From Tracie: Writing In The Quiet, Dark Morning

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Writing In The Quiet, Dark Morning

The sun has gone to bed and so must I.

Actually the sun is still in bed, but I am awake.

It is 6am. There is something wrong with this picture.

My new, early rising schedule is quite an adjustment.


After proclaiming my love for coffee on twitter, connecting with some special friends who inspire me everyday (and getting some great advice from one of those friends about waking up early - apparently NOT going to bed at 2:30am is the first step to being an early riser) on facebook, and praying, I remind myself of my real reason to wake before the sun. Writing.

Writing Books

I have a stack of books and journals, waiting to be opened. This is why quiet, dark mornings were made. To sit in the mostly silent room and write, and write, and write. Morning Pages. Finding peace before the start of a busy day.

There will be writing all day. I will type emails, correct papers, and scrawl quick letter grades at the top of worksheets with Katarina dancing impatiently in front of me asking if there is a plus coming after the letter. I will leave comments on blog posts, update facebook, and send more emails. I will copy down phone numbers and messages, make a short shopping list for Thomas (first item: alarm clock. second item: more coffee.), and jot down some quick ideas for blog posts that may or may not end up on your screen.

But this morning writing? This will be the heart of my day. This morning writing is when I will grow, and challenge myself, and strive for more. This is the writing that will feed my soul. And that is something worth getting up early for, even if the sun is still asleep.

Are you an early morning writer? 
Do you have any tips for a night owl who is becoming an early riser?

19 comments:

  1. coffee. I cannot say enough about the power of coffee. i love coffee. it makes me happy, in the pants.

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  2. I am loving waking up early to do my morning pages. It seems to be the perfect way to declutter my brain and allow me to get on with my day. My tip for the night owl: Benadryl at 9pm and soft Jesus music from Spotify or Pandora. Prayer, and patience. I was a night owl for years due to Eddie's work schedule and when they put him on day shift it was QUITE the adjustment. ad while I still have some early mornings that definitely require a questionable amount of coffee and cinnamon creamer to rev up my engine and get me going, becoming a morning(ish) person has been a real blessing. Prayers and best wishes to you as you and bedtime draw the new boundaries in your relationship. lol Love you!

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    1. I'm happy to know that reform is possible for us night owls. I think I need to get some fun creamer for my morning coffee, and try your nighttime routine.

      You could write a book, call it Bedtime Boundaries...but that title might scare some people away. LOL. Love you, too!

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    2. You, my dear, are hilarious. lol

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  3. I am both, a morning person and a nightowl. Both times I have the quiet of thehouse to read, write, catch up on blogs or anything else I want to do. I get up at 6 to get kids off to school and read while they are doing their stuff. I write usually right after they are on the bus, knowing that they will not be interrupting my thought patterns. Last night I went to bed at 3 am and got up at 7 am. I have already gone to care for my little lady and I am currently at a McDonalds in Lexington killing time while my sister is at her pain doctors having an outpatient surgery.

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    1. I'm a little scared that kind of sleep is what I'm in for, too. Last night I went to be at 2:30, and was up at 6. But it sounds like you are getting a lot done on your four hours, so that is encouraging.

      I hope your sister's surgery goes well.

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  4. I need to do this. I don't have it in me at night, but I really want to write some stuff beyond the blog and articles for money. As for becoming an early riser, I find stretching in the morning really helps me wake up. Also, I stop my caffeine intake by 6pm at the latest.

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    1. Stretching is a great idea! I will try that tomorrow. Get the blood flowing and all that.

      I was surprised how just three days of doing morning pages has helped clear my brain and made me feel lighter and ready to tackle my day. It is good stuff. (although, I wouldn't mind writing a few articles for money, too - just sayin!)

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  5. Oh I tried waking up at 6am for a month to move from a night owl to a morning person. It was SOOO hard (My kids still often wake up at night and/or climb into bed so that doesn't help). While I don't get up at 6am anymore, I wake up easier in the morning and I fall asleep before midnight now so the experiment had some lasting effects and made my life more manageable.

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    1. It REALLY is hard! Especially with my husband still keeping up his night owl-ness. But I've been enjoying my early mornings much more than I expected, and I did find that this morning (when I didn't have to wake up early because it was a Saturday) that I woke up earlier than I normally would on a Saturday, and it was a little easier than usual.

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  6. I am a big fan of The Artist's Way and morning pages. I never finished a journal until I started doing morning pages, now I've filled an entire box full of journals.

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    1. I love that it helped you to become a journaller.

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  7. Oh, I have to write early in the morning otherwise, my bff has to log in as me and correct all my type-os the next day while I'm at work. I just can't think clearly at night. In the morning, I just seem to have an edge.

    ps I don't think I've stayed up until 2:30 since college!

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    1. That is hilarious!! It is great to have a bff who will do that for you, though. I'm one week in, and so far I think I'm adjusting better than I expected.

      2:30 has been a regular occurrence around here for a long time!

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  8. I don't sleep, so it's hard to say which I am :)
    I write at all hours. I pinch time here and there to do it.
    I do love the quiet of mornings when everyone else is still sleeping and the sun hasn't risen.
    It would be nice not to be so tired then though. :)

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    1. It would be nice to not be so tired! I'm hoping that if I keep going with this schedule for a few weeks, I will find myself less tired. I'll let you know how that goes ;-)

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  9. I'm totally a night owl but I really admire you for getting up early! I'm going to *try* to start having an earlier routine once we move!! :)

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