One of my most useful writing tools is my pair of noise-cancelling Headphones. My sister-in-law gave them to me for helping her move, and I admit, I might not have dropped $150-$300 on a set when earbuds seem to suffice.
But let me tell you a story about my headphones. See, last summer, this strange straight-line thunderstorm called a derecho hit Washington, D.C. like a freight train. I'm fortunate to live in an area where power lines are buried, but a lot of people lost power for weeks. Basically, it consisted of hurricane-force winds, rain, hail, thunder and lightning.
I had absolutely no idea it was even going on.
The storm hit on June 29, the day before Camp NaNoWriMo ended, and as usual, I was frantically typing away, trying to get my 50,000 words in. So I had on my noise-cancelling 'phones, and it wasn't until I stopped to take a break that I looked out my window.
The weather was so crazy that I kid you not, I turned back to my computer to be certain I hadn't missed a tornado warning.
So, take my word for it—these suckers WORK. And they let you write in just about any environment. For me, that's more than worth the price, and when/if mine ever die, I'll be shelling out for another pair right away.
This month I'm participating in the A-Z blog challenge. My theme is "writer hacks," or 26 shortcuts you can do as a writer to get the most out of writing and the journey toward and through publication. Find out more about it at a-to-zchallenge.com, and hop around to read the other cool blogs that are part of the challenge!
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Tuesday, April 09, 2013
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Jessica Schley
Jessica S. Schley was once a pusher of very important papers for a small commercial nonfiction house. Nowadays, she divides her time between bookselling, being a grad student, and writing contemporary fiction for young adults.
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I can think of several instances in my life where these might come in handy, but it is probably best that I do not put those ideas in writing.
ReplyDeletetee hee hee. :)
DeleteI've heard good things about noise cancelling headphones. But I always fear the night I wear them a break in will happen and I won't hear the criminal.
ReplyDeleteAmen sista! I bought myself the Sony X headphones last November and wow they are a dream. I can block out the world and music never sounded so good. A true gem for any writer!!
ReplyDeleteI love this story! There's nothing like being uber absorbed in your work. I'm not sure completely ignoring my wife and kids would go down too well, though. :)
ReplyDelete