The Anti-Writer

Writers write. Okay, that's true. But the writing process itself often involves several actions, the nuances of which can be lost on the casual observer, and so lead to the casual observer thinking that the writer is free to be engaged at the moment. The observer then tries to involve the writer in conversation or activities which would unknowingly interfere with the writer's writing process.
  This misunderstanding of the writer's process can lead to hurt feelings, arguments, strife, anxiety... and it lead to spouses, friends, partners, or even children becoming The Anti-Writer!
  Writers tend to be thinkers, and thinking can often involve staring out a window or at a blank computer screen for hours. A writer can, and will, excitedly write down or blurt out an idea before settling down and gnawing on this same idea for hours or even days trying to get it just right.
  To someone on the outside looking in, it seems that the writer has a lot of free time on their hands. So folks that don't quite "get it" will want to share in that "free time."
  Thus friends, family, co-workers, acquaintances, spouses, partners, lovers, fellow commuters, curious onlookers and just plain talkative, gregarious people become the Anti-Writer by unknowingly stepping into the path between a writer and their muse.
  So what's a writer to do? Well, as I've mentioned before, a writer should set aside a time and place where they would regularly do their writing and thinking, and then sit down with loved ones and explain that when they are ensconced in this place at that time, they are WORKING and shouldn't be disturbed. Easy? No. Necessary? Only if you're serious about your writing.
  What about those fellow commuters and co-workers, etc.? There's nothing you can probably do about the world at large at this point, so try to be zen about it and just chalk it up to life. And, just keep writing.