They say that we all have a book in us. Or maybe it’s a play? Everyone has a story to tell, but not everyone has the time or the skillset to get it down on paper. But, actually, that’s a bit of a fallacy — we can all write a story. We just need to learn how to focus our minds on the task.
The real trick is staying focused long enough to finish a draft. Starting is easy—even starting over. But finishing? That’s where things get tough.
Below are the focus techniques, rituals, and frameworks I use myself — and teach — to help playwrights get from “I’ve got an idea” to “I’ve got a draft.”
How long does it take to write a play?
Well, isn’t that the million-dollar question? But it’s a good one to consider.
You could write the first draft of a play in a couple of days if you pinned yourself to a seat for a weekend and fed yourself nothing but tea and biscuits. But for many of us, that’s not possible — or desirable. Life gets in the way. Work gets in the way. The cat gets in the way. And sometimes, if we’re honest, we get in our own way.
We imagine that “real writers” sit down and pour out perfect scripts in a single, caffeinated burst. They don’t. They build frameworks. They create rituals. They find ways to keep themselves tethered to the work when their brains would rather be anywhere else.
Focus Tip #1: Build a Writing Framework That Helps You Finish Your Draft
One of my favourite playwriting books isn’t about playwriting. Instead, it offers a guided path to getting a play written.
Write a Theatre Script in 25 Days (& 10 Hours) by Tony Craze is a hidden gem that deserves recognition as the book that helps playwrights get their ideas out of their heads and onto the page.
I’ve written many plays using Tony Craze’s brilliant exercises, and I’ve adapted many of them for use in groups with WriteForTheStage and in the classroom at Salford University.
How a daily writing routine keeps playwrights focused
Craze’s book presents 25 days of writing exercises, all focused on creating a theatre script that grows organically from a spark of an idea into a full first draft.
You’re encouraged to follow the process all the way through — setting aside an hour or so a day to complete the exercises for 25 days. Then, you write the full first draft in ten hours.
I can vouch for the process — it’s joyful, insightful, and essential. I wrote my play All Tomorrow’s Parties using this method, and I had a lovely time doing it. I really value having a framework from which to work — it’s a great way to get through those days where you feel uninspired, encouraging you to plough through anyway.
Focus Tip #2: Create a Distraction-Free Writing Space
One of the best tips I gleaned from Tony Craze’s book was to create an altar to writing.
This means creating a distraction-free zone that’s comfortable, safe, and free of clutter.
Ideally, find a space in your home or office you can dedicate solely to creative writing, and — if you can — have a door you can close. Writing on your kitchen table is handy for the kettle, but if it’s a high-traffic area, it’s hardly the ideal spot for distraction-free writing time. And the enemy of creativity is distraction.
How to set up a writing altar for better focus
Here are a few tips for creating the ideal focus zone:
- Close the door — If you share your living space, ask people to respect your solitude if the door is closed.
- Discard the clutter — If you can, have a desk solely for your creative writing. Clear it completely of bills, cables, books, and magazines.
- Work in silence — Not everyone can do this, but if you do listen to music, keep it barely audible and avoid lyrics.
Focus Tip #3: Use a Vinyl Record to Boost Writing Focus
This might seem like an odd suggestion (and is only relevant if you can work with music on in the background), but I find playing a vinyl record offers a valuable time capsule of focus.
A vinyl record has a beginning, middle, and end — just like your draft. It lasts around 20 minutes per side, which is the perfect length for a focused writing sprint. When the needle lifts, you get a natural pause: stretch, breathe, flip the record, and begin again.
It’s a ritual. And rituals help us focus.
The right choice of music
I listen to loads of instrumental music when I’m writing; I find vocal music way too distracting.
I love jazz, so something like Bitches Brew by Miles Davis is the perfect “Pomodoro Timer“.
But if I’m writing something energetic, I’ll listen to something a little more techno-based, like the aptly named Focus On Freerange series of compilations.
If I’m writing in a cafe, I’ll often make use of my noise-cancelling headphones and listen to something ambient, like All Melody by Nils Frahm:
Or I’ll listen to something environmental like a running stream or the sea, which manages to blanket out distracting external sounds very effectively. There’s a setting on iOS that plays a continuous stream of ambient sound for focusing – I use this a lot!
Focus Tip #4: Use a Writing Guide or Structure to Stay on Track
If you’re someone who thrives with structure, a guide — whether it’s Tony Craze’s book, a writing course, or a set of prompts — can keep you anchored when your attention starts to wander.
