In my last post, I talked about writing through blocks – writer’s block, that is. I was eager to try this out and had (and, really, continue to have) high hopes.

I went on vacation for 5 days and, knowing that there wasn’t a chance that I’d have time to work on the novel, decided it wasn’t worth lugging the computer through the airport. So I didn’t. This week continues to be very busy for me, but I am bound and determined to  work on the novel around my appointments this week and my weekend out of town. This writing plan will not happen between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Yesterday when we all woke up in our own beds, we got up and moved the furniture out of most of our first floor. This morning, with a pillow over my head, I could quite clearly hear the entire conversation happening between my father and the workers who will be refinishing our hardwood floors. Then the hammers started, followed by the tearing noises. About a half hour later, I came out of my room to discover that the carpet in the living and dining rooms was gone. I brought the dogs down to the basement, took some allergy medicine to combat the dust flying around here, and spent the morning with the dogs. When I emerged at lunch time to take a shower while the workers were out, the carpet in the hallway and the stairs was gone. There continues to be a massive amount of noise coming from upstairs. It sounds like my house is imploding. How will I write through this? I can barely focus on this blog entry.

I’ve never really had a writing schedule. I’m not one of those people who wakes up at 6 a.m. and devotes 6:15 – 8 a.m. for writing. I’ve never been able to do that because, while I am a very scheduled person (meaning that I keep calendars and I plan in advance), I can’t schedule my writing time. I know that I focus best at night when everything is quiet. Occasionally I write during the day because it’s quiet then. But if I have to go to bed early in order to wake up early, then it would seem that this isn’t going to work out. At least not this week.

It has occurred to me, too, that the noises echoing throughout our empty rooms are really no louder than the distractions in my head have been at times, and so that shouldn’t stop me from writing. After all, it IS only a first draft. Maybe I’ll actually be able to tune them out by tuning myself in. In the mean time, though, if you’ve ever had to write through what is essentially a construction site (bonus points if you’ve also been confined to your basement, sharing a couch with two dogs), I’m open to advice. I sort of can’t leave the house, so that option is out. These nearly-500 words have taken all the concentration I have.