Looks like I'll make my goal of 50,000 words in November, despite my best efforts.
Unlike usual months with no goals whatsoever, I seem to have more days when I don't write one bit. I'm not sure what's going on. I don't really feel blocked, and I haven't been busier than usual. Lately, though, I've been more easily distracted. This is the first time in a long time when anything other than soundtrack-style music or total silence interferes with writing.
Okay, the cats are fine, even if they seem to want me to open the door every five minutes. And I can do the sporadic chore thingy, where I do a couple of dishes and then get back to writing, then swap laundry from the washer to the dryer and then more writing, etc. I can't write with the television on anymore. I can't tune out conversations. And I've had more trouble getting started back up once I stop.
Not fun. But, I get to practice writing with my writing self in a more fragile state than usual, which in the long run I hope will be a good thing. If I can relearn the whole writing-with-distractions thing again, I should be able to write just about anywhere at any time. I don't want the words to stop just because the hill I'm climbing is getting steeper.
Going the other direction–trying to eliminate distractions and create a better working environment–I suspect will make things worse. Maybe I won't be able to listen to music anymore, at all, or work while there's another person in the room. That wouldn't just cut productivity to those times when I can get into that perfect state. I write differently when I'm outside, or in the library, or at a pub. That variety keeps my writing alive. If I end up writing in a sensory deprivation chamber, I'll only be able to write the kinds of stuff I'd write in a box, and all that other stuff, the outdoor, in the pub, in the library, in the park stuff will disappear. Even if the sensory deprivation stories were really, really good, I would still be limited.
So here's to working hard, even when I'm hardly writing, and reaching my 50,000 word in November goal.
The challenging parts of the journey are often the best and most memorable parts.