The problem? Distractions. All kinds of distractions. The dog threw up. My nephew was over two days in a row and it's not easy to write with three boys under nine years running around. The cat got himself stuck in the ducting and had to be extracted. The dishes looked like they needed to get done. I suddenly realized that someone had touched my bookshelves and things were out of place so I had to reorganize the entire thing. I had presents to wrap. The laundry needed some attention. And I had 15 e-mails from clients to deal with.
When reading this list, it seems like I was simply busy. But the problem really was one of focus. When you work from home and have ready access to the Internet, it's very easy to get distracted. You turn your head and suddenly there's something else you could be doing. And maybe it's something that really needs doing.
In the short term, getting a little distracted now and then isn't going to kill me. So I basically did nothing for four days. So what? The truth is, if a writer allows him or herself to be distracted too often, nothing will get done. Nothing productive, at any rate. The real trick is avoiding distractions to begin with.
If you're going to write professionally, you have to take yourself seriously. Set up a time and place to get work done. Real work done. Have a space that is free of possible distractions. Unplug the phone and certainly turn off your cell. And unless you need the Internet for research, disconnect. Better yet, go somewhere that doesn't have Internet. This is becoming more difficult now as most coffee shops and libraries have Internet access. Check your e-mail once before you start working and once after. Not during your work hours. Surely your e-mail will keep for a few short hours while you get some writing done.
Not all distractions have something to do with phones or the Internet. Housework and kids might be interrupting you. The housework can probably keep. Give yourself permission to NOT do the dishes right this second. They'll still be sitting there for you a few hours from now.
Kids are a different story. If possible, try to get the kids out of the house. Maybe they're off at school or you can get your sister or neighbor to watch them. Whatever works. You're trying to get something accomplished and it's not always easy to do with children running around. If you must work while the children are at home, try to get them to participate in an activity that is quiet and engaging. Coloring, molding Plasticine, or playing with blocks all work wonders for younger children. Older children might want to read. Whatever works for your children.
The point is you'll never finish that novel if you don't sit down and write it. A little time off here and there is fine. I look at the last four days as a vacation. But the vacation is over now and it's time to get back to work. And I do mean work. 5000 words today, 5000 words tomorrow, and I'll have tackled a large chunk of what I'd meant to tackle four days ago.
So how do you deal with distractions? Avoid them in the first place. You won't always be successful, but if you keep your focus and remember what your goal is, you should be able to fight off those distractions most of the time.
And remember this: any day that ends with the sure knowledge that you accomplished everything you could is a good day.
