Each day has 24 hours, which all of us spend differently. So, which of these 24 hours do you find the most inspiration for writing, and in which atmosphere do like to sit/lie/stand (e.g. a dark quiet room, on a full train, or maybe at the dinner table)? Are you one of those who love to sit in a dark room at midnight with only your desk lamp for illumination, clattering away on your computer keyboard? Or maybe you get out of bed at 6 am and rush to your computer/pen, still in your pyjamas, with ruffled hair. Pray tell!
So, for good measure, I'm going to tell a little about myself. I write whenever I find the time to do it and really feels like doing it. As I'm full-time studying this means that I'm quite short of time on which I actually sit down and write (a lot of time goes to game programming). When I do write, however, I prefer to sit in my room, any time of day (I've not found the perfect time yet), with my desk lamp for illumination. I also want it to be quiet or have some calm/beautiful/fantastic instrumental music playing. Sometimes it is also good to have someone to chat with over Steam or Skype (not voice-chat).
Whatever hour I am farthest from my darned computer! No, I have always felt most inspired late into the night, but my best writing happens while I'm working (work at home 9-3). My best ideas however, come when I am in the car driving around (which is what I do for fun).
literally any time, anywhere... 24/7... which is why i keep a notepad and pen on my bed, even next to my computer, and 3-6' across my tiny LR/DR/office, next to the rocker and recliner, where i sit during the few hours a day when i'm not at the computer... i've written in cars, on ships, trains, planes and buses; in train/bus stations, airports, bars, restaurants, bathrooms and doctors' waiting rooms all over the world... when i can't write any more, it'll be time for me to cut out...
I used to get up very early in the morning (about 4:30am). This would give me a good, solid three to four hours of blessed silence before anyone else in the house got up. I could write and watch the dawn every day, and that was wonderful. I have to get back into that habit. These days, though, I'm often busy late into the evening, and I can't get up that early without sacrificing too much sleep, so I do most of my writing in the afternoon.
Something about the hustle and bustle of my work environment get the ideas flowing. Which is kind of a bummer, since I can't actually take a moment to stop and write it down.
Any time I can find the time. That's why I like taking note pads where I go. I can fill those up quicker sometimes than a half hour spent at my computer.
I don't mean this to sound sarcastic with this but the only answer I can give is: when I'm most awake.
Usually I get inspired while driving. By the time I get home, the story is all mapped out in my head. So much so that I generally never write them down. (Did you know that blood on pavement almost glows under headlights? Freaked me out the first time I saw it at night, thought it was ghost blood.)
It's not so much as the time or the location for me. If I were to be in school and am bored out of my mind again, my thoughts always wander off to wherever. It is mostly the atmosphere. When I'm watching a good movie (doens't have to be fantasy based at all, although it's the genre I prefer to write), when I'm listening to music or even when playing a game, it might happen to inspire me suddenly and I get the urge to write down what is on my mind.
When I'm at work, usually when I have low priority tasks. There's nothing sweeter than knowing I'm wasting company money. And writing at work is damn efficient too. I usually manage to cram out three thousand words in about 4-6 hours. Not to mention that typing away in a Word document all day makes everyone believe you're working really hard. Oh, the irony. I usually can't write at home. When I get home at six or seven in the evenings I'm too tired to focus properly. I either go out for a drink with my girlfriend and friends or waste the evening away by playing video games. As would be expected, alcohol does me no favors with the actual writing, but it sure gives me a lot of ideas. Whiskey, the Great Muse, ha!
Late at night. When I'm about to fall asleep I get lots of ideas. In my head I write full poems and rough up complete stories. Too bad it's all gone when I wake up.
Also, three-four cups of coffee early in the morning seems to get my creative juices flowing. Now 1K into a short story. <--- Just had three cups of coffee.
Not a specific time in the day. What inspires me to write is music. And not just the music itself, but the memories associated with any given song. Like for example I thought pumping up Abba would push me to write this romance novella I'm writing, but it didn't. Though I played this one Linkin Park song that I listened to a lot in a particularly emotional part of my "love life" and I haven't been able to take my hands out of the keyboard.
I'm most inspired by music and good books. But if I had to pick a time, between 11pm-1am and very early in the morning.
I am most inspired by writing when I'm trying to sleep, I never write them down and they go back to wherever they came from.
Usually just before I fall asleep. I have a sleep disorder which makes dreaming pretty rare for me. For some reason, my mind tends to be most active in the moments just before sleep. And once I get the bug, I can't let it go and it just keeps me awake until I sit down and write it out. I also try to take a 30-60 minute walk every day. I find that walking really helps me work on my stories. Gets the blood flowing and all that. So often I will get home from a walk and have a bunch of inspiration to help motivate me.
In the middle of the night, mostly. I'm not sure if I have insomnia or it's just a phase but I always tend to stay up all night, staring at my computer in the dark with wide eyes as I rock back and forth, thinking, thinking , thinking... I don't get inspiration from much, and when I do it has to get down on paper right then and there before the idea is gone. I also sleep all day when I can, because I really do hate daytime; it hurts my eyes.
In fact as a writer I want total privacy, independence and my domain must not be raided by anybody. I want to be manifest and be totally and spaciously present and when I have full space and be totally present I can write more creatively and resourcefully
I get inspired late in the morning, coincidentally at the same time I open up a blank page and get out my pen.
