Privacy

I don't mind if there are people in the room as long as they're not talking to me. They can talk to each other, just not me

When other people are with me in the room or when someone talks to me from another room in the house, it distracts me a little bit but it doesn't stop me from writing. I can pick up where I left off easily. Also, I don't mind people walking into my room and taking a peek at what I'm writing. I'm an adult now and I can write pretty much anything I want to. That's why I don't feel weird when people take a peek.

I prefer to be around people that I don't know when I write. I don't mind if i'm in a room full of talking people as long as none of them are talking to me. This is why I write at the library

People have a nasty habit of talking to me, expecting me to answer, demanding that I pay them attention.

Blarg.

It's a very rare person who can sit in the same room with you and shut up. The best communication is silent. In my opinion anyway.

So most of the time I prefer to be alone. Even if you tell someone you're working, nine times out of ten they'll get in your face and pester you for conversation and all that sociable nonsense.

The Kidd said:

I prefer to be around people that I don't know when I write. I don't mind if i'm in a room full of talking people as long as none of them are talking to me. This is why I write at the library

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That's why I write at home

You didn't mention cats--The bane of my writing existence. I call Curly "McBane" now. He claws me and jumps up on the back of the chair. If I ignore him long enough, he'll go in the other room and cry.

Or is this limited to humans?

Depends on what stage I'm at. If I'm just dumping ideas out of my head, I don't mind if people are around. In fact I can often carry on a half decent conversation while I do it.
But if I'm editing or really trying to solve a problem, I should be alone.

If I have to be around others and need to focus, I find that headphones work wonders

The only person I can 'talk' to while I write is Lori. Sure, it's on MSN, but it's still talking, right?

Anyone else who pings me is a distraction. Weird how it's not the case with her. She's the only person on MSN I've never, ever blocked to allow me to get on with work.

Wayne K said:

You didn't mention cats--The bane of my writing existence. I call Curly "McBane" now. He claws me and jumps up on the back of the chair. If I ignore him long enough, he'll go in the other room and cry.

Or is this limited to humans?

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He'll cry? Awww!

If I'm already working and someone comes in, I'm liable not to notice them unless they make themselves known by physical contact or shouting until I snap out of my head. (The 2nd is safer, as the 1st is liable to end in me smacking them from reflex. No touchy!)

If I go into a room and people are already talking or watching TV, no way can I get anything done. I can't zone them out well enough.

SP's right (wow, that tasted weird in my mouth). Most people don't want to be ignored, and they take the fact that you're not actively engaging in conversation as being ignored. They want to talk, ask questions, be entertained, and most don't consider writing to be something worth not giving them your attention over.

I can write almost anywhere, though I need to be able to see. I've written in all sorts of odd, uncomfortable, noisy and crowded places.

But if I'm trying to write and you're peeking around me at the screen and offering comments?

I will hurt you.

Badly.

I don't care if others are around; in fact, coffeeshops are places where I do some of my best concentrating. (I prefer quiet at home though.)

Medievalist said:

I can write almost anywhere, though I need to be able to see. I've written in all sorts of odd, uncomfortable, noisy and crowded places.

But if I'm trying to write and you're peeking around me at the screen and offering comments?

I will hurt you.

Badly.

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I love you.

In a completely standoffish, non-tactile, hands-off, silent, If-you-need-me-I'll-be-on-the-other-side-of-the-room-not-saying-a-thing, noli-me-tangere kinda way.

Medievalist said:

I can write almost anywhere, though I need to be able to see. I've written in all sorts of odd, uncomfortable, noisy and crowded places.

But if I'm trying to write and you're peeking around me at the screen and offering comments?

I will hurt you.

Badly.

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scarletpeaches said:

I love you.

In a completely standoffish, non-tactile, hands-off, silent, If-you-need-me-I'll-be-on-the-other-side-of-the-room-not-saying-a-thing, noli-me-tangere kinda way.

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I love you the other way

You can love me any way you like as long as you don't put me off my writing.

I love writing in solitude. A cabin in the deep woods is perfect. Particularly if there's no electricity.

I have my own office at home, I often go out in the woods to write, or go to the library, where I usually get a private reading/writing room.

But I can write effectively in a room crowded with people, and have many times. I prefer solitude , but it's not a necessity by any means.

Solitude isn't a necessity. Quiet is.

I've yet to meet a non-writer who knows how the hell to STFU for longer than five minutes though.

scarletpeaches said:

I've yet to meet a non-writer who knows how the hell to STFU for longer than five minutes though.

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I'm never alone.

I have a clingy 3-year-old daughter who is at my side day and night, even sleeping in the same bed with me. I have a 5-year-old son who hates that Kindergarten takes him away from me for most of the day, and so when he comes home, he wants to spend the first fifteen minutes or so in my lap. Sometimes I'm on AW because I can't write well with one child sitting on each leg (they're between me and the keyboard), but they don't really want me to get up or do anything, and I had been in the process of writing something...

Then there's my husband. We're still madly, crazy, honey-moon in love and the daily separation necessitated by his job is a sad, sad thing. When he comes home, the last thing I want is to be separated from him--I don't want him to be in the other room.

Now you see where my kids get it.

Literally, there is only one time when I have more than five minutes to myself, and that's when my husband watches the kids, and I saddle up my horse and head for the hills. But my husband and kids also have horses, and as soon as the little ones are old enough to tag along, I'm sure they will. Also, that happens once a month, if I'm lucky.

So no, I don't have the luxury of writing alone. My husband also writes, but can't write when there are distractions in the room, so right now he's limited to short poems and songs, much of which are done during his breaks at work. I write with kids in my lap, I stop repeatedly to get glasses of milk or to color something or to negotiate between warring siblings, and I've learned how to "hold that thought". My kids have learned, though, that "Let me finish writing this" means "Stay quiet until I ask you what you needed."

I'm social while I write. If someone's nearby, I talk. I definitely talk to my roommate and my boyfriend, and if they're not around, I like to have TV going, just to have noise. I'm a teenager. I multi-task.

I bite so people generally stay away from me

Matera you're in my cave... and I'm a hungry Vampire