Peace, Please!

Right now, I’m living with two people, two cats and a dog. As I’m sure you can imagine, it’s difficult as a writer to be focused on the story you’re trying to tell. The distractions are countless, and it’s irritating, especially when you’re mind is on fire, but then someone starts talking to you, or the dog barks, or heaven forbid, your cat jumps onto the computer desk and sits on the keyboard.

As writers, we are in need of quiet time. And sometimes it gets tough to earn that quiet time. A lot of writers have children to care for or other demanding jobs. Right now, I’m searching for a job, so I have a lot of time on my hands. However, I don’t always get to have my quiet time because of the noise that  surrounds me. I sometimes get so frustrated  with a chapter, that I just want to scream, “please, give me a little peace!”

If I don’t find that peace, then it makes it even harder for me to find my “creativity” time. I found that lately for me, my creativity time is usually early in the morning, as soon as my step-father leaves for work. That’s around six thirty. I’m usually up by then, and the house is silent. I get up before I can think about what I’m doing, and hop onto the computer (kind of the way I treat exercising. Do it before your brain realizes it’s being forced to work). Then I write a few hours, and my mom wakes up. Sometimes she stays in her room to watch TV, other times she goes to the living room, where I’m working on my manuscript. Depending on the show she’s watching, I’m able to continue writing, but oftentimes, my concentration breaks. This primarily happens when I once again change where my story is going (I seem to do that often. Anyone else have that problem? It gets stressful and irritating.).

What I wouldn’t give to find a place where I can be alone, a place where I can get that creativity flowing in peace. But because there isn’t a place that I’ve thought of, I have to make due with what I’ve been given. In the morning, it seems to be easiest for me when no one is around, but sometimes, especially the weekends, I have to deal with distractions.

I found that listening to music helps  me. At first, I was trying to find good music that could be considered mysterious, in order to help me work on my mysteries. I soon found out that words tend to throw me off track. So I decided to opt for listening to instrumental like Dave Koz or Jim Brickman. Either one of those, particularly Jim Brickman is my go to music of choice when I decide to listen to music while writing. I can get lost in the music, at the same time get lost in the stories my characters are telling.

I’ve also been on the lookout for other good solitude places to write. But so far, I haven’t thought of anywhere. I tend to go straight to the computer in our living room each morning rather than anywhere else.

Where you write is just as important as writing during your best creativity time. Even if no one is around, there can be distractions, like the television. In my last apartment, I had an office where my laptop was, but there was no TV. I didn’t allow it because I knew that I’d  be distracted while trying to work on my book.

What are some of the ways  and places that allow you to write and shut out the crazy noises of the world?

 

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Angela Kay