Classical Writing?

Usually I can write sitting on the living-room couch with my laptop - I can tune the television and the kids fighting right out. (Which is really weird, because I can't read unless it is totally silent, go figure).

Today I just couldn't. My son is home from college and he is full of a lot of energy - and he and his brother have disagreements and tiffs, typical teenage brother stuff. I couldn't concentrate with all of the noise around me.

So I moved it on into my office. I locked the door and set up my Alphasmart 3k (Sam) on my desk. I had just put my hands in place on the keyboard, when my son knocks on the door and says something he thinks is funny.

I told him that I had shut and locked my door for a reason. His response? He knocked on the door again and repeated his asinine comment.

I jumped up and went into my bedroom to retrieve my iPod so that I could listen to some music.

I found the classical station and thought, Why not? I had never been able to listen to music while I was writing, but I have heard that classical music is soothing and gets the creative juices flowing.

So I tried.

And it worked. I was able to get an hour of writing in while listening to the classical station. Can't say that I was actually listening to it, but it helped me to block out everything else and concentrate on my writing.

Who says that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?