Toward Another Writing Process? 
I used to lie awake at night and think up sentences of prose—sometimes whole paragraphs—then jump up, click on the light, and scribble them down. Next, I’d sigh in relief, turn off the light, get back in bed, and repeat the exercise ten minutes later. So on and so forth until I finally fell asleep, just as I was conceiving the plot of the Great American Novel. A kind of punctuated, midnight journaling.
I do this a lot less now. Hardly at all. It’s not because I never think of incredible, pulse-pounding scenarios and dialogue when I’m supposed to be asleep, though. (Actually, this happens all the time, and it’s only my modesty that keeps me from converting my work into a river of crass commercial lucre.)
Rather, the sense of urgency seems to have lessened. I find myself thinking, as I lay awake writing paragraphs in my head when I should be sleeping, If this is worth writing I’ll remember it in the morning. I guess I’m right, because it seems to work. I’ve recalled and written numerous blog posts the morning after, as well as a short story.
I’m describing this unusual case of writing disease because I wonder which approach is superior. The impulsive, juvenile scribbling of my earlier days? Or the more unperturbed, deliberate method I’ve assumed now? Is this one of those cases where the excess of youth really was better? Does the verve and precision I discover at midnight drain quietly away as I sleep?
Or, on the other hand, does the discipline I now employ assure that only the crux of a story, the strong bones, survive, and not the wild cosmetics that seemed good when I was staring at the backs of my eyelids testing flowery adjectives?Thing is, I’m just not sure. It’s enough to keep you awake at night, just wondering.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Writing at Night
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7 comments:
Ariel,
This used to haapen to me often. I decided to get a hand held tape recorder and talk into it at night so I wouldn't have to get up. I thought it would work -- until I played it back and it was so unintelligible that I abandoned the idea. Now I just ask God to help me remember whatever it is or something better.
Good post and the premises of my "musings." My problem is, sometimes I must get up and write stuff down. At forty-six years of age, I can't rely on remembering it in the morning.
Cheers.
P.S. The official daughter came back from a church retreat wherein the Christian band hailed from Lawrence. The lead singer at the end of the set yelled, "Go Jayhawks!" Kate responded with a hearty M-I-Z-Z-O-U. Gosh, I love my kids. :)
Hi! I identify so much with this post. I mean, I am writer myself and almost always my mind is on the wheel. My most creative moments are the odd hrs. If you check my blog, dive deep in archives you will find that I have posted at odd hours. I have spent time lying awake on bed thinking, forming sentences in my head and if I am not tired I compose on puter immediately but if I am tired I compose on my Nokia 3230 and transfer via infrared on the next day.
Past few days I have tried doing what you are doing now ...
allowing the thoughts to float around in my head and write the next day thinking that I will remember it is worth [and I remember it every time :)]
Phew! That was a long comment... :D
GBU
Arti
Well I'm not much of a writer really but I can identify with thinking too much late at night. About a project that I'm doing or maybe lyrics for a song (occassionally). Sometimes I know I won't remember it in the morning and scribble it down (hence the many random pieces of paper lying around in my room and diary) but sometimes I just have to let it go because sleep is more valuable. It's very frustrating when you can't remember it in the morning! But I guess if it was worth being held onto it will come back at some point. You never can tell which way is better really.
Salaam alaikum,
I am also a writer, and I mostly think when I'm walking. I understand what you're saying. I earlier used to keep a section of my book for random thoughts. Thoughts come to sitting and standing and but not lying down...I go off to sleep :).
I am definitely going to have to use that recorder idea. Thanks Alexys.
Great. Next time I'm laying awake at night, it will help to know I'm not alone. Comraderie spurring on the creative jones, you know.
Alexys, the tape recorder idea has merit. In my case, I don't see Lindsay digging it, though. Maybe if I mumbled very quietly.
Sherman, wouldn't it be better to try and pull off a "midstream correction" with your daughter? I know it would temporarily hurt the "family honor"...(a misconception among MU grads) but think about how much more promising her hoops future would be. I think you owe it to your daughter to give this serious thought...
Arti, it's cool to hear that a published poet uses the lie-awake-at-midnight method. I wonder... did Robert Frost, T.S. Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, etc., all do the same? Of course they did.
"Sometimes I know I won't remember it in the morning and scribble it down (hence the many random pieces of paper lying around in my room..."
Yeah. All those scraps of paper - scrawled on old receipts, index cards, pieces of kleenex. It got old.
"I am also a writer, and I mostly think when I'm walking."
I'm a big fan of walking and thinking, Aiman. And as a promoter of the lie-awake-at-night school of composition, I wonder if we could fuse these two "streams" into some kind of sleep-walking, writing mode. This could be tricky, but it will need to be looked into.
Sweet insnomnia.
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