So I'm trying to write a serious story with Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase playing on the TV for my six-year-old. Damn you Scooby Doo! I cannot halfway keep a straight face. I'm trying to write this very very serious story, and Fred and Daphne are cracking me up. I guess I'll be putting my headphones back on...

Anyone else out there having difficulty concentrating w/kids under foot?

What are your tricks for dealing with it?

I'm there with you. I have 3 toddlers and they can make it hard for me. I swear any more Phienas (sp) & Ferb and I'm gonna lose my mind or possibly end up accidentally doing a script for that show. LOL at least the other day they were watching Superhero movies which helped some since I'm working on a graphic novel involving superheroes... of course last night it was Kung Fu panda on repeat in the dvd player. I think they watched it like 3 times. Made writing the one really sad scene in issue 1 really freaking hard. Jack Black is too funny. It's not fair.

Back in March, I was babysitting my siblings (the ones still at home ranging in age from 5 to 15), and I was trying to finish the short story that I wanted to adapt for Screnzy ... while I agree that Phineas and Ferb and Scooby Doo are bad, they are NOTHING compared to what my 10- and 15-year-old sisters were watching: the crappy pre-teen shows like Hannah Montana and iCarly and I don't even know what else. I hate them with a passion because they don't portray anything like real life, not even anything like real middle/high school, and the actors are always just AWFUL!

Anyway, it was impossible to write. And normally, I can't listen to music I know well when writing because I start singing along ... I usually listen to instrumental or something ... but it wasn't my house, and all I had was my iPod shuffle (not a lot of music, and no real way to choose what to listen to). But it still worked like a charm. I was able to beat out more words that day than any other day that week ...

LOL, yeah, iCarly is pure torture! Its like banging your head into a...well, a big nickelodeon. I totally understand...

Ha, I AM the distracting kid in the room.
Of course, I've been writing like a freak every day this month, but... whatever. That's usually me, but I normally pop up and ask questions when people are trying to concentrate instead of watching annoying shows.
Still, I have WoW dungeon fight noises behind me, which gets annoying after a while, especially when you're writing completely superficial, light dialogue.

I'm glad the kids don't watch iCarly but the do watch Hannah. I swear I want to jab myself in the ear when I hear her voice... actually made it hard to watch Bolt even. Tho i do get a kick out of the Billy Ray jokes. Then there is Zach & Cody which why do they need to show 10 episodes in a row every single time they air that show, or should I say shows since they have a spin off. Which is by far the most poorly put together and weak plotted spin off in the history of TV. I still wonder who's craptastic idea that was. Makes you think they just went out on the street and grabbed some random guy and say hey you're our new writer.

Meanwhile good writers can't even get their scripts read... where is the justice?

I guess my suggestion in the thread about writing with a kitty in the room won't work. (lock lovely irritating pet in the car carrier)

:-)

Ok?! Zach and Cody, also pure torture. As is That's So Raven. I think most Disney shows drive me nuts. Their movies are ok, but they come up seriously lacking when it comes to quality TV. I think they air the show fifty times in a row because they don't have anything better to air. I swear, I would much rather have seventy-five episodes of Lilo & Stitch or that ridiculous cartoon about the Mayan king than Zach & Cody or any of the other "live action" shows they have on Disney now.

I guess its lucky for me that my kid really likes Scooby Doo and other fun cartoons. I still have to wear headphones, but its because they crack me up. But that's better than them grating on my nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard.

My trouble isn't with the kid in the same room as me ... it's the kid laying in bed calling petulantly, "You forgetted to get my water ... my bwankie ... my horsey ... can I have a kweenex? ... you didn't turn on a hall wight ... I'm not SWEEPY!" ... at 9:30 ... 10:30 ... midnight.

Oh, and the Dick van Dyke show. My mom watches it. I thought it was cute last month, but now it's driving me crazy. My script isn't brilliant, nor is it serious, but DvD is a TERRIBLE backdrop for trying to write anything. I have caught myself sitting in the living room, typing to Dick van Dyke EVERY NIGHT so far this month. I don't know how it happens. *sigh*

Oh, I completely understand! I have found that if I go to www.pandora.com and put on my headphones at a semi-low volume, I can block out the sounds of Cartoon Network enough to concentrate on my work. pandora is brilliant. I have also found that it is quite helpful to have on my headphones (even if there's no music going) when my mom comes into the room. She just assumes I've got music going and usually won't say anthing to me. Keep this on the downlow. *wink*

RR

p. s. lol dick van dyke show. I can't even imagine trying to concentrate with that going in the background. but you've got 60+ pages, so you must be doing something *write*! ^_^

AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!! Somebody PLEASE end this Jonas Brothers Madness!!!

I'm far too young for kids but I thank you guys SO much for pointing me towards pandora!! It's awesome, though I've seen it before I never bothered to really get into it and now I think it's great. =D Perfect for writing, thanks!!

EDIT: Wow... I kinda know what you mean now. >.< I have just annoyingly discovered that even though I'm SO close, I can't seem to focus with strangers in the house. (Repairmen for the air conditioning or something xp) I have to go read or somehting instead. >.<

I have nothing witty to say here. Please move along.