One of the things I find about writing early in the morning is that my focus seems closer. As I stare at a page of type and wait for that first cup of tea to kick in, it feels as though my head has a magnifying glass strapped to it. Maybe this is because I'm still half-asleep at 6.15 and so tend to stare at each sentence much longer than I would ordinarily - still edging out of snooze-mode - but I've found it a productive time in terms of cutting out redundant words and phrases, swapping sentences around, and spilling tea across a paragraph or two to discover a new emphasis in that section of writing.
Sometimes, I work through my scribbled notes of an evening or at the weekend and decide to keep the original version, wondering what on earth I was dreaming about when I deleted a sentence or rephrased it, but on the whole the changes usually stay. Quite often, though, in that first session, I'll notice something about a character's tone or behaviour that will lend itself to other, richer possibilities, which is when I reach out for another notepad to start mapping these possibilities, realising full well that I'm going to be late for work again and that draft #32 can no longer be the final draft.
4 comments:
I know what you mean. I seem to have a clearer head early in the morning - almost if a nights sleep has spring cleaned my brain and processed all my thoughts leaving me clear to write.
Count me in for the morning sessions. It's the only time I can write. no thoughts of the day to trouble you just the mad dreams to contend with!
And past 11pm is my element, which is unfortunate since I rarely get an unbroken night's sleep and am up at 6am. It's dark, silent, and endless - unlike the morning when I know my little ones will be awake any second and then there's no hope (for writing anyway)...
Yes, I find mornings very productive - provided I don't get distracted by emails!
It is difficult to be creative when kids are around as they tend to break one's chain of thought. I've learnt to block them out to a certain extent although my third ear is always listening for the tell tale sounds of trouble! (Which is mainly too much silence - the last time this happened Master Benedict was building a small fire in the garden next to the gas cannister for the barbecue - I kid you not!)
I am really a good mother you know; it's just well...boys... are so much trouble....
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