Let’s be honest; timing is everything. There’s a good time to go to bed, a good time to wake up, a good time to hide from the world in the bathroom for thirty minutes. And, of course, there’s a good writing time. But what is that time? Well, you’re probably not going to like the answer.
It depends.
Everybody is different, meaning they’re bound to have different schedules. The best time for one person to write might not work for another person. Sure, science might say you’re more creative after waking up, but do you actually have time (or even want) to write in the morning? If so, great! If not, that’s also great! There are other options; you just need to figure out what works best for you. Yeah, I know. That’s the hard part. But don’t worry! I have some tips that can help.
Experiment with different times
I mean, obviously. How are you going to find the best time to write if you write at the same time every day? Now, if you just randomly decided to start writing at 3:33 AM and you got a lot done and you felt like a writing goddess, then, by all means, continue. Don’t change what’s working just because some random woman on the internet told you to. However, if you write at that time and feel absolutely miserable, or even just “meh”, I suggest changing things up to see if a different time would work better.
Listen to your body
You’re not going to get a lot of writing done if you feel like absolute crap. Listen to what your body is telling you. Maybe even write down how you feel throughout the day. If you notice that you feel great during a certain time of the day, that could be your best writing time!
Pay attention to your writing
Remember that 3:33 AM goddess from earlier? She also writes about nine pages every day she works at that time. You wish you could be her. I wish I could be her. But guess what? We can! While experimenting, pay attention to how much writing you’re getting done. If you find you’re just staring at the screen more than actually getting some work done, you might want to try and see if a different time will work better.
Remember that different writing tasks will be best at different times
Despite popular belief, writing is not just the first draft. There’s also the revising and editing stages, which requires a whole new way of thinking. The 333 goddess can get words on paper like a dream at 3:33 AM…but she can’t revise or edit very well. She has a hard time actually deciding what to cut and what to add in and is that how you spell that word? She just finds she can’t work on these stages at this time. So, she revises and edits at 3:33 PM instead. Boom. She immediately improves and the editing work she was taking weeks on before is now finished in just a few days.
Recap: She writes at 3:33 AM. She revises and edits at 3:33 PM.
Look at your schedule
You can’t write if you’re also supposed to be in a meeting for work. I mean, you can, but I don’t think your boss would appreciate it. Your best writing time should fit in with your schedule. If you’re absolutely packed every day except for ten minutes before bed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, then that might be your best writing schedule (yes, ten minutes is plenty of time). If you find that your best writing time is a time that you’re usually busy, see if you can rework your schedule so that you have that time free.
Don’t worry if you can’t find your perfect writing time
Seriously, don’t. If you can’t make time to write when it’s best for you or if you can’t seem to find a time that feels right to you, it’s okay to settle for second best. Do not, by any means, stop writing because everything isn’t perfect. If everything always had to be perfect, we’d never get anything done! Besides, who knows if your second-best time develops into your very best! Habit has a tendency to make things work better as time goes on.
No matter when the best time for you to write is, these tips are sure to help! And if you have already found your perfect writing time, how were you able to find it? Do you have any more tips to share? Let me know in the comments!