Concentrating in the Midst of Chaos

Unlike my life on Jupiter Island, where it's very, very quiet, and I can go days without seeing anyone, here in the metro DC area, I am surrounded by people.

Now people are okay. Lovely, interesting, enticing, but when I want to write, I see everyone in my world and paint them with one big word--DISTRACTION. Because when a live person talks to me, I can't hear my characters. When a living being asks, "What were you planning for dinner?" My cast of characters sit down and shut up. That illusive word, the one just beyond my grasp, flits away.

I can write non-fiction in any circumstance. Because I worked at several newspapers where there were no cubicles, only "bull pens," I trained myself to block out those distractions.

But with fiction, it's so much more subtle. With non-fiction,  you do your research or think through your premise, or construct your linear pattern, and then transpose that onto paper. With fiction, it's like being lost in the center of a giant labyrinth, and you have to choose a direction. Will you follow the lead of this character? Should you emphasize this plot twist? Can you expand on this interior monologue? Or do you need to trim that dialog and add a punchy cliff-hanger to the end of that scene?

Frankly, the gazebo looked just fine to me before it got a new coat of paint!

 Even when David is quiet in the other rooms, I feel myself waiting for him to speak, to need me, to do something! Anything! There's a sense that I can't totally let myself go because I might be interrupted! And that's my problem, not his. 


So when he went off to work, I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally! I could sink down into the world of my characters and know I wouldn't need to come out until I was ready.

But no sooner had David's footsteps faded than a crew of workmen arrived to paint the gazebo outside my office window. Bless their hearts, they talked and joked and banged around.

I seethed. I gnashed my teeth. In fact, I actually chipped a tooth in frustration!

I couldn't go on like this. I couldn't leave because I needed this particular computer configuration, and it's not portable. I couldn't ask them to leave because they were only doing their jobs! Then it came to me. I've tackled this problem before. So I clicked on the i-Tunes program and made a selection. For the rest of the afternoon, I switched off between Gregorian chants and "Learning Anytime," a mix of subliminal tones and music that aid concentration.

In fact, I found myself to be so productive while listening to my "noise blocking" tunes, that now I automatically turn them on when I start to write. I'm listening to them now!

How about you? How do you write through distractions? By the way, the Hemisync organization also makes a nice listening aid called, "Concentration." Have any of you ever tried subliminal aids like these?

A Quick Tour of My Office

The first thing my husband told me after he looked at our new home was, "It's got a great office space for you." And he was right.

You see, I couldn't get away to search for new lodgings. My mother was dying with cancer. So finally, I told David, "You'll just have to go find us a place to live. I trust you. You're pickier than I am."

I didn't see our house until the moment we arrived. That said, my husband did a fantastic job.

My office is 17 by 15 feet, with a walk in closet about 8 by 6. It's not only large, it's sunny. There are three windows are to my left as I face my desk. Two windows and a door with a glass window are on my right.

My big desks from England fit against a side wall (for crafting) and an interior wall for my word processing. Mainly, I stare at the screen or the Matisse print I bought in France, so I'm not distracted by the view outside. Yesterday, while I was talking with a friend who's helping me proof Photo, Snap, Shot, my gaze wandered. The snow was coming down in big, thick flakes. Through the woods to our house came our resident fox, his red hair fluffed out and his black stockings padding along softly in the falling snow.

Here's a collection of factoids about my work space:

1. Among of my most helpful tools is a concentration tape by Hemisync.

2. On the bookshelves are china animals from my grandmother's house, as well as a plastic tiger my mom and I found while shopping at Goodwill.

3. My closet is a total disaster. I hope to clear it out after I get done proofreading.

4. I have a success candle on my desk that I bought at Enchantments, a witchcraft store in New York City.

5. I love fresh flowers so I try to keep a vase of them near my workspace.

6. A big wipe board helps me organize my work as I write. I have the days plotted on them, the actions of the characters, and so on.

7. One of my prized possessions is a fossile of a prehistoric fish. I use it as a paper weight.

8. I keep chocolate in my desk drawer along with the Post-It Notes. It's been there a while. I like having it close, although chocolate gives me headaches.

9. My mouse pad has a picture my son drew when he was in fourth grade. It's of a grand piano. (No surprise!)

10. I keep an Ott-Lite in my office. They are true-to-life lights, so I can discern colors accurately when I scrapbook.

11. In my closet are drawers full of rubber stamps and punches. I love both tools!

12. On the back of my desk chair is a small blue afghan I crocheted. I toss it over my feet when they get cold.

What's in your office? What might surprise me if I visited?