on your work. Schedule breaks if you’re writing for prolonged periods and only stop when you are meant to. Which leads us to our last point…

Take some breaks

You might think that the best way to plough through a backlog of work is to keep at it for as long as possible, stopping only for bathroom breaks and apocalyptic natural disasters. This is in fact counter-productive and you’ll find yourself working more efficiently when taking regular breaks.

This also means taking the right type of breaks. This doesn’t mean going back to Twitter or trawling through captioned pictures of cats. Get up from your seat, stretch your legs and walk around, maybe head to the kitchen for a fresh cup of coffee. Whatever you do, the important thing is to spend some time outside your working environment. Separating yourself, even for short periods, will provide a better perspective when you return to your writing. This will allow you to look over it with fresh eyes, highlighting mistakes in your work and getting you past those difficult paragraphs you didn’t know how to finish.

The guiding philosophy behind these tips is that it is important to create and maintain a good working rhythm. Isolating yourself from outside distractions, putting yourself into the right productive mood, knowing when to stop and give your brain a rest – these all uphold the basic principle that you work best when you are able to focus on your writing. A good environment is key to that. No-one wants to be slogging through blog posts at 4AM the night before deadline.

Even if not all of these ideas fit with how you work, there should be something that can be incorporated. Try them out, tailor them to fit your style and see just how productive you can be.