No, not that Twilight.
It’s 4am.
Early. Way early. Especially for me, a guy who digs his beauty sleep. (Though, it hasn’t helped much thus far.)
Even better, it’s this early and I’m up. Writing.
Do you know what’s happening at 4am?
Jack squat. For about three weeks now, I’ve been getting up before work and cranking out from four to six a solid one to two thousand words. At least three days a week. I’m averaging five thousand words of free words.
Yeah. Free. The words come no matter how busy my day. No matter how hectic my life is after work, or what social events hang in the balance. When getting the nursery is ready, and all I’d rather do is piss off with a glass of whiskey and vegetate in front of the television.
Five thousand words. No matter what.
But really, this progress is just a symptom. It’s an ailment to the greater infection. The disease?
Wanting it. Ambition. Desire.
My goal since November has been to write professionally. Not necessarily as a profession (I’ve yet to get paid for any of my words and baby needs a new pair of, well, frigging everything), but write in a way that respects the craft and respects the amount of hard work that it takes to get anything in this world. Professionally. Life will always be there, getting in the way, but if the need is great enough, you can make it happen.
Use the time you have. All of it. 4am included. And that’s my cheesedick advice for the morning. I know. It’s very Nike of me. But seriously. Wake up. Go for it. Follow your heart like a pro. There’s nothing to lose at 4am.
Just do it.
Wow. You. Are. An inspriation! I don't know if I could do it. Up at 4. I am not a morning person. But I do tend to stay up too late...sometimes writing/editing. Sometimes reading.
ReplyDelete4am? Seriously that's crazy o'clock, man.
ReplyDeleteKudos to you for that, though and 5k is great.
Like April above, I'm a night owl so my writing until 1am - 2am suits me more.
It's good advice though - you can't beat that uninterrupted quiet time to think and create.
Still - 4am?!? :-O
Well said, Stephen. I already get up at 5, for work, but you're right. It does require commitment.
ReplyDeleteOh wow...I'm jealous of your dedication! I wish I could get my butt out of bed at 4 a.m. I've been trying to stay an extra hour at work each day to get some writing in and it's working slowly but surely!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the comments, guys.
ReplyDeleteIt's not as bad as it seems, and actually, you get quite used to it. You even start looking forward to the quietness of that time. The great part is, for whatever reason, my creativity seems most alive at four o'clock.
But it is taxing sometimes, I won't lie. I try for M-F, but there's usually a Wednesday or Friday that I take off if the week becomes busy or hectic. And while I still write on the weekends, I don't feel like I'm pressed to, that Saturday and Sunday have to be set aside for the book.
After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.