Eyeballs

[primsong]

Why oh why does my ability to write hinge on whether or not someone is watching me? The horrible and inconvenient Power of the Eyeballs freezes my muse like a deer in the headlights, even if the person possessing the Eyeballs is not of the critical nature, or sometimes even really paying attention. Perhaps I need a hermitage in the hills just so I can finally finish all of my WIPs.

How do you deal with the Stare of Doom when trying to write?

Comments

[curuchamion.livejournal.com]

Well, I do all my writing in my room, which very seldom gets visitors... I suppose that doesn't work so well when you're a mom. ;-)

Will explaining to the staring person that you can't write when they're looking at you do any good, or have you already tried that?

*sends hugs*

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I admit to hiding in my room to scribble in a notebook sometimes - my computer isn't a portable variety and it's right between my kitchen and dining room, which is great for keeping tabs on people and sharing things but a bit difficult for being alone if there's anyone else in the house. ;-) The problem is my kids like to come and sit by mom and put a head on my shoulder and talk and wonder what's going on online... kind of hard to shoo them off without being rejecting. :-P There are times I do anyway - "I CAN'T write with you watching me!! Arrrrrgh!" is a good clue.

[pitry.livejournal.com]

Eurgh, yes. I can never write when there are people in the same room, let along watching me. :(

[primsong.livejournal.com]

Amen, complete solitude works best, and even better it's complete *guaranteed* solitude - as in knowing no one will be back for at least a couple hours and I can settle in nicely instead of being afraid if I get going on a nice chunk of dialogue someone will come in and it will freeze up. X-(

[thisbluespirit]

Eek, I know what you mean! I don't know how you get round it.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I wonder why the creation process is so delicate that even the *potential* of someone criticizing a little half-written piece will bring it to complete stop. :-P

[john_amend_all]

I don't. My Muse is fickle enough when I'm in a quiet room on my own; I can, sometimes, write in the presence of others provided no-one's talking and no-one's looking at my screen, but I definitely prefer solitude. Which I have a great deal of, as it happens.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I can write with someone else in the room, but only if I have to... and only if they aren't watching me directly and are occupied with something else. Right now your solitude sounds lovely to me!

Anyone who can write with small children around is amazing to me, I had a 15-year dry spell while my kids were small and didn't re-emerge into writing again until the youngest was in grade-school. I expect the constant interruption and someone always watching (even someone small) had a lot to do with that atrophy of the muse.

[john_amend_all]

Having thought some more about this, I think it's at least partly because of the feeling that someone who sees what I'm writing, can see what I'm thinking.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

What a fascinating thought... yes, I think you may be onto something there. That process of creation is so delicate and *personal*, perhaps an analogy may be having someone listening in on another line while speaking on the phone, except the person I'm speaking to is also me.

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

I say "Go away. I can't write with you here." Sometimes I say it more politely. Sometimes I just jot down some notes and wait till I'm alone so I can write. If it's a storyline I've been discussing with my daughter or husband I will bring them in on the process. It depends on the situation.

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I kind of start off polite ("I can't write with you watching...") and then when that doesn't work either go to "I said I CAN'T WRITE! GO AWAAAAY! SHUUUUN the AUDIENCE, SHUUUUN!" or I give up and close it and go do laundry or something out of frustration.

It annoys me because I have a family who understands what I'm writing about, they like the same subjects and theirs is a friendly interest in the story because they like reading it and contributing ideas. If my darn muse wouldn't do this I would get a lot more done.

I do sometimes grab my notebook and ask them to bail me out on sticky plot-knots by presenting scenarios and seeing what ideas they have, which they sometimes are willing to do, sometimes not, but even then I don't want them watching while I type up *their* idea for resolution... though I want them to read it once it's done. What's with that? Why is the actual writing process so solitary? I have no idea.

[meneleth.livejournal.com]

Writing is a very personal thing, at least until we're done with it. Then we (usually) want the world's opinion/ applause. Some of my writing is never meant for anyone else's eyes, but that's okay too.

Meg and I think alot alike. We'll be watching a show and one will say, "ooh, if only..." and the other will pick up the idea and it'll get to the point where I say, "I guess I'd better write this!" But after that it's *my* baby till it's done.

[clocketpatch]

Meep! I've never figured out how to deal with the stare of doom, other than to shuffle uncomfortably and close all windows on my computer, leading to the inevitable...

"were you watching porn?"

"Um, no, I was writing..."

"I think you were watching porn."

"No, I was writing."

"Were you writing porn."

"No."

"Can I see it?"

"No."

"Pervert."

head!desk

[primsong.livejournal.com]

I do that sometimes too, my son comes and sits down beside me and says "Hi" and then when I react by suddenly closing what I was working on he says, "Oh, if you're done can I have the computer?"
head!desk

Writing is definitely not a performance sport.