I’ve just finished an interesting article about writing at night by Daphne Gray-Grant. Clearly it’s geared toward people who have a passion for writing they’ve been unable to realize, but some of her tips may work, in modified form, for corporate types who need to write for their jobs. The goal of these hints is “to develop automaticity—that ability to do it (writing) without occupying your mind with the low-level details required.” (And it certainly seems logical that you may not end up writing not because you’re afraid you’re no good, but just because you haven’t effectively handled the logistics.
Herewith, Ms. Gray-Grant’s five tips—in my words, mostly—for those who must write in the evening because there’s really no other time. (By the way, she’s an advocate of writing in the morning, within 15 minutes of waking up.)
Declare your writing time
And let everyone know they can’t disturb you. Ms. Gray-Grant recommends a minimum of 15 minutes and no more than 60. Build up to the longer time. “Just as marathoners don’t run 25 miles on the first day of training, you shouldn’t leave the blocks expecting to hit 60 minutes on the first day.”
Time it right
Make it late enough so you’re not competing with other obligations. (I’m not sure I’d be ready to sit down at 10 pm after meeting friends for a drink or a movie, but hey, that’s me.) And make sure the time you choose works at least five days a week.
Create the right space
Oooh, this is a tricky one. Many of us can’t repair to a separate space with a door. If you can’t, try identifying your space in some way that others recognize—and respect. Perhaps a picture of your favorite writer, whether it’s James Joyce or Judith Krantz. Anything, really, will do as long as it signals folks to stay away.
Understand your energy level
Ms. Gray-Grant refers to this as “willpower” and notes that it will be lower at night. True. She reasons it out this way: All the decisions of the day, large and small, drain you, so you must plan to renew yourself. (I can’t think of a better reason for a couple of those mini Hershey’s “Special Dark” bars, but, hey, that’s me.)
The solution? Start with a little snack or a few minutes of quiet, de-stressing mediation. Write to music if you can handle it. And reward yourself for every single writing session.
Calm yourself down
No matter how late it is, at the end of every session, find a way to decompress. Writing will get you to thinking, which usually isn’t conducive to sleep. And the blue light produced by electronics will mess with your melatonin—which makes it harder to fall asleep. Reading may help slow you down. Walking can work too, though not in most neighborhoods.
A great article and a great wrap up:
Writing in the evening may be harder for many people than writing in the morning, but writing in the evening is clearly better than not writing at all.
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