What is the "morning writing effect?"

cool pop

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I agree with Ari, my writing is dependent on external circumstances.

I can't control when I get to write. It has to happen around the kids.

People who can control their writing schedule with a high degree of reliabilty either dont have small children, or possibly are men who rely on their wives to handle the "family aspect" while they work. I have almost never known it to be the other way around re gender roles.

You have a point that it can be about people's lifestyles. I am a single chick who is allergic to kids so yeah, I don't have a whiny husband or brats to deal with thank goodness. ;)

But, I have known many authors who have families and jobs who write early in the mornings before they go to work, etc. It's kind of like exercising, you gotta find a way to do it no matter your schedule. There is no wrong or right but for me, writing as soon as I get up helps me to be more productive. I'm not even a morning person. I'm a night owl. I rarely go to bed before 2 AM but as I have trained myself to be more accepting of mornings so now I get do way more in mornings than I used to. I used to be someone where you couldn't expect me to do anything before 11 AM. LOL! These days I tend to be up around 8 AM or 9 and when I have to write I make sure I get started when get up because I know for a fact that if I sit around all day I will get lazier and lazier with the writing.

Whatever works for people is how they should do it. :) I mention the exercise thing because I started back exercising after years just recently and the only time I could do it and it not interfere with my writing is at midnight. I'm still getting used to the exercising again but it's a necessity and I have to stick with it just like the writing.
 
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Shadow_Ferret

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Oh, Hell no! If you aren't a morning person, getting up early to do ANYTHING doesn't make that thing wonderful. I tried getting up early to run. Worst times ever. Writing? It's just gibberish. The only thing I'm able to do first thing in the morning is take a shower, make a cup of coffee, and growl at everyone that comes near me.

I'm a night person. I write best at night.
 

zmethos

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I write in the mornings now that I have kids--well, mid-morning, once they're off to school. But in my "natural" state (read: back when I lived alone and unhindered), I wrote from about 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. And I was more productive then! Though it's tough to say if the decreasing productivity is due to the time of day or simply having more and other obligations than I used to.
 

talktidy

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Mornings work best for me, too. Or, because I keep strange hours, the time after I've hauled myself out of bed. Before I retired I would attempt to write in the evenings -- nope, was never happening -- and on the weekends, but I could never build up a head of steam. Now that I'm retired, I can employ my mornings to best effect.

What's weird, though, is that my higher wordcounts are achieved when I'm in my nightie and ratty dressing gown. If I don't change, I can keep on going.
 

DancingMaenid

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Mornings work best for me, too. Or, because I keep strange hours, the time after I've hauled myself out of bed.

I think that's actually an interesting distinction! When we talk about "morning" writing, do we mean morning or are we assuming that writing soon after you wake up, before focusing on other things, will involve getting up early?

I'm not effective in the morning at all. I try to avoid any tasks that require me to think. But when I wake up at a time that feels naturally (usually later in the morning), I can find that time to be really productive because I haven't gotten distracted by other things yet.
 

BethS

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Do you find this to be true with your writing?

My writing times shifts around, depending on any number of factors, but when I have written first thing in the morning, it nearly always results in a period (measured in weeks and months) of good productivity. There's something about waking up and going straight to the page before the rest of the day's distractions and tasks intrude that really helps focus my mind. That said, when I do this I don't write for hours and hours in the morning, but only from waking up to breakfast, which may be a couple hours. Still, that often means I can slip more easily into it later in the day.

ETA: I'm a morning person by nature, which helps. I turn into a pumpkin at night.
 
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Maze Runner

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Afternoons are best for me. Rarely am I able to write in the afternoons.
 

Cobalt Jade

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I've been writing in the morning to see if I can produce more steadily. Of course, I work nights, so waking early and being half-asleep isn't a factor. Now off to write!
 

Maxx

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Writing first thing when I get up definitely works for me. My mind is fresh and everything just flows easier. I write throughout the day but I make sure it's the first thing I do in the morning when working on a project.
Writing in the mornings first thing helps me psychologically, mentally and emotionally.

Same here. I can write any time, but mornings are by far the best.
 

Mary Love

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I usually boot up my laptop first thing in the morning with good intentions, but often stare at it too fuzzy brained to compose anything. Yesterday, however, I had an idea for the next scene, got up and wrote it and had nearly 1500 before breakfast. That felt great, but is certainly not my norm.

I've had past routines of getting up early to write and it felt good to prove my dedication that way, but it was hard. I would wait until I'd figured out what I was going to write--down to the first sentence, and only then would I get out of bed. :p
 

heza

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I feel like I've gone through shifts in what time worked best for me. When I was younger, the evening to late night was when I got most of my writing done. As I started getting older I got tired/less mentally efficient in the evenings, and so I shifted to the noon to 4:00 block being the prime time to write. Now, I FEEL like mornings would be best. I seem to be most alert in the mornings (after a sufficient application of coffee) and my writing is better. Unfortunately, mornings are not really free time for me in my household, and I can't seem to get anyone to cooperate with letting it become so. :/

But this slow progression to mornings being more effective for me than nights reminds me of when I was a young adult and wondered how my grandparents could stand going to bed so early and then getting up to do stuff at, like, 6:00 am. Tell me this phenomenon is not just me getting ancient! :tongue
 

SwallowFeather

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I'm guessing the "morning effect" = you write better when you're fresh. My very best time to write is in the early afternoon after a 1/2 hour nap and a little downtime with some tea to wake up properly. I can feel the freshness in my brain. Something measurable, I win computer games more easily at that time (as long as I really slept.)

I'm guessing that's what's going on with mornings. I'm also guessing more people could use them some naps. Super recommended if your schedule allows. Sadly most people's doesn't.

Of course I only get this privileged writing time on days when my husband has the kid in the afternoon (or for about 1/2 hour if the kid actually naps.)
 

Layla Nahar

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I get up ~6:30, make a coffee and write for 5-15 minutes while I drink it. I get ~1/4 - 1 page. Often that's the only writing I'll be able to do in the day. Just doing that tiny bit every day has helped me prioritize a writing habit. I am sure I couldn't keep that kind of steady habit any other way.
 

Manuel Royal

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When I have a free day and can make my own schedule, late morning and early afternoon seem to be my best writing times. I can do it early, but it's not my natural inclination. On day-job work days, I have to get up at 5:15 a.m. and take care of household matters before going to work; can't make myself go to bed early enough to be able to get up even earlier and be productive.

ETA: To be honest, there is about an hour in the weekday morning, when I usually catch up on news, etc. online. I'm going to commit to using that hour for writing, every day next week, and see if anything comes of it. Maybe a change of routine will stimulate my brain.
 
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