Writing Amidst Distractions

I prefer to write in total silence. I often arise at 5 a.m. to write, partly because I am a morning person and that is when I am most alert and partly because usually no one else is up at that time and I can write for a brief time in silence. For me as a writer, silence is what allows me to most clearly hear the whisper of my muse.

Unfortunately most of my writing time can't be spent in silence. The Muse gets drowned out by a curious spouse, demanding children and pets, ringing telephones, blaring TVs and stereos, not to mention the sounds of sirens and trains outside my window. Yet a writer must write, with or without distractions.

Writers are a strange breed. Even though we want to write, most of us are even compelled to write, we find ourselves making excuses and procrastinating. We go to make coffee when there's a full pot; we sharpen pencils even when we're writing on a computer; we stop to check our email and never return to our word processing program.

The classic book Becoming a Writer by Dorothea Brande addresses this problem. This book belongs in the library of every writer. Ms. Brande states that if you want to be a writer, you need to make an appointment with yourself to sit and write for a period of time every day. Start with 10 or 15 minutes and gradually increase the time. The point is that during this appointed time, you write and don't do anything else. This exercise helps develop the discipline to sit and write on command, but also helps you to gradually increase your tolerance for distractions.

By doing an exercise like this, you will gradually get better at writing amidst distractions. You will improve with practice and eventually you will find that no matter how chaotic it is around you, you'll still be able to hear the whisper of The Muse.