Creative writing at night is a challenge. As soon as the sun sets, the creative spirit takes a backseat to the need for sleep. But that doesn’t mean that your creative energy stops flowing at night. Far from it. Your mind may well be racing with ideas and characters long after your head has hit the pillow. So how do you go about writing at night? How do you describe creative writing at night so that your partner, your children, and even yourself, will believe you once the sun has set and the house is dark?
Turn On The Candelight
The simplest way to write at night is to use a light and a fan to create a cozy atmosphere perfect for jotting down those last few words for your story. Whether you are writing a novella or a short story for fun, a fan and a small lamp will give off a subtle glow that encourages you to write. As a night-time writer myself, I often turn on the lamp before I head to bed. It helps quiet my mind as I prepare to sleep, and it feels like a moment of peace before I dive into those tangled blankets and fuzzy blankets.
Get Inspired
No one likes to write when they are not inspired. But if you are looking for a way to truly capture the attention of your readers, try writing when you are not in the mood. Get up at night and write for an hour or two. You may find that a fresh perspective clears your mind and inspires new ideas. For those who wish to write creatively, this may be a priceless gift. It is not unusual for novelists to write for several hours before going to sleep, because they know that new ideas will come to them in their sleep. It’s a fantastic way to increase the odds of your work being enjoyed by as many people as possible. So if you want to write a novella or novel in the coming months, now might be the right time to sit down and put the word processor on your nightstand. It’s never easy to find the time, but if you want to see your work enjoyed, keep writing even when you don’t feel like it. Before you know it, the sun will be rising, and you will be rewarded with a beautiful little book to add to your collection.
Take Advantage Of The Darkness
If you have a specific scene in mind that you would like to include in your story, it is best to write about it in the darkness. It is difficult to describe the beauty of a starry sky and the feeling of being immersed in absolute nothingness. Sometimes, all it takes for you to feel inspired is to step outside and look up at the sky. But for those that live in areas where the night time temperature falls below freezing, there is another way to get that same effect. The darkness itself can be an inspiring force that puts your characters and the setting into sharp focus. So if you have an upcoming story that you would like to write, explore the idea of setting up camp in the wilderness and spending a couple of nights in a comfortable tepee. Let the fire warm you as you snap your fingers at the owls that call in the night, telling them to keep their distance, or allow you to watch the northern lights dance above you as you sit in awe. They may not be for the faint of heart, but the dark brings out the best in anyone.
Create A Routine
If you want to write at night, create a routine. It’s easy to get distracted by the daily hassles of life, and it’s all too easy to put off writing until the following week. So create a routine. Every Sunday night, for example, I like to read a book from my collection of classics, while my partner sets the table for our weekly dinner. During that time, I may well engage in conversation with my family and friends while keeping an eye on the clock, waiting for the moment when I can put my hands to the keyboard to begin writing. It’s important to make this time for yourself. Even if you only get a couple of hours, make sure that you write each week. It may not feel like it at first, but you will soon get into the habit and look forward to those quiet, private hours once the sun has set.
Keep A Journal
Keeping a journal is a fantastic way to organize your creative writing sessions. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. In fact, the simpler the better, in order to keep your daily writing sessions as uncluttered as possible. A simple notebook and pen may be all that you need to keep track of your ideas and get some words down on paper. You don’t need to know how to write perfectly in order to get the benefits of keeping a journal. All you need is a desire to write and a way to keep track of your ideas. Sometimes, jotting things down as they come will mean that you can piece them together later, when you are in the mood to create a full story. Even when you are feeling inspired, it can be difficult to know where to start. If you want to write a short story in the next few days, take time out of your day to jot down a list of ideas that came to you while you were watching television or reading a book. You may find, after a few days, that you have created a short story that you are proud of, and that you want to share with the world. In that case, the journal will certainly come in handy, providing you with a record of your creative evolution, so that you can see how far you have come in such a short space of time. The worst thing you can do is write something that you think is good, only to find, when you are in the mood to revise, that you have completely changed the ending. So by keeping a journal, you will ensure that this doesn’t happen.
Revise
Once you have finished writing the rough draft of your story, it’s time to step back and take a long, hard look at what you have written. If possible, get some of your family and friends to help you look through the story, so that they can provide you with some valuable feedback. Even better, get a copy to an editor, who can provide you with fresh eyes, as well as some invaluable suggestions on how to improve your work. Once you have gone through the story with a critical eye, it’s time to rewrite. Take out all the pieces that didn’t work and try to put them back in, while removing all the unnecessary pieces that only serve to slow you down. Cut out all the fat, and tighten up the story. Cut out all the extra dialogue, too. There is nothing worse than a long-winded novel, clogged with thousands of words that only serve to distract the reader from the main point. The rough draft is a work of art in itself. It doesn’t need to be perfect. But it needs to be complete, which means that there should be no missing pieces. So take out all the pieces that you know won’t work, and bring in some new ideas, giving your story new life. Remember, it’s only a draft. You don’t need to follow all of the rules that you set down in your outline, and you certainly don’t need to write in the same style as you did in your rough draft. Feel free to experiment, to take a different approach, to bend the rules – as long as you end up with something that makes sense. And above all, have fun!
If you want to write at night, there are a variety of ways that you can do it. But in order to do so, you need to be completely dedicated to the craft. You need to set aside time in your schedule, and you need to make sure that you follow through on it. Some writers prefer to write on an iPad, using specialized software, while others find that a nice, comfortable candlelight glow gives inspiration and an atmosphere perfect for creative writing. Ultimately, it is up to you to find the style that works best for you, so that you can capture the attention of your readers and bring your characters to life. Good luck out there!