Staying on task can be the hardest part of writing while trying to ignore constant notifications and juggling the ever interrupting responsibilities of daily life. Getting “in the flow” can help you write more and produce better results, but getting to that state in this distracting world can be hard. 

There are approximately one million articles out there like this, but I’m taking a different approach to help my fellow romance authors: One traditional tool, one customizable tool, and one tool you probably didn’t think makes a difference. Here are three tools to help you focus and write that love story for the ages.

Overview: Pomodoro timers, Dedicated Digital Notebooks, A Comfortable Workspace

Pomodoro Timers

While “pomodoro” is Italian for “tomato”, you won’t be throwing tomatoes at this method.

At its core, the pomodoro method is similar to a writing sprint—a set amount of time to get work done in. The technique, invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s to help him study without burning out, consists of a set work period, followed by a break period. The traditional work period is 25 minutes, and the traditional break period is five minutes. You can repeat this cycle as many times as you need.

For romance writers distracted by frequent notifications who feel the urge to check them, this method can be great because it gives you preset windows of time to focus on your work, and take a moment to check on those chat bubbles. This can break down the feeling of overwhelm caused by large time goals (aka: “I am going to write for an hour”) into smaller chunks, while giving you a chance to not get overwhelmed by those text messages and app notifications piling up either.

The pomodoro method is highly customizable to find you timeframes that work best for your brain (20:5 works best for me!), and tools that fit your needs and aesthetic.

Writers this works great for:

• People who want or need frequent breaks without losing the writer headspace
• People who tend to work without breaks or end points
• People who like a “gamified” experience
• People who get overwhelmed by the idea of productivity within large time chunks
• People who get distracted while working

Pomodoro timers to focus your writing time:

If you need to focus on that contemporary forbidden romance you’re working on, these tools can help you get down to business while your characters get down to business.

• SpiritCity: LoFi Sessions
  This charming “game” available on Steam is perfect for you multiscreen babes and is my personal favorite tool. This program is a powerhouse a built in pomodoro timer, to-do list, white noise, and multiple lofi playlists. Plus, it’s super cute and customizable. Decorate your room for your customizable avatar, find the perfect mix of ambiance with white noise options and chill playlists, and unlock cute spirit pets while you work. At this point, even opening the app sends me into productivity mode. It’s only $12 on Steam, too!
  Bonus: This tool is great for people who find body-doubling an effective tool.
  
• Flocus
  This web-based tool is perfect for those who love a clean and simple interface with a lovely view. You can customize your timer for your perfect work/break rhythm and overall cycles and display it against a variety of soothing backgrounds. While it has a paid version that lets you unlock more backgrounds and features like embedded playlists and white noise, its free version is still perfect for those working on a tight budget.
  
• Pomocat
  More of a mobile app person? This adorable app (available on Google Play Store and the Apple App Store) incorporates an adorable cartoon kitty animations, white noise, silent mode, and stats for the nerds among us. This is perfect for people with only one screen, who write on the go or on paper, or who prefer to have hard data on their productivity. I love this app for its flexibility and ease of use while still giving me robust features and customizability for free. There are also bonus features for a small price!

A Series Bible or Story Bible

Storing all of your notes in the same place is going to be a game changer. I know this one seems obvious, but hear me out… How much of your notes, inspiration, and planning are actually in the same place? Or do you have to stop and search for the right bookmark in the right folder, and the right file in the google drive, CTRL+F for how that hero smells, and the right inspo Pinterest board? This is not a call out, it’s a call in, bestie. You’re wasting time and interrupting your work flow.

The idea of having everything in the same place isn’t a new concept at all, however as our writing toolkits have grown, our ideas have been scattered all over the place. Bringing all those elements together in one place can help you stay on track, stay organized, and resist the urge to scroll social media or look at your other WIPs (works in progress). Your story bible/series bible is the source of truth for your manuscript.

Now having everything in one place doesn’t mean you have to hand copy those Pinterest boards or abandon your various lists and bookmarks. It just means making all of those scattered tools and inspiration points accessible in the same place as your story planning. By adding in links to your Pinterest boards, Canva whiteboards, Inkarnate Maps, extra documents, and any other sites you’re using in the same place as you’re housing your story planning, you’re able to keep your focus on a single document outside of your WIP (and in some causes, just your WIP). Instead of having to go hunting every time you need to confirm a plot point or the spelling of someone’s name, it is either right there already or a click away.

Writers this works great for:

I recommend this idea to any author, but it’s especially great to create a series bible for people building out a romance series, or an epic enemies to lovers romantasy. By keeping all of your lore, inspiration, plot points, scenes, and character ideas in the same place, you’ll have an easier time avoiding inconsistencies and plot holes, as well as staying in the flow. Though my books are standalones so far, I still create them for every WIP.

Where to keep your series bible and organize your writing:

Which tool you use is going to come down to how your brain works best. They fall into categories instead of being the same type of product in different packaging. It’s worth taking a bit of time to sit down and set up these documents wherever you are in your process. Here are some different options:

1. Notebooks built into writing software

Again, I know this seems like a “no brainer”, but have you taken the time to do it or even explore the feature within your software? No? That’s okay, you can start now! 

If you’re considering switching away from just word processing software to dedicated story writing software, the build in notebook might be the thing that makes or breaks it for you!

