Your Best Writing Time | Updated

At the start of 2016, I decided to give proper attention to my writing by committing to write every single day moving forward. Then in February, the #WriteChain Challenge sealed the deal when I declared that I’d write for at least 10 minutes daily.

And I’ve been successful in upholding both commitments so far. (Yay!)

However, throughout this journey, I’ve been thinking about the best writing times. I’ve experimented in writing in the day and in the dark of the night. I’ve read several blog posts about optimal hours. I’ve listened to friend’s opinions.

After all this research, I have come to a conclusion for when writers should write. And it is this . . .

Your time is the best time.

“But Jamae, that doesn’t even make sense!” Let me explain.

Some people swear that writing in the morning is the best time. To start off the day creating, getting it done before the craziness of our schedules get the best of us. Some night owls say that evening allows the creatures of their imagination to roam free. And there are articles that say you should show up in your creative space at the same time every day and have it embedded in your schedule.

However, what works for one person won’t work for another. And what works for one person on one day may not work for that same person during the next.

Some weeks, I write right after I’ve finished breakfast. The energy from my morning meal and extra fix of coffee give me the boost for my words to fly from my fingertips.

Other weeks, I write once I get out of ballet. The patterns we encountered that day being my line of focus, creating a picture to be captured.

And still other weeks, I write before I go to bed. The warmth of the lamp’s glow setting the tone for the scene playing in my mind’s eye.

But then how do you find the write — er, right — time?

• Notice your energy cycles. Each season brings its own madness, some crazier than others. So take a look at where your creative energy is most powerful. This’ll help identify your most ideal write time.
• Figure out your schedule. Find the non-negotiables in your day (e.g. work, classes, childcare, etc.) and work around those while keeping in mind your energy cycles.
• Hunt for the quiet times. Wherever there are moments you have to yourself, take note of them! These are the ideal places to let the creative creatures spill out of your mind.

However, remember, these factors will change over time. Not might. They will change.

Of course, habit-forming deserves a place in our lives. But you do not need to be shackled to a particular time. (Mhm, my gypsy spirit again.) We should embrace the freedom to let go of anything that doesn’t work for us and to maintain those that do.

In my Modern Dance class, whenever we start asking too many questions about a particular routine, my instructor likes to remind us, “Don’t get too attached.”

Yes, the moves are important. Yes, we need to remember them. But we shouldn’t get so stuck on the nuances that we can’t move forward. We need to keep moving, keep creating and growing rather than sitting in analysis.

So, yes, write every day. Write at a time that feels right to you. But when that time no longer serves you, have the courage to change so the time suits you.

The story is coming from you after all. Don’t get in your way; don’t get too attached. Find your time, and be free.