A guide gives you something to frame your work around. It removes the burden of deciding what to do next. And when you’re deep in a draft, decision fatigue is real.
You’re not a machine – background processing
It’s good to remember that creativity is rarely a 9-to-5. You can come up with ideas and solutions when you’re away from your desk. And this is what I call “background processing”.
Sometimes, ideas don’t come, even when you’re working within a strict framework, and it’s good to remind yourself that you’re not a machine. We all need down days as much as we need to remain productive to get our work finished.
When productivity feels compromised, go for a walk. I recommend digging or weeding your garden if you have one. Take yourself out of your usual work environment, and you’ll find that the answers will come to you.
Do something else
This isn’t as negative as it sounds!
Background processing is about focusing on something else – something manual that demands some good old-fashioned elbow grease. And when you’re least expecting it, the answer to your block pops out to say hello.
Sometimes we block the process by putting too much pressure on ourselves. Sure, this article is about how to focus – but sometimes that requires consciously not focusing.
Focus Tip #5: Why You Shouldn’t Rewrite Your Play Too Early
This is the one that most writers struggle with.
The temptation to go back and “fix” the beginning is enormous. But rewriting too early is the quickest way to lose momentum. You polish the first ten pages until they shine, but the rest of the play remains a rumour.
Give yourself permission to write badly. Let the draft be messy, contradictory, and occasionally nonsensical. You’re not writing the play — you’re discovering it.
Rewriting comes later. Drafting comes first.
Focus Tip #6: Finish the Draft — Don’t Try to Finish the Play
This is a mindset shift.
A draft is scaffolding. A draft is an exploration. A draft is you figuring out what the play might be.
When you stop expecting the draft to be the final product, you free yourself to finish it. And finishing it is the only way to understand what the play actually wants to become.
Focus Tip #7: Use the 3-Minute Reset to Regain Concentration
When your attention fractures — and it will — don’t fight it. Reset it.
Three minutes. That’s all.
- Stand up.
- Change your visual field.
- Touch something cold.
- Breathe.
- Return to the page.
It’s astonishing how effective this is. It interrupts the spiral of distraction and gives your brain a clean slate.
Focus Tip #8: Anchor Every Scene to a Strong Verb
If you don’t know what a scene is doing, you’ll drift.
Give every scene a verb:
Expose. Provoke. Corner. Reassure. Seduce. Interrupt. Escalate.
When you know the verb, you know the energy. When you know the energy, you can stay focused long enough to finish the scene.
Focus Tip #9: Shrink Your Writing Targets to Stay Motivated
Most writers don’t lose focus because they’re lazy. They lose focus because the task is too big.
Instead of “finish Act Two”, try:
- Write one exchange
- Write one turn
- Write one decision
- Write one moment of trouble
Small targets are achievable targets. And achievable targets keep you coming back.
Focus Tip #10: Define the Story Engine — Not Just the Plot
Plot is what happens.
The engine is what drives what happens.
When you’re stuck, it’s rarely because you don’t know the next event. It’s because you’ve lost sight of the pressure pushing the play forward.
Ask yourself:
- What does my protagonist want right now?
- What’s stopping them
- What’s the cost of not getting it
If you can answer those three things, you can write the next beat.
Focus Tip #11: Use Do Not Disturb Mode on your Devices
Modern life is full of distractions that we carry around in our pocket. And there’s nothing more tempting and distracting than seeing that unread message waiting for our attention.
Switch your phone and your other devices to Do Not Disturb mode while you’re writing. That WhatsApp can wait, and that email probably isn’t that important.
Wait until your break to check your devices. While you’re working, switch them off (or into silent mode).
Final Thoughts: How To Focus
Focus isn’t about necessarily about discipline. It’s more about developing a structure within which to work, and finding clarity through the mess of intruding thoughts and distractions.
But my one big tip is: Get to the end of the draft. Don’t look back till you write the word The End. Then, the play existsn, and the real writing begins.
Don’t be in a rush. Take your time. And enjoy it.
WriteForTheStage Short Courses For Focus
We’ve developed a series of 5-week courses that help you get through the entire process of writing a play from the first spark of an idea and all the way through to a first draft of a finished piece.
Check out Our Courses, and consider joining a group of like-minded writers who share an objective: to get their play written.
Thanks for reading.
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