Maureen Hoch

Studio #4

What is this about? What is it ​really ​about?

Driving myself to distraction Writing can be a very difficult thing to stick

too when you constantly have an urge to
do something else like check your email
or send a text message to a friend. It is
very easy to get distracted when writing
gets hard because instead of focusing on
what you need to write, your brain thinks
of a million different things that you can
do that will be a lot easier. These
distractions are a way to avoid thinking
about what you are supposed to be doing.
Sometimes it is difficult to pursue yourself
when writing and forget about all the
distractions. But when getting distracted
and having to come back to writing, is the
worst part. Most likely you will have to
re-read what you were writing and try to
get your brain on track to what you are
supposed to be thinking about.

Tools for combating distraction
To try and stop yourself from getting
distracted when writing, you can always
try to make goals for yourself and set
specific dates for your goals. Setting
goals for yourself should motivate you to
pursue your writing and be on top of it at
all times, knowing your end goal will be
accomplished. Another tool to help you
from getting distracted is the Pomodoro
method. This method allows you to work
for a shorter amount of time with a break
in between each shortened session.
Another tool you can use to help with
distractions is an app called Forest. This
app rewards you with growth of trees by
giving you credit for being off of your
phone with you are working. All of these
methods are ways to combat distractions
and get you focused on writing.
Maureen Hoch

Real accountability with coauthors Another approach to writing is by writing

with someone else. Writing with someone
else is not necessarily easier on your
individual part but it is easier when getting
feedback and putting the final product
together. When working with another
author you should each divide up the
workload and then come together and
share your pieces and weave them
together. Being in the same space while
collaborating is the most efficient way
because both of you can brainstorm and
bounce ideas off one another.

Why I need readers Getting feedback from readers before

publishing your work can be very
beneficial to your writing. It can turn an
okay piece, to a fantastic piece. Readers
can be very helpful to a writer because
they provide feedback to you on what you
can improve on to make your piece want
to be read by a real reader in the world.
Sending your work to readers allows you
to be vulnerable because it may not
always be the best piece you have written
but that is what they are there to help you
with. Drafts are a way for some writers to
clear their headspace and think through
some ideas because they may not always
know where their writing is leading.

The payoff Writing may not always be easy but it is

the end result that pays off. It is an
experience and a way of thinking that
does not happen when talking to a friend
or just daydreaming. There is something
satisfying about all of your ideas coming
together to form one piece of excellent
writing that the audience enjoys to read
and recommends to other people. It is
easy to run away from writing and also
getting distracted in the midst of it but it is
the end result and feedback from your
readers that keeps you motivated to keep
writing.
Maureen Hoch

Recommendation​:

The article “Composing Through Distraction: Yes, I Really Write This Way” by Jan
Rieman, I would recommend this article to someone who has a love for writing, wants to
get into writing, or struggles with writing. I would not necessarily recommend this article
to the average day person because it is not that interesting if you are looking for
something enjoyable and fun to read in your free time. I think the author of this article
strived to reach readers who want to improve their writing like she does. I think she
does a great job of teaching her reader to do certain things to help improve their
efficiency and writing altogether. I think it is a great article for a college English/writing
class to read so they can learn how to strive to become a better writer knowing that they
will have many papers to write throughout their education. Personally for me I got very
bored and distracted reading the article just because I am not the biggest fan or writing
and reading. I am more of a science and math kind of girl but overall I do think this
article could benefit someone who wants to become a better writer.