Writers argue about when in the day is the best time to write. And the reason for this debate is fairly valid. As a writer, you have little say when your inspiration hits you. You never know when ideas are going to start flowing out of you or when the idea pool has dried up. That almost makes us at the mercy of our own ideas. We have to be ready to record whenever the inspiration strikes. Some writers prefer to work in the wee hours of the night and into the mornings. While others do it periodically throughout the day. I will share the best tips for writers, especially new writers, to get in the routine of capturing their inspiration.
No one can tell someone how to be creative. You have to figure out what process works best for yourself. With that being said, there are certain methods that help beginning writers to find their footing. The best method would be to write first thing in the morning. Before you look at your phone, or read your email, or answer a text, or read the morning news. Wake up, grab your laptop or pad, and start writing. What should you write about? That is completely up to you but it’s important to write something. It could be anything. The process that I’ve found to be very helpful is writing about what scares me or what I’m worried about. This is a great starting point to get the juices flowing. But there is no limit on topics to write about. It could be a to do list for that day, things you want to accomplish down the road, a summary of a dream you had the night prior, a quote you’ve been pondering, or a life concept that you have a stance on. The length of the writing piece is also up to you. I’ve done three sentences before, and I’ve also done three pages before. Sometimes the inspiration is stronger some days than other, but the point is to get something down on paper and not to limit your ideas. There is no shortage of topics to write about. You just have to let your mind be open. And that’s the beauty about writing in the morning.
The reason behind writing in the morning is because your brain is most free in the morning. There is the least amount of clutter. Your mind is already in a perfect state for creating and being free to say whatever you feel. I’ve found my writing to be much better doing so in the morning compared to writing in the afternoon. And I usually write about what’s been on my mind since I fell asleep the night before. When we turn our brains off for bed, that’s when the things we care about most pop into our heads. And I try to write about those things. The things that I care about the most. Why? Because these are the easiest things to write about. They are also the most passionate things I’ll write about. If you have a sleepless night, this is a perfect example of a topic you should probably write about. That is inspiration knocking on your door saying let me in. Taking advantage of that state will do a couple things for you. You will have some kickass passionate topic to write about, and you are likely to mitigate your stress by writing it down. The simple act of writing down your fears and worries helps make them disappear, relieving you of your stress.
A last tip I have for writers is an unpopular one. Once I get going into a writing piece, I like to take my eyes off the screen and just stare out the window while I type. I’m still typing, but it’s like my mind is wondering off while doing so. For some reason, this helps me be free from limiting thoughts and I can have more of an open mind. It also lets me picture the ideas in my head. Since I’m not looking at the keys, I have to visualize the keys and doing so helps stir ideas up in my head and focus on what I’m writing about. Obviously this requires the ability to type without looking at the keys. But even if you can’t type without looking at the keys, it’s a good exercise to do to become a better typer and writer in general. The other thing to mention about this method is that you will have much more editing to do afterwards. Clearly, more mistakes will be made because your eyes are not on the screen checking each sentence for grammar accuracy, stopping your creativity train of thought. So yes, you will end up doing more proofreading. But that’s ok. I’d rather proofread two solid pages of a solid creative thought that flows compared to a stagnant half page that goes nowhere.
There’s my recommendation and I wish everyone the best in their writing adventures. Remember not to limit where your mind goes. You can always take out with editing later on. Also, give writing in the morning a try. It’s the best way to get use to writing with a free and uncluttered mind. With that being said, don’t limit you writing time to just the morning. You never know when inspiration will strike. Use writing as a tool to distress your life when life gets hectic. Have an open mind and let yourself free.
Dabbl 