Blogging Tips

I should probably start this article by telling you that I’m writing in the basement of my house in our little cubbyhole that’s cold even though it’s May here. The reason I’m stuck down here writing this piece and all my other work for a little while is the incredible swell of neighborhood noise that starts up as soon as the weather warms up.

I did have an office on the top floor and even bought an old desk that I enjoyed, but after a while I realized it wasn’t the writing and editing that was the stressful part of my job, but waiting on the next car horn, dog’s bark or child’s playful scream.  And all that got me to thinking about all the distractions there are when you work out of the house, and how dealing with those distractions can be one of the biggest obstacles you’ll face when you decide to work on your own.

A Writer’s Erratic Schedule

One of the first things I needed to realize was that other people don’t live by my erratic schedule. It might be different for other kinds of businesses that you can run from your house that have a more nine to five air about them, but my job as a freelance writer on the Internet means that I have no real structure to the deadlines that I need to meet.

That means that one of the first things I found that I could do to deal with the distractions like lawnmowers and loud stereos that thump through the walls was change my schedule and take advantage of the off hours when other people are sleeping or away at work. I also like to get up early in the morning and get some work done and then come back to it later at night, basically when everyone else is just getting up and after they’ve gone back to bed.

Of course you can take advantage of the technology that’s available and when I can set my day out so I can write without needing the Internet, I can actually take the short drive just out of town and work in the peaceful seclusion of the countryside.

And on those days when I like to use my desk that’s upstairs and right in the middle of all the noise on a bad day, I found it’s a good idea to go down to the local industrial supply store and get some heavy-duty earplugs that block the sound.

Regardless of the method I use, I find it’s important to take into account the kind of distractions that can throw me off when I’m trying to work and act accordingly. As everyone who works with on the Internet as a writer knows, any kind of constant noise in the background that you find irritating can be a distraction that can cost you some money in the course of the working day.

You won’t be able to find a totally quiet place to work (he writes as he listens to the washing machine cycle through) but you can experiment to find what’s best for you.