Concentrating on the Writing

Trying to get some writing done during the day can be hard. I have just become a stay at home father and therefore spend a lot of time with my 3 year old son Ethan.

He likes to run around the house roaring like a dinosaur. It is cute, but very distracting.

When he is watching television I can usually block out his cartoons, but I have become a fan of "The Penguins of Madagascar" and I cannot help but get sucked into this great show.

To focus on my writing and remove any distractions, I listen to music or a noise generator.

These are the audio tools I use for this purpose:

· Simply Noise - is a site that hosts a white/brown/pink noise generator. It has an oscillating option that changes up the volume of the noise as you listen.

· Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata - When I write articles I find that this particular piece of music puts me into the right mindset. Putting it on a continuous loop, it settles into the background of my mind and blocks out any other noise.

· Baroque Music - I discovered the power of this classical music subset in University. Besides the ability to focus my attention, I read that it contributes towards memory retention when studying.

· Relax M.P. - Is one of my essential iPhone apps. It has a large collection of natural sounds, melodies and noise generators that you can mix and match, allowing a user to find the perfect mix for relaxation, sleep, meditation and focus. Personally, I like to use the app to mix brown and white noise.

Stephen King talks about needing a writing tool box when you become a writer. I think it is essential to find techniques and tools that give you the ability to remove distractions and focus your attention on your work

If you have your own techniques and tools to block out distractions and focus on your work, I would love to hear about them.