Many writers struggle with finding inspiration. They feel more inspired and productive at certain times during the day. When’s the best time to write for you?
We’ve polled a few of our readers and discovered that many Barefoot Writers like to get up early … before the rest of the house … so they can get in a good couple of hours of un- interrupted writing. They won’t check email or voicemail or surf the web before they’ve gotten their morning word count.
For example, Mark Ford is at his computer by 7:30 each morning. He dedicates at least an hour to his most important writing project … more if he’s going strong.
Are you an early morning writer? If so, you’re in good company. Check out the writing habits of these well-known authors.
When he first started out, John Grisham, author of legal thrillers like The Pelican Brief and The Firm, would be at his desk by 5:30 a.m., five days a week. His goal was at least a page before he had to start his day job as a lawyer.
Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winner Toni Morrison is up before dawn. The habit started when she had young kids at home and was working full-time. But she continues today because she feels more clear-headed at that time of day.
Ernest Hemingway managed to get in 500 words a day. He started early to avoid the heat – a peril of working in tropical locales before AC – and write in peace and quiet.
Postmodern Japanese writer Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore is one of his better-known works) takes the cake. He starts writing at 4:00 a.m., working for five or six hours.
