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Floating and Focused Attention in Writing


While reading the book "How to Take Smart Notes" by Sönke Ahrens I came across this distinction between two types of attention: Floating and Focused. In the steps of writing, be it a long thesis or a short article, keeping the whole process distraction free (or at a minimal distraction) is a key prerequisite. The environment we put ourselves in make a big difference. The setup, the surroundings and the steps we follow dictate our efficiency in putting up a good piece. We need to take good care of our attention. But different steps in our writing process demand different types of attention.

For many of us, writing starts with floating attention. We start working on a particular topic. We read from different sources on the same or relevant topics. We take notes. We play with different ideas and look out for interesting connections and comparisons. At first, these ideas seem distant from each other. Playing with these ideas on the desk or off the desk, we find connections among some of them. The piece we want to write, the argument we want to make and the basis for those arguments come clearer with such process. In this process, we need to activate our floating attention mode. It doesn't require any structure to follow. The process becomes more effective when it is flexible.

As we devour through different texts and data sources, we narrow it down gradually. We find our key argument. The writing becomes more definitive. And now we need to embrace the focused attention mode. The process starts to become much more systematic. We outline the draft and write it down. Then we read the draft and find inconsistencies, errors and better ways to construct the piece. We take on the role of critic. Then we rewrite the draft and try to make the piece more comprehensive. These tasks require focused attention. Our attention zooms in on the piece in front of us.

In our writing process, we need to have the ability to switch between a wide-open, playful mind and a narrow analytical frame.

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