What time of day do you write?

[stickygirl]

Surely everyone finds their mind wandering as they hover at the threshold of sleep. Too often we may be fretting over worries but last night my head was awash with metaphors and whimsical story ideas. In the end, I was compelled to switch on the bedside light 'What's up?' the voice next to me said. I had no time to explain, but reached for my notepad from the warmth of the covers.
This morning I read what I'd scribbled, it's legible and it's not bad.

So here's the question, already suggested by the thread title...
When do you write? Is it a day or an hour?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Mornings mostly, after breakfast. I try to get an hour in before I get on with the day. Or the evenings, before I turn the light off.

 

[Blind_Justice]

My best work happens at night when my lady love is asleep and the cats have tired themselves out.

 

[AlinaX]

Whenever I'm alone and in the mood. If a story really grabs me, I can get quite obsessed with it, snatching every minute I can to write.

 

[stickygirl]

I'm interested in the process... those last waking moments before our brain checks out and does its own thing, running free from our constraints. Sure, we pluck creative ideas in waking moments, but it still feels as though we need to stare at the half mirror of wakefulness, the ideas floating below the surface. Are they waiting to be found? Once they sink from sight into the darkness, they are surely gone for ever, so we must be quick to rescue them and hope they are still beautiful, wet in our hands and not some gibberish sent by our subconscious to mock us.
Maybe that's just how my weird brain works?!

 

[SimonDoom]

Mornings, mostly. I'm a morning person and an early riser, usually waking up well before dawn, so that's the best time for me to write. My brain isn't working as well at night, so I'm less likely to write after 8 pm.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Often a little before falling asleep, but recently, rather a lot while on hold on the phone...

 

[MrPixel]

Yeah, early mornings seem to be my most productive time of day for new material, after I fix a pot of coffee, scan the day's news, and see what y'all here have going on. Given that I really have no schedule (retirement is wonderful), I'll dabble with re-reads and editing throughout the day.

That said, there are infrequent days when inspiration is at full throttle, and the output is steady from pre-dawn to midnight or later, with begrudging breaks for meals, etc. Of course, those not-so-coincidentally are the days when my wife gripes at me about getting my ass out of "that chair". She forgets about our earlier days together when I was coding apps.

 

[stickygirl]

All these morning people - I'm really surprised. I feel duty bound to ask if it correlates to morning wood but clearly we're above such base thoughts.
I need the late hours to free my mind of Miss Logical and let Miss Fantastical emerge

 

[Jackie.Hikaru]

I write in the morning and in short breaks throughout the day where I have time to myself. More out of necessity than as ideal time to write unfortunately.

 

[MrPixel]

All these morning people -

Well, there are different degrees of "morning people". Just because my bladder gets me up around 5-6:00 and I can't go back to sleep doesn't mean I'm out of my bathrobe before noon.

 

[TxRad]

For Lit, it is any time I have some free time and the mood strikes. This is my fun writing time.

For my mainstream stuff, it is five or six hours everyday. They pay so I'd don't have time to play.

 

[KeithD]

I write mainly in the afternoon and then again after midnight.

 

[GrantBricksly]

I try to do my writing during the day when everyone else is gone (kids are at school, wife is at work, etc..) but sometimes the background noise (ie: TV) that I use distracts me...or perhaps maybe I just don't have my muse those days..

 

[Euphony]

Brain seems more creative while moving around/exposed to sunlight during the day. Fragments of ideas or lines get jotted to be built on later.

After dinner is a good time to do some reflecting/culling to see what actual chutes will thrive. Great time for research to fertilize the ground for tomorrow's sun.

10Pm-ish on is where the bulk typing, construction work is done. House is quiet which makes the less fun grindy work more bearable.

Falling asleep is a crazy creative/ideas spike but problematic as I'm trying to get away from screens. But, dark mode and quick notes hasn't led to destroyed sleep quite yet. When the main story is more bulked, this creative spurt will be far less necessary so I worry less about lingering sleep problems.

 

[HeyAll]

Mostly mid-morning, after having breakfast in front of the computer and checking all the news and updates for everything else. Then I write.

