Interruptions and Distractions

All writers deal with interruptions and distractions, but writers who write from home are in guerilla warfare.

It happens, sometimes once a week, sometimes many more. That interruption, the one that breaks your concentration and stops that flow, so hard-won.

Distractions are roadblocks, out to derail. They’re sly and chameleon-like, masquerading as something important or tantalizing. That e-mail could be important, that breaking news, significant. It’s true. The ‘just-one-game’ does sound fun, relaxing and harmless.

I’m not sure exactly what I battle most, myself or outside sabotage. I want to write. When I’m writing, I know I’m doing what I was born to do, what all my little cells came together to make: a writer. But I also know: that was not exclusive. It was never intended, that that was all I would be. I was supposed to be a mother, too. So, that sort of follows, I was supposed to be a wife. And when I came into this life, I was a daughter, a sister, an animal lover.

All these different roles I play are important to me. They are where my soul lives.

But that is what a writer is, isn’t it? Someone who is plopped down in this world to record. Whether fiction or fact. A writer observes and writes that observation down the way they see it—fiction or fact. That is the writer’s unique viewpoint. (and boy do all those roles give me golden grist.)

I usually know exactly what I intend to write, too. Finding a subject has never been the thing that keeps my fingers from flying across the keyboard. It’s more insidious that that.

Interruptions do come, sometimes once a day, sometimes they pile up. The phone calls, other’s thoughtlessness, others ‘emergencies.’ You know the ones I mean—Dear Abby, even got a letter about a writer’s husband calling from the office, asking this writer to bring him something he forgot from home. Abby had tough answers, too.

This is what I’ve figured out over the last thirty years of writing from home: It’s choice. The writer has full charge of what she/he lets into her job area. It’s about making boundaries, priorities and choices.

Life is a series of interruptions and distractions, especially now, with all the technology that also makes it so much easier on writers. (Can you imagine not being able to cut and paste, copy, and move about on the page at will?) So, the real trick is harnessing all the helpful stuff and putting all the distractions and interruptions in priority order.

You have to know and act on what you really want to do.

Interruptions use to make me angry, which like domino’s dropped minutes of productive writing one after another while I fumed. I was good at fuming. Had it down. Thing is, fuming did worse by my writing than any interruption.

Some interruptions are better dealt with immediately. Then, move on. Some interruptions are really an opportunity for a teaching session to the interrupter and some interruptions are best ignored. The writer has to figure out which is which, depending on their priorities.

Learning to accept interruptions, the ones that must be dealt with immediately, can get you back on track and focused. That’s the ultimate goal, isn’t it?

Making firm written lists of priorities and goals helps with choices when tempted by time-wasting distractions.

Those who learn to focus, who honor their priorities have the edge.

Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make them come true. Anon

Keep writing. Keep doing it and doing it. Even in the moments when it’s so hurtful to think about writing. —Heather Armstrong.