In the Still of the Night or Sing Me a Tune?

I’m baffled at how some writers need distraction to write. They prefer listening to music or eating snacks during the creative process. Really? How does anyone create something coherent when their iPods are blasting in their ears or when they have to wipe salty crumbs off their fingers?

I’m just the opposite. I’d rather write in quiet so I can hear words forming in my head, so I can read aloud and hear the flow of the day’s musings. And eating takes too much time when I’m working; the task occupies my hands when I could be typing a few more lines. That’s not to say I haven’t written through many a distraction: kids temper tantrums, an ornery husband’s grumbling, and the dog’s incessant scratching at the door. But the stillness allows me to be alone with words and to concentrate on what I’m trying to say. It removes clutter from my mind.

What are your preferences? Inquiring writers want to know!