Is writing in the morning better than writing in the
evening?
Should you write at a consistent time each day?
Some writers have strong views on when you (or they) should
write. Years ago, when I was studying for my MA in Creative Writing, a guest speaker suggested that we should always try to write first thing in the morning or last thing at night, to be as close as possible to the "dream state".
While that might be good creative advice, I've realised in the years since that it's not
very workable for many writers. If you've got a long commute and a day job, or if you have small children who rise at 5am (my youngest did for two full years...) then "first thing in the morning" probably isn't going to work for you. If you've got volunteering commitments in the evening or simply want to enjoy time with your partner or family, "last thing at night" may not be very practical either.
Here's the good news: the time of day when you write isn't all that significant.
Other factors can make more difference than the time on the clock. Your writing – particularly your
focus on your writing – might be affected a little bit by the time of day, but it's probably influenced quite a lot more by:
- How much (or rather, how little!) sleep you've had
- How enthusiastic you're feeling about your project
- Whether or not
you've planned out what you're going to write
- What distractions or interruptions crop up as you're writing
- Where you're writing (home, coffee shop, office...?)
I've found that, in particular, my physical surroundings make a huge difference. I'm more
focused in the local library than at home, for instance, and when I go on a writing retreat to a local hotel, I can get loads done (largely because of the poor internet connection).
However ... it is still worth thinking about when you write, because writing at the same time every day (or every
weekday) means that writing becomes a habit.
For a couple of years, I was writing from 5.15 - 5.45pm each day – this has been disrupted for various reasons over the past few months, and it's been hard to make time for fiction in other slots.
- If you can find a consistent time each day, or each weekday, to write (even if it's just for 15 minutes), then use it!
- If you can't find a consistent time, try to have a few potential time slots lined up at the start of each week – you may not get to use them all but at least you've identified some possibilities.
- If you can find a consistent time but it's at the "wrong" time of day for you (e.g. late afternoon instead of early morning), give it a go anyway. I was surprised how easily I adjusted to my 5.15 - 5.45pm writing slot, when I'd been used to writing fiction mainly in the mornings.
- Make it as easy as possible for you to focus by tweaking your writing
environment – e.g. disconnect your internet connection, write in a different room / in the shed so you're not distracted by family,
- To avoid losing the thread of what you're writing in between sessions – particularly if you're writing for short sessions, or you often have a long gap between writing sessions – always write down a few bullet points on where you were thinking of going next, when
you finish for the day.
Of course, if you know that you always focus well from 8am until 11am, and you can use that time for writing ... go for it! You might as well make things as easy as possible for yourself. ;-)
But if you know you focus well from 8am until 11am and that's when you're at your day job, or doing the school run and the shopping, don't worry. You'll still be able to write fine at at different time of day.
Making time to write is one of the biggest struggles that writers face. It's not always an easy one to overcome, but if you're going to make progress as a writer, you do need to find the time to write regularly. And if you need a little help with that, I've got good
news...
