Now that I think about it, I do almost all of my writing at night. I think it's just a matter of being busy/asleep during the day, and also enjoying seclusion after everyone goes to sleep.

Most of the people who replied to this thread are night-writers.  Perhaps that means that most writers are night writers?  Of the night-writers, how many of you depend on "The Goddess Caffeina"?  I know I'm a far better writer when it's late at night, and there's coffee in my system -- what about the other night writers?  Is coffee essential for all night writers?  What about the daytime writers -- drink coffee?

(I don't usually refer to coffee as "The Goddess Caffeina", but a person who shares my surname calls it that, and I think it's a cool phrase.)

I very rarely drink coffee and only really have caffeine in the form of Mountain Dew during the day. I don't drink it for the caffeine, though, I just like the taste. I really don't need it to survive or stay up late. I've one Mountain Dew today at 5pm my time. I went to bed at 4:30am last night, got up at 10am, and now it's 3:40am and I could keep going. I guess I don't need much sleep, but it's hell to wake me up. After I'm up, I'm good, though.

Another 50/50 person here   I like to do the right-brain splurging-onto-the-page stuff at night and the left-brain editing, cutting and structuring stuff by day.  And why is it that what seems like a genius idea at 1am has turned into embarrassing junk by 11am the next day?

And BTW, what is Mountain Dew??

A member of the Pepsi product family, and the single greatest carbonated soda achieved by man.  And, it's green!

George.  You're a great and prolific writer, and I'm shocked that you aren't a coffee hound.  MOUNTAIN DEW does have a generous dose of caffeine, but you don't take it at night?  I have a regular 2am dose of coffee.  

I'm amazed at the diversity here.

Hecate.  I see you're in London.  I've got a friend named Leanne who lives in London -- do you know her?  If you know anyone in Canada, I'll stick my head out of my igloo and tell them you said "hi".  But business aside, I guess I'm like that also -- I do my writing at night, and my editing at day.  The reason a great 2am idea is crap in the day is ... I dunno ... maybe different quality standards?  heh.  It was funny on FAMILY GUY when Brian chased that small train into the kitchen cabinet.  They said in an interview that it was a 2am idea which they wanted to delete from the script ... but then it got animated and they loved it, so they didn't delete it.  And I love that part -- I think it's a brilliant piece of modern art.  Perhaps there's a good case for keeping more 2am ideas than we do.

Lon.  I agree about PEPSI being the best cola.  It's far better than COKE.  Although it's great, you shouldn't drink more than two cans per day or else you have a greater chance of developing osteoperosis.  It's true.  :p  

Ideally I’d prefer to write in the day, but I work and have kids. My two youngest are asleep by 8pm so I've set aside the hours of 8pm-9.30pm to write, after that I kick back with my wife and do whatever.

Quoted from Alan_Holman George.  You're a great and prolific writer, and I'm shocked that you aren't a coffee hound.  MOUNTAIN DEW does have a generous dose of caffeine, but you don't take it at night?  I have a regular 2am dose of coffee.

I've been AD/HD since childhood and Mountain Dew (a green, citrus-flavored soda manufactured by Pepsi) has about the right dose of stimulant to settle me down. Havin studied a lot of psychology, I've also leared that a little caffeine will give you the stimulating effect you're looking for, but a lot of caffeine will force the brain to adjust itself to the intake creating an addiction to it to keep your body in balance.

I believe my brain has adjusted to the intake, and I'm therefore addicted and dependant.  

I always write around 6:00 pm-9:00 pm unless I'm doing something else and then I take a break and start writing at 11:00pm and go until around 2:00 am.

-Chris

Quoted from George Willson Mountain Dew (a green, citrus-flavored soda manufactured by Pepsi) has about the right dose of stimulant to settle me down.

Mountain Dew is causing more heart problems in America's young adults and middle-aged adults than even cig's...at least thats what my doctor said!

-Chris

I used to be addicted to Coke and Diet Coke, but not so much anymore. I do drink a little at night if I'm tired but I don't want to go to bed. Or eat something sugary. But when I'm really tired, I become really hyper.

I was having 6 cups of coffee a day until about 6 weeks ago. It was then that I had to get my appendix out and whilst I was in hospital I broke the habit; I stayed off it for awhile after getting out, but now I'm having 2-3 coffees a day and about 4-5 cups of tea. It's probably too much. I'd like to have 2 coffees in the morning for an eye opener and then 4 cups of tea through out the course of the day. I agree with George, a little bit of caffeine is a good stimulant, but too much isn't, if I drink too much it makes me feel hot and anxious, but I find trying to manage with none with two pre-school boys is just too tough. A friend of mine told me that you shouldn't have anymore than 2-3 cups of coffee a day, but I haven't heard what the medical profession recommends.

Quoted from Takeshi Ideally I’d prefer to write in the day, but I work and have kids. My two youngest are asleep by 8pm so I've set aside the hours of 8pm-9.30pm to write, after that I kick back with my wife and do whatever.

The last part of this made me laugh.

I feel the same way, just that I don't get home from work until Midnight so... guess I'm a Pigeon and I found my hole.

Good ol' night-writin' and coffee.  Seeing as how it's 1:42am here, I'm going to give everyone who's on these boards right now the courtesy of a PM saying to get offline and write your scripts, haha!