im taking a short break from writing as i have been writing none stop since 10pm (its now 7:09am) my problem is this isnt maintainable, but i just CANT seem to write during the day unless im in a coffee shop, then it comes in leaps and bounds. So, how can i get myself to write during the day, without visiting Starbucks? sorry if thats a bit scrambled, like i said 7:12am.
You have to set a schedule that works FOR YOU, taking into account other commitments (such as a day job) and your own peak creativity time of day. Sometimes that requires shifting some priorities.
if it's just starbucks you don't like, maybe it's too expensive, or maybe you finally asked out the girl who works there and that went arse-over-elbow very quickly and not in the karma-sutra sense, thus you can't go back, then go to the library. desk, warmth, people around, what's not to like. if for some reason you don't want to go outside at all but think you can't write in isolation, you prob can, but will have to push it.
Cogito is right. A schedule will help you tremendously. If you know when you reach your peak creativity during the day, work a schedule around it if possible. I can relate about the coffee shop writing high. I get that too, especially when I'm in a Starbucks or Barnes and Noble. My problem at the moment is that I am devoting 23 hours a day to my classes so whenever I'm in Starbucks I am writing a paper or reading a chapter and taking notes on International Institutions and Linkage Issues (actually what I am reading at the moment) instead of writing fiction.
If going to a cafe helps, why don't you wanna go? There're cheaper cafes than Starbucks, or there's always KFC and McDonald's where no one would bother you and it's cheap. In Prague, in KFC you get refillable drinks too not sure if that's in other countries (I know in England that's not the case)
Oh and aad....I actually had that happen to me once at a Starbucks I loved to frequent. I spent the better part of 4 months doing a flirting dance with one of the girls who worked there. We finally went out, had a great time but I never called her again. Can't remember why but I avoid that place like the plague now.
I'd say, think about what it is about a coffee shop that helps you write. The caffeine? That's fairly easy to achieve. The noise and activity? Maybe television in the background would help. The presence of people? Maybe a library or park or the food court at a mall would work. Mental distraction in general? The thing that a coffee shop, and being exhausted at night, have in common, are that you don't have your whole mind available for writing. I'm fairly sure that I'm ADHD - I need a distraction to stay focused on many tasks, and if I don't have a distraction I need caffeine. So I'd suggest experimenting with a variety of distractions.
after much research id i think iv actually managed to sus it out. its a combination of coffee, white noise and low levels of distraction. i tried no distraction and found that the little i could write was generally stale and uninteresting. maybe it is an ADHD thing, im actually being seen by the doctor about that tomorrow.
I actually am more productive when its quiet around and I turn off the distractions but I love people watching at coffee shops or fast food restaurants, etc. since it tends to give me ideas for description during a dialog. I'm always nervous that I'll be caught staring creepily with a goofy grin on my face at the couple on the couch across the table from me.
So, it's now 1am for me and I'm still awake with my mind racing with character and plot. I can't get to sleep because I simply have to write it out. I know that I have to do this because every time I try to instead sleep, I just lay awake thinking about it. Stupid brain. Anyhow, do you ever lose sleep because of your need to write?
For sure. Almost everyone looses sleep I imagine. The most frustrating is when you finally get up to write it, and then you stare at a blank page. Or you write something and can't finish. I stick to short storys for the most part so I don't loose to much sleep.
Yep. If my brain is too caught in the plot, it can keep me up. Although sometimes it relaxes me to sleep too, so go figure.
Writing makes me so happy that I really think it helps me sleep. Many times I do a little writing before bed, so I tend to go to sleep satisfied. If there is a loose end that I notice that needs more work than I am ready to tackle at that time, I jot it in my notebook for later. I may wrestle with a few things when I first try to get to sleep, but it usually doesn't keep me up.
i don't consider it 'losing' sleep... i keep a notepad and pen on the bed, so i can jot down anything that comes to me in or waiting for sleep... i've perfected a way to write in the dark, so i can go right back to sleep...
Yes, but I also don't look at it as losing sleep. I think a writer's mind becomes more productive at night, because everything is quieter and more still than the rest of the day. I normally write best at midnight until the sun comes up, although I can't do that much. Stupid real life getting in the way. Lol
Not anymore. I used to lose a lot of sleep over story thoughts and other things, but I've realised how vital sleep is for me so I've found a few ways of making sure I get a good 8 hours of the dreamless most nights. I'm a morning person anyway, after lunch it's all downhill for me
Unfortunately I have severe sleep apnea so getting a good night's rest is vital for me as well. Despite this I only got four hours sleep last night. Between staying up and writing, the temperature being somewhere being Hellish and Unbearable, and this morning having doors slam because someone left them open when they left for work and the wind shifted over night to become quite wild, I think Dog might be conspiring against me. No sleep for the wicked, right?
Yes, absolutely! I think that's healthy though. A) As soon as you fall asleep your brain begins work processing all of the thoughts you've been having while lying in bed and B) it shows the passion you have for your project.
Been there and done that. Very frustrating. I've also been at work and had an idea pop up and not be able to write it. If anybody's interested there's a really cool free iphone app (probably android too) called Evernote. It's a cloud based notebook app. I drive a lot at work and have ideas going down the highway so I can open this app and record a quick voice note and that way I don't forget. When I get home or to a PC I can go on Evernote's website and the voice recording is already there. Might work for middle of the night inspiration too maybe.
