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What Stops You From Writing?
Freelance writers and ghostwriters often have to write while coping with all sorts of disturbing circumstances. For example, I have worked my way through:
an annoying scraping noise as my neighbours rebuilt their wall
drilling next to my office when the builders tried to repair something they should have got right in the first place
plumbers and electricians asking me questions
 excavation as the golf course opposite decided to lay the foundation for some new apartments
thunder and lightning when the last hurricane was threatening to hit
screaming children next door (not mine)
loud music from someone’s car radio (the car was parked opposite our house)
In all those cases, I’ve kept writing because I had to. I had deadlines to meet and just because there was unbearable noise in the vicinity was no reason to miss them. The things that stop me from writing tend to be more subtle. These are things that stop the creative flow, such as:
worrying about an illness in the family
wondering whether a particular client will pay on time
concern about whether a member of the team will deliver on time
my mind wandering to planning family occasions when I ought to be working (both my husband and daughter have birthdays in the next month)
In other words, I find it difficult to write when my brain is focusing on something else. What stops you from writing? How do you manage to concentrate through adverse circumstances?