The cover of darkness. The house is quiet. No sawing or hammering from the bathroom remodel interrupts my thoughts. The four other adults in the house are asleep. The ambient noise from the telly that floats up the stairs into my room is finally silent. The hubby’s breathing has stilled to a steady comforting rhythm, and I’m finally free to let my mind wander. I’ve always been a night owl, the kind who finds energy from the pale blue glow of the moon. I love to bask in the wonder of the stars, gaining inspiration from the possibilities of other worlds, imagined beings. The cocoon of night offers my creativity something the draining hustle and bustle of the daylight hours can’t. A chance to lose myself in words and the sounds of my characters voices without having to tune out the day around me. Instead, I can tune in to the thoughts and dreams of a sleeping world.
I’ve always felt guilty for being a night owl. Maybe it’s my mother’s voice telling me to get up or a lifetime of living in a house of morning people that makes me feel guilty for sleeping late. And now, living with the in-laws makes me feel guilty if I’m still snoozing when everyone else is awake. It’s my own guilt ridden mind driving me crazy. I know. Why can’t I relax and be myself?
If I had my way, I would stay up until 3am and sleep till 11, but years of day jobs have reluctantly trained me to rise at 6 and set at 10. That changed with our move to Scotland and the recession. Three months with no day job and I’ve slipped back into the blissful routine of night owl. I have plenty of time to write during the day, but I find it harder. Night is when Elarin, my muse, really comes alive. Why should I fight it? I know this time will end and I’ll be back in the clutches of the 6 to 10 day job soon (I hope for the money’s sake) so, until then, I’m going with the flow. Bring on the night, let me drink stardust and dream of other worlds, and live the life of the night writer.
Are you a night writer? Does your muse have a favourite time to come alive?
I’m a total night owl. I LOVE writing at night, when the world is finally quiet enough that I can hear my muse through all the clutter. If I could stay up til 3 and sleep til 11 I would.
And I do often stay up til 3. Now, if only elementary school could start at noon! lol I have three little girls who need their mom for breakfast and teeth and hair brush and walks to the bus at 7a.m. It doesn’t help that both Dmytry and I are writers who prefer the night. I can’t even let the dad get up and do the morning shift! lol But in 10 or so years, I can go to my ideal schedule.
Though I have been reading a lot of what Zoe Winters, another author, is writing about trying to normalize her sleep and how it’s healthier overall. I don’t disagree with her, but I seem to be permanently set to Vampire Central time!
Kimberly, thanks for stopping by! We’re total kindrid spirts on this one. Whose idea was it to make thle day start so early anyway? I vote yes for schools starting at noon 🙂 I don’t have kids yet, but I know when I do, I’ll be wishing for a 12 pm start. So glad you posted. See you under the stars. 🙂
I’ve written some of my best stuff sneakily at work when I had a job I hated and should have been doing something else! I guess that makes my muse a defiant rebel. I suppose I’m neither a day or night writer but I do prefer to write unplanned when the mood takes me. My muse doesn’t like to be planned!
