Does anyone write better at daytime, then at nighttime?  Is that even possible?  

I'm a night writer.  Are there any day writers out there?  

Why do night writers find it easier to write at night time?

If day writers exist, why do they find it easier to write at day time?

I only know that it is easy for me to write at night because my mind is more lucid and I've nothing else to think about. I finally slow myself down to the point that my creative mind can take over and flow forth with the good ideas. What used to happen to me is I'd go to bed, and then get hit with an idea. I'd get back up and write it all down before I forget about it. I just hit a state somewhere between awake and dreaming...kind of an overactive ability to daydream.

Since I've lately been writing at work, this is between 4pm and 1am where I am. At work, I can't go lucid on everyone, so I have to consciously be creative and daydream while keeping the other side of my brain active and ready to do my job. It's a skill and I've worked at it to the point that I can make my creativity work for me instead of waiting fo it to strike. If I am given the time to sit down and write, I know I can do this during the day.

I imagine ayone who regularly writes during the daylight hours just finds this time frame convenient for then to let their mind rest long enough to switch gears.

I think it's easier to see my characters at night.  It's easier to get into their minds, and see things from different perspectives.  Easier to focus.  Less of the wrong kind of distractions, more of the right kind of distractions.  Even light is a distraction.  

But I'm in a situation where I have to figure out what to say to a non-writer who says I should script during the day, and sleep during the night.  This particular non-writer tells me that I should be able to script at day just as easily as I script at night.  I want to come up with something that can explain "night writing" to someone who doesn't write.

Well, the basic reason that most "normal" people might understand has been said already: no distractions. No errands to run, phones to answer, places to be, people to see, nothing. Everyone ELSE is asleep meaning that your corner of the world is quiet.

Even while I was writing this post, one of my children came in to ask me about something, so I had to stop writing this and answer her before I could finish this. When you're working on creating something, that will derail your train of thought very quickly.

Then again, to the night writers, I will not ethat a suggestion I read once about writing is to ensure you write daily anmd make time for it. This means teling all the distractions of he world to buzz while you enter your little world. If you make time to write during the day, you can probably do it. The night time is just convenient because that when everyone conveniently stops bugging you without you having to tell them.

George.  Both of your posts in this thread are 100% correct and useful, and your words have helped a lot in the situation I hinted at.  Thank you.  

I can write anyplace, anywhere and anytime..

If there is crazy noise then this is a no, no.. But I can switch the power on my laptop and just write..

I can re-write a full length screenplay draft in 16 hours too..

Edit a short in about 4 to 5 hours straight..

Big head ain't I?

I need it to fit my brain in..

If you doubt my integrity ask these people to vouch for me:

CINDY L. KELLER

HELIO

CHRIS REID

TYLER HAWKINS

JAKKUR22

BATE

SHEPHARD (re-format)

BLOODPRINCE

Clive Davies-Frayne

and others..


Kevanski  

I tend to write between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Not good for me, but those are the hours available.

I prefer writing in the morning, just after I've awakened.
That's when I'm freshest and most enthusiastic.

For as long as I can remember, I am a night owl.  But in those wee hours of the morning, I prefer to watch movies, not write.

I've shown very little ability to produce when I'm on the verge of sleep.
Most of the time my head smashes the keyboard.
Those are the breaks, ha ha.

I'm a daytime writer.

I can be pretty sharp during the day, my brain moves fast and ideas come easily and I type faster too. The problem is, like George said, there are too many distractions, phones ringing, people talking and moving about, food to cook laundry to do, animals to take care of and so on.

The only time I can relax and be by myself is after 11 or 12 at night. Too bad this is not when my brain is it's sharpest, but this explains why I'm so slow writing scripts.

I'm definitely a night time writer. I try to write during the day, but I'm always distracted. There is a time, however, when it gets too late and I become sloppy. But I'm too determined to keep writing that I don't realize it until I go over the script later.

I am a night writer. For some reason, I do my best thinking between the hours of 11 pm and 2 am. Go figure. from about 2-4 I usually watch movies before falling asleep and waking up at noon and start my day again.

