Dustin Metzger

One of the problems with writing, especially at home, is the issue of distractions. They can take a dozen forms and it’s not uncommon for me to get “in the zone” only to be yanked right out again. Why? I couldn’t say. It may be that I have undiagnosed ADHD issues (a subject for another post) or that my family is particularly distracting. It could just be a quirk of my personality, I can’t say. Whatever the reason I’ve found a few solutions that are worth sharing since you might have the same issue.

1. A Quiet Place: First, and most important, find your writing place. Maybe this isn’t even at home. In an ideal world mine isn’t, it’s at a corner booth at my favorite craft brew pub downtown. But if that’s not an option find somewhere else: a quiet corner, the library, the mall food court. Heck, use the cliché coffee shop perch if you’ve got one available, just know that you’re not the only one who thought to go there and you’ll usually be more crowded than if you stayed at home.
2. Scents: Once you’ve found your writing spot go for sensory white noise if you’re still distracted. What do I mean by that? For me it’s low light and a good pine scented candle. Your mileage may vary, but ultimately what you’re looking for is an environment that either lets you tune out all on it’s own or one that will whitewash your surroundings.
3. Music: If the lighting and scents aren’t enough music might help. Me? I have a Pandora station and library filled with video game and movie soundtracks. Not only do they help drown out the world but they also help ‘set the mood’. Have a lone hero up against the world? Go for the haunting “117″ track off of the Halo 4 soundtrack. Need something more heartfelt? Try “Father and Son” off of the TRON: Legacy soundtrack. The tracks that work for me are probably unique to me, but search around and you’ll find your own.
4. Noise Cancellation: On a related note get yourself a good pair of noise-cancelling headphones. No, seriously, otherwise you’ll be tempted to crank up the volume and drown out the world at the expense of your hearing. I’ve suffered from hearing loss in one ear since highschool and have no intention of letting it get worse so I’m currently saving up for a pair of Bose Quiet Comfort 15′s. I got a chance to check these out at my local electronics big box store and they’re nothing short of amazing. You can have your music at a low volume but thanks to their noise cancelling ability and comfort you won’t hear most of the world around you.
5. No Internet/Games: Turn off the internet and hide the game apps. No, really. When it comes to writing while distracted your brain will likely find any and every opportunity to ‘check out’ and do something else. Outward stimuli is only part of the problem and shutting off your net connection and quick access to games will go a long way towards your daily word-count.
6. Alcohol: My last tip is one I’m hesitant to recommend but I will anyway on one condition since I’m mainly talking about what works for me: caveat emptor. I actually do find that my “creative juices” flow best after I’ve had a pint or two of good quality stout. This is part of why my local pub is my favorite writing spot. The beer, for lack of a better explanation, smooths out the white noise constantly buzzing about in my head. I can easily see people taking this too far so just remember that a light buzz is ok; anything past that and you’re just wasting your time. You want to loosen up, not become an alcoholic & pickle your liver.

If all else fails you might find it’s best to just walk away from your writing for a little while. Take a walk, exercise, take a shower. You might even try the old tried and true “sleep on it”. Writing isn’t something you can force and sometimes your mind just needs to mull things over while you do something else.

So there you have it. My tips on writing in a distraction-filled world.
I hope you’ve found at least a couple of them useful because now it’s my turn shut off the net and get back to that first novel of mine.