Nope, they're written by people who have figured out this mystical focus ability! Including me, I've finished the first draft of my book, meaning that I have mastered the focus for 100,000 words. Sadly, now that I've finished, I'm having quite a time starting the next book... So I thought now would be an amazing time to remind myself to channel the inner laser and share what I've done to finish that first book!
So here are the ways to get the thing done...
1. Get Immersed
This is my very favorite part of all writing. Getting so immersed in the world I've created that it becomes real, that the story plays out in my head (Actually it doesn't, more on that here, but in a way it does?), that nothing, not even my annoying and rambly notes in the middle of the text, can interrupt that world. If you are fully living in that world, the next shiny idea will have a much tougher time distracting you! Not to mention it'll be harder to leave in general, given that you've spent so much time and love on it... (Ways to get to know characters, more on world immersion coming soon.)
2. Don't Deny
When a shiny thought is recurrent, don't ignore it. Even if it's not recurrent and it's just cool, don't ignore it. When the shiny thoughts come in, they're exciting and asking you to take action, so taking action will make them go away. The thing is, you can't just deny them any attention, but you can't give away all your current project's attention...
So there's a simple solution! A notebook, with each page dedicated to a shiny idea. Write as much or as little as you want on that one page, get the idea out onto paper, and then move back to your work in progress. This works because it gives the shiny ideas closure, they've been dealt with, but since you're limited to a page you can't go overboard and obsess about them too much. Not to mention that by the time you finish your current project, imagine all the potential candidates you'll have for your next masterpiece! (On deciding on that project...)
3. Just. Write.
My most common loss of interest cue is writer's block. At a certain point in every story, I just don't want to write, and it's during that phase that I question everything. The thing to do here is to just write, even if it looks absolutely awful. That's what gets me out of writer's block (along with these other tips)So when you've lost the motivation and excitement for a project, don't wait for it to come back... School papers don't work that way, and neither do novels. Just write the thing, you can come back and edit later, and getting back into the story is the best way to get back into the zone!
4. Guilt is a Major Tool
I do this to myself... Like a lot. When I'm distracted or in some way having trouble writing, I draw the most hideous sketches of my characters you've ever imagined on my whiteboard with little speech bubbles that say things like, "I thought you loved me..." "Why are you forgetting about us?" "Are we not good enough?" "What did we do wrong?"
Those always get me into action, sometimes even tears, because I don't want them to be sad and of course they blame themselves! So I have my characters guilt me into writing, staying focused, or figuring out that issue I've been avoiding...
There are other ways to guilt yourself into writing! But you'll have to figure out what works for you... :)
5. Accept It
Accept the fact that you get distracted, lose motivation, hate the story at times, and aren't always the avid, loving creator of worlds that you want to see yourself as. Accepting that takes A LOT of stress off of writing, and therefore makes writing more enjoyable. Accepting this makes decisions less stressful, staying focused a reality, and is just overall helpful in every aspect.
Don't confuse this for it's okay to be lazy, that's not it at all. It's okay to not be perfect.
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