Shelby

I'm also a night writer, I find my creative juices flow mostly at nights. Although I write during the day if I have the time, but it's mostly by night that I can relax and really think about what I want to see in my head before the transition onto paper.

I'm 50/50. I can do both, but like to write at night, because of the fact that no one is up whem I write.

I write from 8-12 PM to AM because I like writing when the others in my home are slowly filtering off to sleep and I stay up alone. Just because of how limited the distractions are at night.

It takes me about 14-18 hours to write a feature length script...

4 to 5 hours of revising?!!?!?!?!?

I revise for less than an hour, and then rewrite it...

I'm a bartime writer, a lootime writer and a bed..wait, wait,  it is my wife time though!

Daytime, night time, any time.  Things go better with rock.

Sorry.  Couldn't resist.

I write whenever I get the chance, in between work, the girlfriend and kids.  This always varies; day, night, noon, evening.  I don't have a choice but to bring my A-Game with me, because Lord knows when my next free time will occur.

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!

Quoted from Alan_Holman 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".

Alan - I don't know anyone called Leanne, but then there's an awful lot of people in London, lol.  I do know someone in Canada, but he's in Nelson, BC, which I think is a long way from Saskatchewan (sp?)

We don't have Mountain Dew in the UK, but we do have something called Red Bull, which is a high-caffeine soda.  It tastes like cough medicine and makes you run around all day.

And caffeine-flavoured water?? Whatever next...

I finally got round to putting my outline onto post-it notes late last night and sticking them onto the wall...so far this morning it still seems like a good idea...

It's 8.30pm here in Melbourne and I just wrote the treatment for my latest short "The Informer". Now I feel like I can jump into bed and watch the last half of "Primer". Goodnight

Yeah.  I know what that's like.  I don't feel good about going to sleep until I've accomplished a goal in writing.  It's 5am now ... and I haven't ... so I'll toss and turn.  G'night.

Don't feel too bad Al. As I went to bed my mind was awash with ideas about how to make the treatment better. So just when you think you've finished something.......

Quoted from Hecate we do have something called Red Bull, which is a high-caffeine soda.  It tastes like cough medicine and makes you run around all day.

OMG!! Red Bull, yay! We have that in the states too! I love it. Some people say it can stop your heart but I like to live life on the edge .

Quoted from Takeshi Don't feel too bad Al. As I went to bed my mind was awash with ideas about how to make the treatment better. So just when you think you've finished something.......

Yeah ... "just when you think you're finished something" is right.  I don't know how many times I've been excited that Banana Chan was finally its final edit, only to find something a few days later that has to change.  But I think it's a good sign that lately the internal debates about things to cut have taken a while.  I've been debating internally for a few days now, about whether or not to cut or adjust a particular short monologue.

I write between 1-5am. For some reason, I don't sleep on weekends. I get to sleep around 2 on weeknights.

I find that what i'm writing depends on when I write. For example if i'm writing something lighthearted and or funny then day writing suits me best. However if i'm writing something darker like a horror piece, then night writing is best.  My mood changes with the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon I guess.

[face=Times][/face][b][/b]I am a completely different type of writer at night than during the day. All of my strangest and goriest ideas come to me from 11 pm to 4 am, and I find I finish more pages.

Quoted from Pard My mood changes with the setting of the sun

Same here, buddy.  At night time, I'm better at writing deep and emotional things.  

I think it's the whole distractions thing.  All I know for sure, though, is that when I force myself to write in the daytime I delete all of that writing later on, because it's awful.
I also tend to do my best thinking in the night; I just walk all over the house playing the scenes in my head.  I can be very bizarre as I'm doing that; like I'll enter a room, turn on the light, walk through it, maybe pace a bit, then leave and turn off the light, walking somewhere else.  This is scary because over ten minutes I could end up walking into the same room three times, each time turning the lights on and off.  

I write at night, 12am-8am sometimes depending on how I feel.

I find it peaceful and I feel more comfortable writing that time.