night owls

gettingby · Mar 3, 2015

Please tell me I'm not the only one who has late-night writing sessions. It is ridiculously late and I'm still awake because I was writing. This happens to me all the time. I get really into what I'm working on. I lose track of time. I'm not sure what it is about the middle of the night that inspires me. But I have produced some of my best work when I should have been sleeping.

Do any of you find yourselves writing in the middle of the night or even pulling an all-nighter for the sake of writing? What is the appeal to forgo sleep to write? Is this something I should try to change?

Even though I write in the day as well, I still find myself night writing more often than I would like. I don't want to just jot down an idea and try to sleep because I don't think it will come out as good as it would if I just stayed up and wrote while the idea is new and fresh. I want to be a writer more than I want a good night's sleep.

Heroine'sJourney · Mar 3, 2015

You're not alone gettingby. It's midnight where I am, and I'm just getting started. Don't feel bad - two of the most productive and successful people I know confess to being night owls, and one could hardly call them lazy.

I sense that my gentle, inner voice is louder when the world is asleep.

If you want to switch this habit, fine, but no need to get down on yourself either.

In fact, I've worked this into my story: my two main characters are college students and they realize that their sleep schedule is upended having spent the previous night writing papers. So, realizing that they won't get much sleep that night anyway, they take an hour long flight to NYC, the city that never sleeps. It's fun.

laazy · Mar 3, 2015

During night when everything is quiet is when I start thinking about... anything. That includes the novel I'm trying to write, scenes that would be cool, details that will improve my characters, etc. I can't sleep until I've taken notes of everything that pops up in my head at nighttime. I guess it is quite common.

TheCuriousOne · Mar 3, 2015

I don't always use night time to write (depends on when I can do it really) but yeah, after dinner-time seems to be my productive moment. Waking up for work the next day can be a bit difficult, but what can you do!

Laurasaurus · Mar 3, 2015

I often try to write all day, but don't get anything done until about 10pm and then find myself writing solidly until 4 or 5 am. Maybe it's because everyone else is asleep and my brain subconsciously knows it won't get interrupted.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 3, 2015

I was a true night owl for three fourths of my life. Now I'm not because I have other obligations that staying awake at night and sleeping during the day would interfere with.

Whether the writing takes place by night or by day, I don't think frequent extended periods of writing are good things. For most, they can lead to burnout, and can interfere with life.

I don't use an alarm to make me write enough, I use it to make sure I stop writing when it's time to stop.

We write best at whatever time we train our mind and body to write. A good night's sleep, or a good day's sleep, is just as important for a writer as for anyone else. Go long enough without enough sleep, and your health will suffer.

Syrup · Mar 3, 2015

You're not alone! I rarely feel the same level of creative vigor during the day that I do at night. Something about the sun setting really gets me in the perfect mindset for writing. I figure it's a Pavlovian response from years of spending daylight taking care of obligations and saving night time for myself. It's definitely counter-productive now that I work a 9-5 gig.

AshleyEpidemic · Mar 3, 2015

My best work tends to come when I'm not all there. So while I am a night owl, my best work comes first thing in the morning after one of my normal late nights. I honestly can't remember a night when I went to bed before 12:30 when I wasn't sick. So I get up early before my brain is really all there and I write. I zone out and let the story flow. I've tried writing at night since I'm awake anyway, but I can't seem to focus. Too many shiny things that I want to do then.

Brightdreamer · Mar 3, 2015

I've never been a morning person (according to Mom, it predates birth), and about the only time I can work interrupted is when everyone else is in bed.

So, yeah, most of my writing happens later at night.

Which sucks on work nights, because I have to go to bed round about the time I'm normally warming up.

(I did actually spend all night writing a short story once - quite literally. Too bad the story sucked, but I was in about 7th grade, so it would've anyway...)

StoryofWoe · Mar 3, 2015

I love writing at night and took a third shift position that allows me the time and freedom to do so for this very reason. There's something about it being dark out that feels insulating. Not being able to see the world stretching away from me helps turn my focus inward. I can write during the day if I have to, but I much prefer writing at night.

So, nope. Not alone!

Lhowling · Mar 3, 2015

I mostly write during the day because it's convenient. I get my peace and quiet, and the natural light is better for mood. I do, on certain occasions write in the middle of the night, but only if I've woken up for one reason or another and my mind is awake enough to spit something out.

