Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where the ladies at YA Highway post a weekly writing- or reading-related question for participants to respond to on their own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.
Today’s Topic: What time do you prefer to do your writing? Early Worm? Night Owl ? Any five seconds you can grab?
Um, can I go with All of the Above?
When my husband is deployed (often), I am essentially a single parent. My daughter does not take naps anymore (*sob*) and she participates in lots of activities (swimming, ballet, pre-school, etc…), activities I get to shuttle her to. On the rare days we’re home and not out and about, I really try to devote as much of my time to her as possible. Sure, I’ll pop in a movie occasionally and get a little bit of work done, but for the most part she dominates my day. (Good thing she’s so fun, right? :))
So, that means I get to do the bulk of my writing, revising, editing, critiquing, and blogging while my daughter is asleep. I wake up between 5:30 and 6:00 every morning (this happens naturally, in case you’re wondering… no alarm for me!) and work until my kiddo wakes up (usually around 7:30 or 8:00). Then I get back to work at bedtime and go until I can’t keep my eyes open. During the pre-school year, I also get a few hours during the week to work, which is such a treat. (Too bad the Borders I like to go to is closing… Grr!)
So, I claim Early Bird AND Night Owl, and occasionally everything between.
When do you like to write?
katyupperman.com 
Love this answer! I like waking up early, too, but sometimes you just have to burn the midnight oil. And good for you for making sure your time with the daughter comes first!
Thanks, Sarah! I just read your post and learned that your a morning writer too. I like to write before I talk to anyone too. The words definitely come easier when my head is totally clear.
I am the same as you! I love working in the early morning hours or deep into the night. I need lots of silence to concentrate, and the more cars I can hear on the street, the less productive I seem to be. There’s something very nice about writing while the rest of the world sleeps 🙂
Agree! I prefer silence too, which is why I do so much better when my daughter is sleeping. And you’re right: it does feel pleasantly appropriate to write while the rest of the world is fast asleep.
I am super impressed (and a wee bit jealous) when anyone is both a morning bird and night owl. If I woke up at 5:30 regularly, my brain would be absolute mush before 10:00! Well done you.
My brain sometimes IS mush by 10, but I can usually push it to around 11. That gives me a good couple hours of productivity in the evenings. I’m impressed with people who can stay up until 4 in the morning typing away! 🙂
When you say that you wake up at 6 am naturally–I think you mean to say unnaturally. Because waking up that early is completely unnatural, lol.
But I love that you have your priorities in the right place. Your daughter is a lucky lady! 🙂
Ha! Thanks, Crystal. 🙂 Some mornings it does feel unnatural to be up so early, but when I try to go back to sleep I end up laying there stressing about all the things I *could* be doing. Good motivation!
I’m a diehard night owl and a little jealous. On weekends, when I actually can write during the morning/day, I usually procrastinate until the sun goes down. But once it’s evening or later–you can’t tear me away from the keyboard!
Funny how the grass is always greener. I’m a little jealous of you writers who can stay up until all hours of the night typing away. 🙂
I think you’re the Super Mom!
It’s hard to balance. Sounds like you’ve got an awesome system going.
Yep, it’s working for us for now… let’s see how things go once preschool picks up again. 🙂
I wish I could get up that early and be able to function…but I’m definitely not a morning person at all. I do better in the afternoon or at night. Kudos to you for making it work =)
First off, those illustrations are adorable. Second, how on earth do you do it? Just reading your schedule makes me exhausted. My nieces and nephews wear me out after one day, so I give a huge high-five to any moms who can find time to write without falling face-first into their cereal and milk.