Tuesday, September 23, 2008

What is the best time of day to Write

I'm not a morning person. Not by preference. But my daughter is now in a new school and has to get up much earlier, so the timetable of the whole household has shifted. The result is that I am up and ready to write by 8.15am.

This brings me to ask: when is the best time of day to write? Over the years of being a writer, I have got into the habit of starting at 9am and writing through to mid day, then doing other tasks in the afternoon. This pattern seems to work for me. Perhaps the mind is fresher in the morning. But my feeling is that we can write and be creative at any time of day - so long as we train ourselves to do so.

My advice: set up a routine and keep to it. Perhaps you are able to give 20 minutes a day to writing. Perhaps you can give several hours. Whatever your timetable, if it is regular, your brain will learn to click into action. Even if you don't feel creative when you pick up your pen or power up your computer, the words will be there as soon as you start to write.

The one time of day I try not to write is in the late evening - because when I do that, I can't turn off afterwards and the result is a sleepless night.

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