Last week, Cathy and I had the interior walls of our house painted and new carpet put down. For me, it was a very stressful week. Not only did we have to box up all my books and any breakables we also had to take down all our wall hangings and find a place to store them. Needless to say, it was like we were moving out only to move back in a week later after all the work was done.

Our two cats, Stella and Stanley, were in a tizz since we exiled them to our basement. To keep them company, I took my laptop down and spent my days working on my new novel. I was surprised by how well that work went despite the noise from upstairs. Here’s what I learned from the experience.

A change of scenery can be good for a writer. Being in the basement allowed me a new perspective, not only on my surroundings but also on the story I’m trying to tell. Something about my new location allowed me to see nuances of the characters and their stories that I might have overlooked.

Being uncomfortable can be a good thing for our work habits. I’m always on edge when work people are in our home. I’m always afraid of what might go wrong. Fortunately, nothing did with the painting or the carpet laying, but every noise from above made me nervous. I knew I had to trust the professionals to do what they knew to do. Needless to say, I was extremely motivated to stay out of their way. I had nothing to do except keep writing with an occasional break to pet Stella and Stanley, who had adapted well to their new surroundings even lying on adjacent chairs at one point. They normally barely tolerate each other, so seeing them so close together was remarkable. I wrote until the workmen were nearly done with their day. They provided me sufficient motivation to keep my butt in the chair so I could keep moving my story along.

Being displaced can make us eager to immerse ourselves in invented worlds. To escape the loud sounds of furniture being moved, and ladders being extended, and hammers banging, I put myself in the world of my novel. In my imagination, I moved to a different place and time period. I saw vivid details. I hope I created a world that will one day be believable to readers.

Over the years, I’ve written in airports, hotel rooms, and public libraries, just to name a few spaces I adapted for my purpose. Last week, I suffered the chaos of our home, but I decided my work didn’t need to suffer. I chose to turn the uncomfortable situation into a plus for my writing. It felt good to reach the end of the day, knowing my story was starting to come into clearer focus. The writing was good for the first draft I’m trying to complete, but it was also good for my spirit. I’ve always known writing helps relieve my stress. I could have stayed upstairs and fretted and fretted, but what good would that have done me and my novel-in-progress? Getting away from my normal surroundings gave me the motivation I needed, and it also allowed me to live fully in the imagined world I’m creating.