Ruler #1 For The Families of Writers

Bartholomew · Nov 7, 2006

Rule #1 For The Families of Writers

Never, ever ask me what I am doing when it is obvious I am writing. I will either bite your head off, insist you listen to a passage, or make you beta read the whole damn thing.

Thomma Lyn · Nov 7, 2006

Great idea for a thread!

When I'm writing, never play anything -- TV or music -- at ear-shattering volume.

When I'm writing and you need to ask me something, jump in with "Excuse me, when you get a minute" instead of the whole shebang so I can get the rest of my thought-in-process on paper.

Soccer Mom · Nov 7, 2006

Hah! Y'all should live with my kids.

Never:
ask me what I'm doing,
say uh oh,
spill milk on the livingroom carpet,
dangle your brother off the bunkbeds,
test toys in the microwave,
attempt to cook,
attempt to fly,
let muddy dogs in the house,
wrestle under my feet,
hold your brother down and write loser on his face.

I could go on and on. Thank God for school.

CBeasy · Nov 7, 2006

I don't usually snap when I'm writing, but that's because I'm not paying attention to the person talking. I usually so totally off in my own world, that someone has to touch me to get my attention. This goes the same for when I'm reading, watching TV or using the computer.

Bartholomew · Nov 7, 2006

Jadezuki said:
I totally thought this thread would be something like, "If you break this rule, you get the ruler."

Your faith in me is underwhelming.

On a similar vein as my OP, never send me an instant message when my status reads: away; writing.

You WILL recieve a request to accept "wip.doc" and if you do not accept it, I will block you for the remainder of the evening. O_O

CBeasy · Nov 7, 2006

Bartholomew said:
Your faith in me is underwhelming.

On a similar vein as my OP, never send me an instant message when my status reads: away; writing.

You WILL recieve a request to accept "wip.doc" and if you do not accept it, I will block you for the remainder of the evening. O_O

Ahahahaha. That's is the best idea I've ever heard. I hope you don't mind if I steal that technique.

Bartholomew · Nov 7, 2006

CBeasy said:
Ahahahaha. That's is the best idea I've ever heard. I hope you don't mind if I steal that technique.

Be my guest.

Just bear in mind that you'll owe me royalties off of everything you finish because of my inspiration. ^-^

Silver King · Nov 7, 2006

I wrote through a hurricane once. It helped that I was describing a stormy sea, but still...

Part of my house was gone before I realized it, and I understood then that I have a real knack for distancing myself from my surroundings.

People can talk to me all day long and my fingers never lose their stride.

Allie · Nov 7, 2006

Can't you find another mommy for awhile?

My little guy looks up at me, and he gives a hopeful smile with a look of anticipation in his grayish eyes and then says to me , "Mommy play?"

And what's a girl to do? She stops working on the novel of her dreams and sits down on the tatty carpeting and builds legos. I can write for the rest of my life, but my little guy will only be little for a whisp of time.

Besides, it would be a miracle if I was published before I turned 80 anyway.

SeanDSchaffer · Nov 8, 2006

Cool thread.

My #1 rule is: When I am writing, leave me the blankety-blank alone. This specifically means (in the case of my fellow tenants) do not knock on my door when you hear the typewriter going. My writing time is not my time to talk to you about the weather or any other non-emergency talk. (And no, the fact that you cannot find the cat you refuse to keep indoors, is not an emergency--at least not to me.)

Stacia Kane · Nov 8, 2006

Ugh! I totally agree!

My husband can't even read with the tv on, and yet he seems to think I can easily slip back to where I was after a pointless conversation about Miami Vice reruns, or what I want for dinner in five hours, or what cute thing one of the kids just did, or the latest issue of Green Arrow, or any other thing that could have waited until I at least finished the sentence I was writing.

KTC · Nov 8, 2006

Do not turn off the coffee pot while I'm writing...even if I made the coffee at 8a.m. and it is now 11pm. Pretty soon I'm going to need that last cup and I don't want it to be cold.

K1P1 · Nov 8, 2006

Bartholomew said:
On a similar vein as my OP, never send me an instant message when my status reads: away; writing.

