Write more without all nighters

Opheliabrown12 · Aug 17, 2012

Do you think it's possible to increase how often you write, without pulling all nighters? It seems like my best time to write is at dawn, but I need my sleep due to my job. I'm off at 3:15pm and I go to bed about 9pm. What have you guys done to set up a writing schedule that actually works? I have tried to do a 90 day writing process (http://www.amazon.com/dp/1582979979/?tag=absowrit-20 and failed once before. I'd like to start again with making my novella into a novel. What do you recommend?

Opheliabrown12 · Aug 18, 2012

Maybe dumb question

I guess maybe this wasn't a good question to ask. I guess its more about finding the motivation to write after a long day at work. I guess the point is just to write whenever and however you can.

Fanatic_Dreamer · Aug 18, 2012

No, it was an excellent question to ask.

I also used to pull all-nighters but I prefer to go to sleep at a decent hour. I would suggest getting yourself as relaxed as possible and try and play the subject game.

The subject game is a writing tool I find very effective. Just put down on a piece of a paper, in a circle, what your chapter is about. Sum it up in ONE sentence. Then branch off and give supporting details about it; like characters and ideas. Once you do that, you can draw lines and make a decent process of actually writing it all down. Sometimes it's actually fun to do it at the beginning, before you even start writing the book, because you have a reference that you can go back to...or hell, even expand on.

Opheliabrown12 · Aug 18, 2012

I appreciate your reply. Thanks!

Hamilton · Aug 18, 2012

Here's a blog post on fast writing from an author who manages to write 10,000 words per day.

http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html

lastlittlebird · Aug 18, 2012

I sympathise but I'm not sure there's a right answer. You have to find your own best way to fit in your writing.
I do want to say that you shouldn't be too hard on yourself if you can't manage a regular schedule. While some people would call that ideal, what really matters is that you write whenever you can.
So try for a regular writing time, but don't worry too much about failing when you miss a few days.
With your schedule and preferences I would just wake up half an hour early (and possibly go to bed a half hour early as well) in order to write and then anything else you get done after work is a bonus.

Fanatic_Dreamer · Aug 19, 2012

Opheliabrown12 said:
I appreciate your reply. Thanks!

You're most welcome.

Hamilton said:
Here's a blog post on fast writing from an author who manages to write 10,000 words per day.

http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html

I hope it's not too forward to say, but I love you for that post. You get all of the love and cookies!

tko · Aug 19, 2012

prepare for the writing part

I mean, if your mind is blank and you sit down to write it may take a while for anything to flow. But if you think about what you're going to write on the way home, while shopping, the words will start coming right away.

Not much help I know. But every little bit counts.

Also, I can do proofing and spell check when I'm dead tired, so save the creative stuff for when you're at your best.

Paul · Aug 19, 2012

tried writing at night a few days ago, lost the whole lot (was using free script software). (about 4 pages, but still. arrgghhh. too tired i think

CatharsisChild · Sep 4, 2012

I write whenever I have "time". By time, I mean emotional/mental connection with the story. I really should work on techniques to broaden the "time".

cacoethes scribendi · Sep 23, 2012

Fanatic_Dreamer said:
The subject game is a writing tool I find very effective. Just put down on a piece of a paper, in a circle, what your chapter is about. Sum it up in ONE sentence. Then branch off and give supporting details about it; like characters and ideas. Once you do that, you can draw lines and make a decent process of actually writing it all down.

Great point. I also find that the hard work is in defining what I intend to write about. I agree with using mindmap type images to illustrate this clearly.

When I feel like I've ground to a halt (actually, when my daily wordcount is low), I try to use this method to find the blocking point and then repeat the exercise to decide what I'll do about it.

shockandawe232 · Sep 23, 2012

Set a time to do actual writing, but when ever you have time either a slow moment at work or lunch break, or whenever you aren't busy with something to brainstorm. In addition to going to college work at a fine dinning restaurant doing the fun job of polishing all the wine glasses, champagne glasses, double old fashion glasses, martini glasses, you name it I've probably polished it, and also all the silverware that the dinning room needs. It's a mindless task I spend hours doing, but its there I do all the thinking for my writing. Then I get a chance I write my ideas down, refine them, and then write, or go straight to start writing, but I've turned into much more of a person who outlines.

cmtruesd · Sep 27, 2012

I've personally never pulled an all nighter, and I don't have a specific time that I always sit down to write. I did read an article once (I wish I remembered the link!) about a woman who drastically increased her wordcount by paying attention to how much she wrote at each time of the day. That way, she was able to discover her ideal writing time. I'd like to do that one day, but I'm right now I have a different schedule from day to day, so I kind of just have to take the time I can get.

Cozmosus · Oct 1, 2012

Not sure if this is just me being the weirdo that I am, but night ends up being the best time for me to write, when I'm most creative.