Scrivener, which is often considered one of the industry standards for writing software, has in incredible built-in tools you can store and organize everything in from plot points to research and more. For a single book, you can keep it all in the same document as your manuscript, and for longer series you can do that, or make your series bible its own document. Scrivener is used by a lot of folks and is really powerful as well as a one time purchase vs. a subscription, but it has a high learning curve and isn’t very pretty. It is also a desktop program and requires a manual set up for cloud saving.

NovelPad is my chosen writing program. Its simple layout allows you to work clutter free in a way that makes sense for my brain. Its built-in notebook allows you to keep all your information handy. You can link your notebook pages to your plots, characters, locations, and scenes. Other things I find helpful are the way the character profiles automatically link to every mention of them in the story, and color coding. While an incredibly powerful program, NovelPad’s story tools are probably best for people writing single stories rather than series, and the inability to add pictures into your notes might be a deal breaker for some folks. It is a web-based program that you can access on mobile as well, which is great for adding stuff wherever you are. It’s a subscription-based software that I personally find to be worth it.

Dabble is like a hybrid between Scrivener and NovelPad. It combines a lot of the powerful tools of Scrivner with a more aesthetically pleasing and simplified layout like NovelPad. The ability to build out your plot points, research, character profiles all right there with pictures and all is incredible. It’s somewhere in between the NovelPad and Scrivener in the learning curve. This web-based program is available as a subscription with different levels to suit your needs, or a onetime purchase price. With a higher price tag, it might take it out of the running for people on a budget. However, the best tool is the one that works best for you, so the price tag can be worth if that’s what gets you writing!

2. Multipurpose note and productivity tools

These are the MOST customizable of all the options. While you could write in them, I generally wouldn’t advise it, but you do what’s best for you, boo. 
Programs like Microsoft OneNote (free or paid), Evernote (free or paid), and Joplin (free and open source) are all notebooks in the more traditional sense. They’re all a little different. You can use tools within them like to do lists, tabs, pages, formatting, and tables to customize what you need. These are workhorses through and through and work great for people who love to stay on task and hyperorganized.

Programs like Coda (free or paid) and Notion (free or paid) are similar and add a few more tools and the ability to customize your aesthetics. With the same features as the above, but with more flexibility to match your layout to your mind, add tools like databases, and embed fun things like timers, weather apps, and more, these programs create the perfect writing dashboard AND notebook.

A comfy workspace

Listen, you can’t write that cozy small town romance if you are writing in a space that doesn’t vibe with you. I mean, you can, but it’s going to make you less productive, and can even impact your mental health and physical health. While we have to work with whatever space we’ve got, there are some things that can make your space fit your needs and help you focus on your writing.

Writers this works great for:

Everyone! Whether you are an author who writes from home or writes on the go, you can make your space work for you.

Comfortable workspace tools to enhancing your writing:

You’re going to need to find the specific products that work best for you, but here are some standard tools and things to consider no matter where you are.

1. A comfortable space for your body

I know, I know. Another “no brainer”, right? Wrong. Internalized ableism is a hell of an influence, and can stop us from getting tools like ergonomic keyboards, mouses, chairs or chair cushions, monitor, or laptop risers, and desks because of aesthetics and the idea that needing physical supports means something is “wrong” with you.

Using tools like ergonomic keyboards and mouses can keep you focused by reducing stress on those money makers (your hands and wrists), which will keep you writing longer both in individual sessions and long term. A supportive chair can also help reduce back, hip, and neck pain and keep your spine and hips healthy long term. Writing in flexible spaces like coffee shops? Portable chair cushions, and wireless keyboards and mouses can all fit in a backpack!

Keeping your screen at eye level or slightly below and in a place where it experiences the least glare is not only good for your spine and eyes, it’s also good to keep you focused. By getting monitor risers, or laptop stands and putting them in places without glare from windows and lights, you’ll sit in more comfortable positions and have fewer distractions to keep your mind on writing longer. You can even get portable laptop stands that fold up and fit in your bag!

2. Sensory supports

Sensory supports can mean anything to anyone, but the general idea is to engage and soothe your sensory inputs. Taking away those distractions and making your brain comfortable can help you focus on your writing without getting overwhelmed.

Things that might be helpful to you are:

• Headphones or earplugs to reduce auditory distractions
• Aroma diffusers to sooth you
• Soft blankets to cozy up and calm down with
• Fidgets to help you soothe and focus
• Candy or gum for an oral fixation 

Most of these can travel with you to any writing location, or stay at your fixed workspace.

3. Clutter free workspace.

No, you don’t have to throw out your Funko pop figurines. You do, however, have to take five minutes to throw away any bits of trash, realign those Funko pops, and take that collection of cups to the kitchen.

Reducing the amount of clutter can help with being over stimulated visually by reducing the amount of “stuff” in your line of sight. It can also make your space feel more open and inviting instead of cramped and overwhelming.

Line up the things you want to keep on hand: your drink (stay hydrated), your notebook, etc. and put the distraction items like your phone out of sight. This will help you keep on task and keep things you need frequently nearby without having to stop and search for them.

Final notes

While we want to hit those word goals ASAP, remember that rest is also a productivity tool. By taking time to refresh and rest, you’ll also create your best work and come at that WIP with fresh eyes and words.

Your productivity toolkit will be ever evolving, just like your characters! Organizing your space, your story, and your mindset can make an enormous difference in your weekly word count and the quality of it.

Happy writing, book besties!