You WILL recieve a request to accept "wip.doc" and if you do not accept it, I will block you for the remainder of the evening. O_O

Why don't you just close IM?

SherryTex · Nov 8, 2006

I don't hear anything when I write or read so I have to wait until the baby is asleep to work and put on the mindless box for the kiddos to grab a few seconds when inspiration strikes if its going to be on the computer.

My husband can sit beside me on his computer and I won't even hear --in my little world until I come up for air. It's sort of like floating in water with your eyes closed. The world may be going on but I don't notice.

Shadow_Ferret · Nov 8, 2006

I have an extremely annoying family. I never even ATTEMPT to try to write while they are awake.

K1P1 said:
Why don't you just close IM?

Ah, logic.

spike · Nov 8, 2006

I only have 1 rule:

Unless you are bleeding, broken or on fire, do not talk to me! This applies to both adults and children.

Popeyesays · Nov 8, 2006

Pirate Mercenary of the Dragoon Cabal.

Sorry, I gotta ask, don't you mean DRAGON Cabal? Dragoons are mounted infantry. The term came into being during the early seventeenth century to describe musket armed mounted troops who got off their horses to fight.

Later on, they became heavy cavalry during the age of Napoleon, and these days the term has been applied to helicopter deployed troops and mechanized infantry.

It was driving me crazy . . . . Sorry . . .

Regards,
Scott

Freckles · Nov 8, 2006

Great thread!

My family seems to think I can do a million thing while I'm writing, like it doesn't take much thought to get those words on paper.

I tell them to leave me alone with my thoughts!

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!

johnzakour · Nov 8, 2006

Never look over my shoulder while I'm typing my next humorous pulp sf novel, read the text and say, "not as funny as my favorite writer Douglas Adams."

My son does this to me all the time just to cheese me off. (No need to tell me what I already know! If I ever even approach that level I will be so happy.)

Carrie in PA · Nov 8, 2006

Mine's a little different. Husband and Son are pretty good about leaving me to my writing. So how about:

Do NOT go out and get a pizza from my FAVORITE freaking pizza place, come back and eat it ALL amongst the two of you, and when I venture downstairs, drawn by the smell, shrug and say, "You said not to bother you while you were writing."

:Wha:

Bubastes · Nov 8, 2006

To my cat (who sits on the printer and supervises me while I'm writing): the whirring sound from the printer is a signal to move your fat butt so you don't block the pages coming out.

Carrie in PA · Nov 8, 2006

MeowGirl said:
To my cat (who sits on the printer and supervises me while I'm writing): the whirring sound from the printer is a signal to move your fat butt so you don't block the pages coming out.

One of my cats is utterly fascinated by the printer. She'll stand there, trying to jam her paws into it and then when the paper comes out, she freaks out and runs off. Weirdo. LOL

J. Weiland · Nov 8, 2006

Carrie in PA said:
One of my cats is utterly fascinated by the printer. She'll stand there, trying to jam her paws into it and then when the paper comes out, she freaks out and runs off. Weirdo. LOL

Now I'll have to test if that works with our cat.

Go Ravens!

CaroGirl · Nov 8, 2006

The people in my life are everything to me. Even more important than my writing. They are my inspiration, my raison d'etre. So, I write when everyone's at work, school, or in bed.

I wouldn't want to bite the hand that feeds my inspiration, now would I?
The rules for the dogs, however, are thus:

If you feel the urge to vomit, do it on the tile or wood, NOT on the carpet, and tell me later.
DO NOT ask to sit in my lap.
Stay away from my feet.
DO NOT howl mournfully because you think you are home alone.
DO NOT ask to go out and pee the moment I sit down at my computer.

Freckles · Nov 8, 2006

johnzakour said:
Never look over my shoulder while I'm typing my next humorous pulp sf novel, read the text and say, "not as funny as my favorite writer Douglas Adams."

My son does this to me all the time just to cheese me off. (No need to tell me what I already know! If I ever even approach that level I will be so happy.)

OMG! My mother does that to me all the time, begging me to let her read it. I've told her once that I never let anyone see my work until it's finished, but does that stop her? Heck no.

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