Lucy, I love it! Keep being defiant. Burn the plan. I can hear your muse’s evil laugh now. *shivers* 🙂
I’m so lucky–aside from my cats I have the whole house to myself most of the time (hub works 7 days a week). I’m up at eight and working by ten–though I find my inspirations come most often around 2:30am… about the same time I’m worried something in the dark is coming to get me. LOL
Patti, thanks for stopping by. 2:30am is a dark and twisty time, perfect for the love of all things creepy. Love it! Awesome that you have the house to yourself. I find it hard to write with other people roaming around. Living with 4 other adults all on different work schedules and the house is never empty. Jealous! LOL
I have to write at night, though I do love that time best. I have two up at 6:30 am who go off to school, then Zmonster is up by 8. I try to write during the day, but between the toddler and the “man of the house” demanding my attention…I wait untill the spider monkeys sleep and my fiancee works the night shift. I open the doors and windows, put on a pot of coffee, and let the gloom and quiet of the night take me away to all the strange and peculiar places I love. When I go to bed, I duck under the covers like a kid, but I wouldn’t change my overactive imagination for anything, it’s too much fun. The schedule is tough, especially when I’m training for a race, so I count myself lucky to write 4-5 nights a week. The writer part of me looks forward to getting the last one in school, but the mommy part just takes it one day at a time. I feel I’ve done well, over 200 pages written ,not counting the poetry, short story, and blogs, written in the last three months. I signed on for NaNoWriMo this November, wish me luck. 🙂
Tonia, I admire all the busy moms out there! You are truly, truly an inspiration. Keeping up with three kids, a hubby, houswork, training for a run,and writing over 200 pages, blogging, and all the rest! Girl, you are a powerhouse! I have nothing to complain about. Good luck with NaNoWriMo. I did it a few years ago. Great experience, but I’m not sure I would do it again. No time until I finish these edits anyway 🙂 If I finish before November *crosses fingers* I might join you to kick start my new project. Love ya! *hugs and chocolate*
First, I love the pictures you paint with your words! As I read your blog, the visual images of night writing sprang to my mind. I have tried writing in the early morning, before the kiddos wake up, but it doesn’t work for me. I can do it, but the words don’t come nearly as easily. As long as I don’t crash out before the kids go to sleep, it’s much better writing from 9pm to 11pm. Maybe there is some magic in the night.
Laura, thank you! I wouldn’t be able to write in the early morning either. My brain just doesn’t function at the crack of dawn. I think there is magic in the night, maybe it’s all that dream power that ignites the creativity. I wish you uber productive 9pm-11pm writing time. Write on!
Ugh, I couldn’t write at night if my life depended on it. I’m a total morning person, without being a morning person. Kudos to those of you who can :).
D.T., sometimes I envy the morning people who hop out of bed at the crack of dawn. I’m more of a crack of noon girl myself 🙂 Do you write first thing in the morning then? I know several writers who get up an hour before everyone else to write. That’s my worst nightmare. Thanks for stopping by to say hi.
I too am a natural night owl, have been since I was a wee tot — it’s in my genes. I’ve tried training myself otherwise, but it’s no use. So I just go with the flow.
Go with the flow, Lane. It’s the only way! If only the rest of the would adapt to our schedules. *sigh* Thanks for stopping by!
My muse is a lot like yours – showing up at the least convenient moments. Sometimes she wakes me from a perfectly good dream. Sometimes she insists I get out of the shower without using the cream rinse. There doesn’t seem to be a rhyme, reason or pattern – except that usually I don’t have a pen handy 😉
I right the best early in the morning and late at night. So I guess I could say I’m a night owl. I love when the words flow and everything is still and it’s is just me and my characters.
Thanks for sharing.
I have been known to write complete chapters in my sleep. Especially if I have something on my mind when I go to bed. I just can’t seem to rest until I get it out of my head. So I wake up to these scribbled blotches of text that..maybe..sorta…look like words. It’s a big deal for me to sit down and figure out what I wrote before I can start my day. I get so excited about it that my husband bought me a recorder, now I can talk in my sleep too & truthfully I have gotten some great ideas from my notes. Now, I keep a notebook in the night stand all the time and my voice recorder in my bra all day. Just in case!
M.A, thanks for stopping by. I love that you write in your sleep! I’ve done that as well, the problem is I can’t understand what I wrote when I look at it the next morning. 🙂 I use the notebook on my nightstand and I also e-mail myself stuff from my phone. I love the idea of a recorder though. Love that you keep it in your bra as well! Awesome!
Fabulous post (as usual) 😉
I’m one of those weird people that can adapt to my schedule. When I was in between jobs, I stayed up until 2-3am and slept in. Now that I have to be up at 4:45am, I have to force myself to go to bed early. I wake up on my own before 7am, even on the weekends.
I do a lot of my writing in the morning before my hubby gets up. The animals will lounge on the couch and I’ll peck away at my keyboard 🙂
Thanks for giving us a little insight into your writing process!
Sorry I’ve been MIA! I’ve missed you!!
Courtney, I’ve missed you too!!!! I wish I were so adaptable.
You really have such a lovely way with words Heather! I look forward to reading your book and learning about this mysterious Elarin!