Shaded · Oct 15, 2012

I think this is a question that a lot of writers who work or go to school ask. I'm sure the link that tells how to get to 10,000 words a day will be much more helpful than my post, but there's no harm in reiterating (I didn't read it so I don't even know if I will be.).
What helped me was knowing what I wanted to write before I began. I always just sat down and wrote on the spot, but for my Novel in progress, I decided to finally make an outline (this is partly due to NaNoWriMo). It helped so much. Now I could look down at all the main points I wanted for that/those chapters and nothing to keep me back from writing what I wanted to. Also snacks. Yeah, snacks.

BethS · Nov 26, 2012

If you have a schedule that's working for you--that is, you're producing words on a regular basis--then why not just stick with it? More words per day are not necessarily better words.

measure_in_love · Feb 6, 2013

I love this idea FD, I'm going to use it as well

Fanatic_Dreamer said:
No, it was an excellent question to ask.

I also used to pull all-nighters but I prefer to go to sleep at a decent hour. I would suggest getting yourself as relaxed as possible and try and play the subject game.

The subject game is a writing tool I find very effective. Just put down on a piece of a paper, in a circle, what your chapter is about. Sum it up in ONE sentence. Then branch off and give supporting details about it; like characters and ideas. Once you do that, you can draw lines and make a decent process of actually writing it all down. Sometimes it's actually fun to do it at the beginning, before you even start writing the book, because you have a reference that you can go back to...or hell, even expand on.

thothguard51 · Feb 6, 2013

At my age, I cannot do it 4 or 5 times a day anymore, but as my GF tells me, once a night, all night is fine with her. And she never lies...

Wait a minute, what were we talking about?

katci13 · Feb 6, 2013

Hamilton said:
Here's a blog post on fast writing from an author who manages to write 10,000 words per day.

http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html

This link is made of awesome.

Acarophobia · Mar 5, 2013

If I were you, I would try and make a schedule, then stick with it. Set yourself up a specific time to start writing (one that works best for you) and say, "well I will work on this for exactly ____ Hours!"

At first it will be the worst thing imaginable, but maybe it'll start to work if you keep at it! Hope this helps!

TimSenese · Mar 9, 2013

There's a difference between finding time to write, which is something you have to work out personally. Can't help you there.

Then the other side is making the most out of the little time you have. For me, I need to be well rested, without anything 'nagging' me. Figure out what you need to do in order to make your time worth it. If you have only an hour a day, make it frickin' count. Get right to it. Don't mess around.

JustinlDew · Mar 28, 2013

At this point I'm practically nocturnal. Seriously, I do my best work at night.

JustgoWrite · Mar 29, 2013

Something that has worked for me but likely wouldn't work for most people is that I will sit on the couch with my laptop while my family is watching TV. I will plug my headphones in and listen to Pandora while I type away on my story. This usually gives me 1 or 2 hours of writing time and the family feels like I am spending time with them. It can be hard to avoid watching the TV, however most of the time they are watching something that I don't care to watch anyway.

Korabas · Apr 12, 2013

I understand where you are coming from - like others have said, you have to write when you can write, and when you want to write. It will be difficult to force it.

However, I also find that I tend to function best at certain times of day - for me, I am always able to focus better on anything late at night, typically 10pm-2pm. Obviously that is very inconvenient for work.

Something I find useful is setting yourself achievable targets - I aim to write 500 wrods OR write for an hour, every wednesday, without staying up too late. And then I also write whenever else I feel like.

njmagas · Apr 12, 2013

Fortunately I don't work until the later afternoons, so I usually have my mornings to down a bunch of creation juice (AKA coffee) and pound about at my keyboard until I have to go to work.

Inspiration usually comes to me at night, but I rarely have motivation to write seriously then. It's dark, I want to be cozy and my girlfriend is home so I just want to relax.

In the mornings it's quiet, I'm alone with my thoughts and I can just let my fingers and characters go where they want.

Write more without all nighters

Opheliabrown12

Book released in August!

Opheliabrown12

Book released in August!

Fanatic_Dreamer

Daydreaming Extraordinaire

Opheliabrown12

Book released in August!

Hamilton

lastlittlebird

avem narrans

Fanatic_Dreamer

Daydreaming Extraordinaire

tko

just thanks fore everything

Paul

CatharsisChild

cacoethes scribendi

shockandawe232

cmtruesd

practical experience, FTW

Cozmosus

Shaded

BethS

measure_in_love

escaping the evil queen's curse

thothguard51

A Gentleman of a refined age...

katci13

creative genie

Acarophobia

TimSenese

JustinlDew

Shortest Query Winner.

JustgoWrite

justgowritepodcast.com

Korabas

So Say We All

njmagas