Rarely after lunch, my energy always dips.

Then at night around 10 pm, depending if i'm sleepy or not.

 

[SamScribble]

I have been a professional writer for the past 59-and-a-bit years - and so I have tended to keep 'office hours', eight 'til five, sometimes with a break for lunch. If I have a lot on, I will usually start earlier rather than work later.

A few years ago, I took on a project too many. I agreed to deliver a book manuscript in six weeks. So, for six weeks, I got up at 4:30 and then worked on the book from five 'til seven each morning, took a shower, made a fresh coffee, and then started my normal eight 'til five day. It worked. The book was a best seller.

 

[Smuttyandfun]

I'm interested in the process... those last waking moments before our brain checks out and does its own thing, running free from our constraints. Sure, we pluck creative ideas in waking moments, but it still feels as though we need to stare at the half mirror of wakefulness, the ideas floating below the surface. Are they waiting to be found? Once they sink from sight into the darkness, they are surely gone for ever, so we must be quick to rescue them and hope they are still beautiful, wet in our hands and not some gibberish sent by our subconscious to mock us.
Maybe that's just how my weird brain works?!

I tend to be a night owl. I mostly write when my house is quiet I can think without any distractions. When I finally turn out the light, I always keep writing in my head, even if I try to put the story to bed by doing a puzzle or something online before I power off. Often, I imagine dialogue or a part of the story I'm stuck on when I'm almost asleep. Sometimes I will get up and get back on the computer, otherwise the ideas filtering through my brain when I'm half-asleep are usually gone by morning.

 

[stickygirl]

I tend to be a night owl. When my house is quiet I can think without any distractions. When I finally turn out the light, I always keep writing in my head, even if I try to put the story to bed by doing a puzzle or something online. Often, I imagine dialogue or a part of the story I'm stuck on when I'm almost asleep. I will occasionally get up and get back on the computer, otherwise the ideas filtering through my brain when I'm half-asleep are usually gone by morning.

Hurray - another night owl! I run through plot twists with my head on the pillow

 

[EarlyDawn1973]

Hurray - another night owl! I run through plot twists with my head on the pillow

I do most of my writing at night as well. Ususally when I get ready for bed and relax ideas and visualizations run thru my mind and I try to write them down as quick as possible.

 

[Euphony]

Hurray - another night owl! I run through plot twists with my head on the pillow

I try not to brawl with my muse but damn her if she'll leave me stranded for the 2 hours preceding bed yet they second I lie down, here's that flood you wanted.

Love you muse but we have some toxicity issues to work on on both sides.

 

[stickygirl]

I try not to brawl with my muse but damn her if she'll leave me stranded for the 2 hours preceding bed yet they second I lie down, here's that flood you wanted.

Love you muse but we have some toxicity issues to work on on both sides.

Maybe she's a night owl too? She's there, waiting for you, pouting from the sheets!

 

[the_single_gal_unconfidential]

if I was to write - it would be when I'm driving haha.
I don't listen to anything.
like lately I've been thinking of going to one of those working dude ranches.
some of those are like cruise ships with horses - not those. a ranch where I'm heaving bales of hay off the back of a moving flatbed etc.
driving alone with thinking of that - besides the ranch fun - I do what kind of experiences I could have with a cowboy or two. and a ranch hand thrown in
I've looked online at them.

but anyway, that's when I'm driving. when I'm home - all my literary drive is left in the car in the garage. always find something else to do.
even if it's just a nap.

 

[AWhoopsieDaisy]

I write most of my drafts on my phone via google docs so basically, whenever. But thats writing in general. Erotic scenes are hard to write when there's someone else in the room simply because I'm anxious when I have an audience.

 

[GrantBricksly]

if I was to write - it would be when I'm driving haha.
I don't listen to anything.


but anyway, that's when I'm driving. when I'm home - all my literary drive is left in the car in the garage. always find something else to do.
even if it's just a nap.

I do some of my best thinking in the car. So I get that. I actually do a lot of brainstorming in the car..or in the shower. Then when I am home alone, I do my writing.