Distractions

Sometimes there's a certain notion or concept that I want to explain and relate to others, but can never overlook the clumsiness of my phrasing enough to do so. Today was one of the rare days when I would read a book and find that exact same idea expressed, albeit much more fluently:

"...prison and banishment were splendid aids to creativity; not a few masterpieces had been born within the walls of cells, beyond the reach of the world's distractions." - 2010 Odyssey Two, Arthur C. Clarke.

I had been wondering a while ago, during the 24-Hour Playwriting Competition fever, how it was possible that participants could cough up a complete script in the short space of 24 hours? I have tried that feat myself on numerous occasions, with eluding satisfaction and unwelcome frustration as the only results. Hindsight yields the answer a bit too easily -

00:00hrs : I sit down at my desk to write.
00:10hrs: I finally configure the damn timer correctly.
00:40hrs: Still waiting for inspiration.
02:00hrs: First break. I try to clear backlogged fan mail, while getting a snack, visiting the loo, and shaving at the same time.
03:20 hrs: Adopt meditating position. Still no inspiration.
03:40 hrs: Inspiration strikes!
04:00 hrs: Incinerate first draft. Resume meditating position.

05:00 hrs: Inspiration strikes!
05:30 hrs: Am still feverishly scribbling out the time line when mum comes home, announces the purchase of wanton mee. Time line and playwriting promptly abandoned.
08:00 hrs: Fresh after nap. Scribble scribble.
09:00 hrs: Diablo II beckons. Short computer-gaming break.
14:00 hrs: Oops. The jog that became a marathon. Reminder to self: NO MORE GAMING.

16:00 hrs: Complete doodling of the entire Peanuts cast, updated with Warcraft costumes. *sigh*
18:00 hrs: Fan club president calls, complains about insufficient autograph sessions this month. I tell her to bugger off, I'm busy writing, but reluctantly allow four more rabid fans to scream my name over the phone.
19:00 hrs: Sore ears, but restored ego.
19:30 hrs: Wonder what the heck am I doing. I throw everything down, head out to the gym and pump some serious iron.
19:30:01 hrs: Failure of 7th attempt at 24-Hour Playwriting.

Seriously though, I wonder how many geniuses there are out there, replete with the creativity and ingenuity but hampered by the lack of self-discipline. Does God have some super reference table somewhere, that reveals just how much of Man's progress is retarded by every release of Charlie's Angels, every episode of Singapore Idol, every sale of Halo 2? If human beings could handle distractions better, would we have time machines, colonies on other planets and a 10G SAF that requires only one week of NS, by now?

Wait a min. Is that my PS2 I hear humming in the hall?

Later.

=)