Literary Magic Only When Sleep Deprived

[LongDraw]

So once again, I noticed that when I'm more sleep-deprived than normal (I typically get ~4 hours/night), my natural ability to make scenes come alive with next to no action or movement of characters in a scene suddenly appears without warning.

Anyone else experience the same?

 

[sirhugs]

Not particularly, but that doesn't stop me from writing then, or I would never get anything written. I have a thread on Story Ideas dedicated to Insomnia and one of my recent stories began from that theme, though it took a left turn into another ferish. A sequel is almost ready.

Table three in the AH coffee shop is reserved for us insomniacs.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Sometimes. Sleep dep at 4am does help hugely with cryptic crossword puzzles.

 

[NotWise]

Scenes and images often swim into view when I'm half asleep -- usually when waking up. I can think of only once when sleep deprivation (with stress) made words flow.

 

[TadOverdon]

It's better than constant drinking, IMHO.

That's only half a joke. What the two states have in common is a temporary diminution of self-conscious awareness, a useful enough faculty of consciousness in itself which can nonetheless be a nuisance when you want to tap into your other levels.

I can write more freely, sometimes, after I meditate.

 

[lovecraft68]

It's better than constant drinking, IMHO.

That's only half a joke. What the two states have in common is a temporary diminution of self-conscious awareness, a useful enough faculty of consciousness in itself which can nonetheless be a nuisance when you want to tap into your other levels.

I can write more freely, sometimes, after I meditate.

Hey Frost along with other poets and many authors were either always drunk or flying on coke or downing on horse and in an altered reality.
Being that I've battled insomnia from time to time the best way to put it is the more tired you get the more wired you get, meaning there is no way in hell I could focus on writing when I'm having a bout a typical activity would be exercising or even doing things around the house...at 2 or 3am

 

[TadOverdon]

Half of fiction writing, for me, is getting out of my own way. Whether it's the easy half or the more challenging half depends on when you ask me.

 

[gunhilltrain]

I can't do anything, much less write, if I'm sleep-deprived. And alcohol is equally bad, although I've heard of a few authors who use it anyway. I think even Charles Bukowski was usually sober when he wrote.

 

[SamScribble]

I think even Charles Bukowski was usually sober when he wrote.

Hunter S Thompson not so much. Apparently.

 

[LongDraw]

Half of fiction writing, for me, is getting out of my own way. Whether it's the easy half or the more challenging half depends on when you ask me.

That is exactly how I would put it for me when I reach that state of mind. It is as if another part of my brain, my sub-conscious portion where my creativity resides, rises to the surface to reveal the beauty that is typically trapped inside my autistic personality. I just wish I had a longer period of time available to tap into that part of me so that I could overhaul the more lack luster or dull parts of my writing and truly create a masterpiece that my readers can embrace on a whole new depth. Sadly, even now I can feel my grasp on that part of my mind slipping as I continue to slide closer to the point where I will not be able to tolerate the exhaustion. I suspect in the next few days, I will sleep for the whole day, which makes me feel guilty as hell for my wife. She understands though as she's been telling me I've been very vocal in the few hours of sleep I'm getting, keeping her awake most nights.

 

[gunhilltrain]

Hunter S Thompson not so much. Apparently.

Thompson may have exaggerated his substance use somewhat, but if he only took half of what he said he did, it would still be pretty amazing. He wrote a lot about taking drugs, but that doesn't mean he was always actually high when writing. He had the ability to write about crazy events with an understated tone, which may have indicated sobriety when he was actually at this typewriter. Just a guess on my part.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Yeah, my muse seems to be most active around 1 in the morning.

 

[LongDraw]

Finally got wife to read my new scene I wrote. Think I should have asked her to read it when kids weren't screaming. Whoops! My bad!

 

[HeyAll]

I believe (could be wrong) that a guy named Chris Gore (who appears in a youtube interview talking about pop culture) said that for him, the best work he does is in the halfawake state that occures in the early morning.

I think that's a reasonable statement. I've done a lot of great work while half asleep. But then again I've done a lot of great work when having caffine. It all depends. Everything plays a part. However you get there, is however you get there.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

I can't do anything, much less write, if I'm sleep-deprived. And alcohol is equally bad, although I've heard of a few authors who use it anyway. I think even Charles Bukowski was usually sober when he wrote.

Same here. That giddy, antsy, "want to sleep but can't" feeling is really only conducive for arguments and gibberish from me.

I do have a lot of ideas when im almost asleep, or dreaming. The trick is remembering them and working out the details once I'm awake.

 

[SimonDoom]

Not for me. I don't get enough sleep, as a general rule, so I suppose I'm sleep deprived most of the time. But I do my best work when I'm as awake as possible.