I don't work well when too tired, so I normally slow down close to dinner time, then go for another spurt right before bed (11-ish). On weekends I might write well up until midnight, but it really depends.

When I was younger I wrote alot in the middle of the night, but it was under different circumstances.

Jamesaritchie · Mar 3, 2015

AshleyEpidemic said:
My best work tends to come when I'm not all there. So while I am a night owl, my best work comes first thing in the morning after one of my normal late nights. I honestly can't remember a night when I went to bed before 12:30 when I wasn't sick. So I get up early before my brain is really all there and I write. I zone out and let the story flow. I've tried writing at night since I'm awake anyway, but I can't seem to focus. Too many shiny things that I want to do then.

Don't make a long habit of going to bed late and getting up early. There's a strong link between Alzheimer's, particularly early onset Alzheimer's, and not getting enough sleep.

Syrup · Mar 3, 2015

Oh crap don't tell me that. My whole life has consisted of not getting enough sleep.

Kylabelle · Mar 3, 2015

James, can we have a cite for that please? (Not disagreeing, just would like to see some backup for such a bald statement.)

Nivarion · Mar 3, 2015

I am a massive night owl. Went to bed at 6 AM today. I seem to do my best writing while I'm alone, and for a long time that meant at night while everyone else was finally asleep.

Jamesaritchie said:
Don't make a long habit of going to bed late and getting up early. There's a strong link between Alzheimer's, particularly early onset Alzheimer's, and not getting enough sleep.

Kylabelle said:
James, can we have a cite for that please? (Not disagreeing, just would like to see some backup for such a bald statement.)

yes, would like Cite.

My grandfather is almost ninety five, and still runs a multi million dollar company. I doubt the man's ever had more than six hours of sleep in a day.

I'm not saying that it can't be so, but just that my experience suggest to me that it might not be as strong as some would suspect. or at least not universal.

Kylabelle · Mar 3, 2015

In the meantime, it's probably best to take advantage of the hours when it's easiest to produce your work, whatever those are. There are endless ideas about what's healthy and what's good for a person, but a tremendous amount of individual variability is always a factor in that.

Do what works for you. Only you can find out what that is.

RikWriter · Mar 3, 2015

Can't. I have to be at work by 6:30 so I have to get up by 5:30. No late nights for me.

Syrup · Mar 3, 2015

Found quite a few write ups on this :/

Jamesaritchie · Mar 3, 2015

Fruitbat said:
There is a possible link between sleep deprivation and Alzheimer's. A google search came up with lots of articles like the one below. Of course that doesn't mean everyone who has chronic sleep deprivation will get Alzheimer's.

http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20131021/could-a-good-nights-sleep-guard-against-alzheimers

I hate Google searches for such things. Try talking to an expert. Google ain't one.

No, not everyone will get Alzheimer's, but I'd be willing to bet that everyone will have some sort of problem form chronic sleep deprivation. It isn't just linked to Alzheimer's, but to half a dozen other health problems, and even to considerably higher risk of having a car accident, or of falling, etc.

Fruitbat · Mar 3, 2015

Jamesaritchie said:
I hate Google searches for such things. Try talking to an expert. Google ain't one.

No, not everyone will get Alzheimer's, but I'd be willing to bet that everyone will have some sort of problem form chronic sleep deprivation. It isn't just linked to Alzheimer's, but to half a dozen other health problems, and even to considerably higher risk of having a car accident, or of falling, etc.

I was agreeing with you but I think links to reputable sites will do for forum conversation, although not for personal diagnoses.

night owls

gettingby

Heroine'sJourney

SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM!

laazy

Epic procrastinator

TheCuriousOne

Laurasaurus

Jamesaritchie

Syrup

Real Life Magical Girl

AshleyEpidemic

Did you see my bag?

Brightdreamer

Just Another Lazy Perfectionist

StoryofWoe

Sick and pale with grief.

Lhowling

Mischief Witch

Jamesaritchie

Syrup

Real Life Magical Girl

Kylabelle

unaccounted for

Nivarion

Brony level >9000

Kylabelle

unaccounted for

RikWriter

Syrup

Real Life Magical Girl

Jamesaritchie

Fruitbat

.