My work schedule has just exploded into shrapnel, ash, and smoking ruin. As of last Monday, I won’t be able to write in the morning, when the house is quiet. Or at night, when the house is quiet. My work schedule has been slammed straight into midday, when the kidlet is up, homeschooling is in progress, and the Million-Question Parade has now been routed from the kitchen, where it didn’t bother anyone, straight through my office.
I remind myself that I used to have my desk in the living room, where I wrote while the two older kids did homework, watched movies, and argued endlessly. I know that I can do this. I just don’t remember how.
Unfortunately, I can’t do solitude. We homeschool, so I have to be available for questions and interruptions. Well, it isn’t really unfortunate. I enjoy my son’s company, and some of his questions are funny as hell. It is, however, damned difficult to answer questions while staying on target writing.
iTunes and headphones are sometimes the closest thing to solitude I can get.
Whenever something like this happens to me, I keep repeating the age-old saying, “This, too, will pass away.” Actually it also helps me enjoy the spectacuarly wonderful times…
I hope it will be straightened out soon. I write in my living room, but it’s a quiet place for the most part. I can’t write without it being fairly calm. I get distracted if the TV’s on. I do listen to music a lot. Would headphones help you shut out the distractions any? Or maybe headphones for your kids while they watch TV?
Matt’s work and schedule have changed drastically. His schedule has gone from perfect intermesh to total collision. We both hate it. With luck, it will be temporary.
Good grief, I know how you feel. My desk is in the living room, and I have to write with the TV blaring and music blasting, depending on what my family’s doing. What happened? Why can’t you write in the morning or evening?
I have faith in you. You can do it if anyone can.
What happened, anyway?