Scribbles

When you’re halfway through a manuscript and working just as hard trying to keep your focus as you are editing, take a few minutes to cover a page in mindless doodles.

Scribble some nonsense.

Recently, I completed a copy edit of a science-fiction manuscript. Like other editors I know, I used Microsoft Word because I work most efficiently on a computer. The issue is that staring at a screen for hours is tiring, and I lose focus if I just push through the fatigue.

I use common strategies to stay focused, like listening to peaceful music and storing my phone far away from my workstation. These strategies work, but they aren’t enough. So, now, I plan for success with a specific routine. I set up a timer, cover the clock, and scribble. A timer set for one hour is a small goal within the space of a big day. When the time is up, I take a short break, a brief walk outside, or a moment to stretch. If I notice that I am losing focus within the time limit, I have a paper nearby to scrawl random words and doodles on for a few seconds.

This is such a small thing that you likely already do in the margins of your notes. Scribbling gives me something to distract myself with for a short time without taking any energy or requiring any thought. It also stops me from moving on to a bigger distraction and isn’t entertaining enough to keep me for too long. Just a quick scribble before I get back to work until the timer goes off. I’ve realized that doodling saves me time, keeps me on task, and, as a bonus, even satisfies that ever-present urge to ditch the screen and edit on paper.