True or False: We Do Our BEST Writing in the Morning
I like to get up early most days, and start writing first thing.
Red rowanberries in the sun
I like the quiet in the house when only I, my cat Shadow and the coffee pot are awake. There is a certain depth of stillness that just feels very soothing.
I usually start writing my personal journal before I check in anywhere else... no email, no social media, no web surfing, no news. Somehow, the writing that comes out before my head becomes "polluted" with other thoughts of the day feels "cleaner" and more focused.
Many of the articles/posts I put on Steemit-- for example-- started as rough drafts at 6:30 in the morning, which I then finished later. Even if I don't have any new ideas to explore, it can be a really good time to develop ideas I have previously sketched out on loose pieces of paper. Let's just say I work best without distrubances and interruptions.
There's Actually Something TO This
Sage in bloom
In her very popular book "The Artists Way," author and psychologist Julia Cameron advocates writing first thing in the morning... for very similar reasons to those I just outlined.
In her case, she calls this early writing "Morning Pages" and considers it a great way to jump start creativity. The idea is that the first ideas in the morning are truly our own thoughts and ideas... not influenced by talking to others or hearing anything else.
Allegedly, doing this morning writing exercise also helps "clear the mind" to where your focus and creativity is better during the day, as well. Personal experience over 25+ years tells me there's some truth to that, as well.
So I would say it is very much TRUE-- at least for me-- that I do my best writing in the mornings. Or at least my most creative writing.
How about YOU? Do you have particular time of the day you prefer to write or create? If not, have you noticed that your creativity flows more easily at certain times rather than others? Are you familiar with Julia Cameron and "The Artists Way" series of books? What do you think of them? Leave a comment - share your experience - be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for Steemit)
Created at 171012 10:19 PDT
At 6:30 in the morning I've only been in bed 2 hours lol. I'm more of a night owl but I do feel the same way as you. With a young baby the only time I can work is at night. At night when she's asleep the house is completely quiet. You can hear the crickets and other night sounds outside and it's so peaceful.
I guess I just never was much of a night person... even when I was in college and most of my friends were partying and carousing, I was asleep. But I can get up super early and get started at 5:00am and I like that silence. It's been many years since wee ones have kept us up (ours are in their 20s/30s now)... but I know what you mean.
I think we can find more arguments why It's best to write in the morning than later. Like you mentioned: starting with a "clean mind", maybe going to sleep with the idea in mind and letting your subconscious do some work, having more "fuel" etc. But I just love the late night feeling when I write. I just like when it's dark :D
I definitely like the feeling of night... I just find it harder to concentrate and stay focused at the end of 10+ hour work day with whatever else needed to be done around the house. Sometimes I come up with good ideas at night, which I then write out the following day.
That's a good idea actually, writing the idea when it comes.
I have a book where I write ideas when they come, and when I am somewhat uninspired, I just go back and look at what I wrote.
Started including some "steemit ideas" in there as well, but don't really have time to write as much as I'd like.
Maybe one day))
I believe it's easier to learn in the morning. Cheers mike
That's been my feeling for as long as I have been writing seriously.
writing in the night is also good. I write horror stories, and i think night is the best time for horror stories- i tried to work in the morning, but that didn't work for me. The darkness and silence helps a lot
Good point about different genres. I write mostly non-fiction, so I find mornings better for that-- I am better able to tune into facts and figures then.
Defenitely in the morning, fresh Day, no influences and a lot energy generated during the night.
Good point about having more energy-- I just seem able to focus better in the morning.
Morning time is the best time to read or learn anything new. We have less amount of thoughts and always become more conscious of our nature and surroundings.
Excellent post and very good writing.thanks for sharing...upvoted
Good write.
I had one week where I more or less wrote the entire weeks worth of blogs in 6 hours starting from 3am. Spent rest of the week here or there finding/editing photos, formatting, researching tags the other non-writing stuff.
With my current schedule I find myself getting up around 1pm and the day already feels gone. Cant even getting writing done. Brain to scattered to form a blog.
Big part of it for me at least is sleep schedule issues. dead tired 24/7 as of late.
Thanks for sharing your insights 😃 I'm kinda finding it hard getting started with my writing these days. I end up not posting anything either here or on my Wordpress blog.
I feel like I don't have any ideas and it'll take too much effort. Do you feel this way too? How do you overcome it?
I usually do other stuff in the morning instead of writing. But this seems like an interesting approach. I could try it out. May help me be more focussed, as you said, and also be able to get started on some potential ideas?
I think I'm more inspired after watching or reading other people's stuff. But maybe I don't dig into my own mind enough. Thanks for sharing these ideas. Something to think about.