Different Strokes for Different Folks

[Patricia Gligor]

I’m a morning person. Most days, as soon as I wake up, I’m alert and ready to start my day. After coffee, of course. That’s why I choose to write in the morning; I’m fresh and at my best. When I’m writing, whether it’s the first draft of a manuscript or a rewrite, I focus on that. I don’t even check my email or answer my phone until I’m satisfied that I’ve produced the day’s writing. It’s too easy for me to get sidetracked, responding to emails, posting on Face Book and commenting on other writers’ blogs. I like to get up early but not as early as Louise, one of the characters in Mixed Messages.

Louise had tossed and turned all night long. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table: 4:58 a.m. The alarm would go off in two minutes. She reached over and turned it off. I don’t know why I bother to set it, she thought. No matter what time she went to bed, every morning for more years than she cared to remember, she had awakened at exactly the same time. Intuitively, her brain knew that it was time to get up.

But that’s not for everyone.

I have several friends and family members who, whenever possible, stay up until all hours and then sleep the morning away. And, I’ve read interviews with other writers who claim they’re the most productive at night. Just like Lawrence, another character in my book.

Lawrence was a night person. Long after his mother had gone to bed, he would stay up, reading or watching television. He loved the peace and quiet. It was “his time.” He wasn’t “on call” for his mother and there weren’t any of the little disturbances there were during the day such as telemarketers calling, the annoying noise of lawn mowers, leaf blowers and cars honking their horns. At night, there were no interruptions; he could do what he wanted to do.

What works for you? Are you an early bird or a night owl?