Choosing The Best Time To Write

Image by Yerson Retamal from Pixabay

There’s a lot been written about when is the best time to write. It’s always a hot topic for writers.

Many swear by getting their best writing done early in the morning. Others swear that it’s better to write late at night when it’s quiet. They love to burn the proverbial midnight oil.

I’m not a person who can get up and write straight away in the morning. I need to have breakfast, do the dishes and clean up before I can sit down and write. I need to clear other jobs away first before my mind is free. It’s just how I am, so I go with it.

As to staying up late to write, it’s not something I regularly do. But sometimes when I’m in the flow state, I write till it’s late, then stay up really late watching a movie to refocus my mind so that I can sleep.

The thing is, we are all different so we all have different times that are best for us to write. We also have different states of mind on different days. Some days I’m waiting for the bell to ring so that I can stop writing, and others days, it’s hard to stop.

I think that the problem is that it’s easy to confuse your ideal time to write with your best time to write. And what we’d like it be and what it actually is are usually two different things.

It also depends on life’s other commitments too. If you have small children running around all day, you’ll probably be a midnight oil writer.

Do what’s best for you, not what you think would be best.

I’ve always found that I can write anytime. That’s because I’m a writer, not a dreamer.

“Your job is to make sure the muse knows where you're going to be every day from nine 'til noon. or seven 'til three. If he does know, I assure you that sooner or later he'll start showing up.”

~ Stephen King