I start writing at about 6:30 because I have school all day and I take an hour nap then immediately start to write. I go to sleep at 12pm for school but on weekends literally 3am. 😂😍
I’m a night owl with severe adhd and basically the answer is we just suffer lol. I really wish I could be a morning writer, but there is something nice about being the only one awake and letting everything that happened during the day be pushed aside or added to your creativity in writing.
9:50 I totally agree! Even though I'm scared of thunderstorms, I find writing during them easier. The thunderstorm's roars are a reminder that I am small but alive. It's hard to get lost in your head when the noise outside forces you to stay semi-present. The voice in my head or what-not that's holding me back from writing is none compared to the wailings of the thunder outside my window. Its actually thundering as i'm watching too! so the feeling is present.
I used to be a night owl and have become more of a morning owl during the grand pancake but lockdown also had me being very late nights, too, so I've been all over the place and am generally a permanently exhausted pigeon most of the time.
i'm a night and morning owl, early in the day and in the evening or at night r when my writing flow's at its best! mid-day is the struggle for me ahaha. but omg the storm seems like a great writing ambience!
re: the night owl elixir, I've had great fun with "spooky" mixed drinks here lately. my husband's favorite was apple cider and fireball. my best friend's favorite was "vampire bite," cherry vodka, then equal parts lemonade and cheerwine/black cherry soda.
Whaaaaaaaaat. Vampire Bite sounds so interesting and like I have to try it!! I've also never mixed apple cider and fireball but that might be the one drink worth trying fireball again bahahah. What's your favorite been??
@@KateCavanaugh my husband also like apple cider with a shot of caramel vodka! i liked the vampire bite and "poisoned apple": apple cider, pomegranate juice, spiced rum, and grenadine.
When I was in school, most of the writing I did was in the evenings. Assignments and articles were easier to complete when I didn't have to think about classes anymore. It's been a bit different since I graduated, I find myself writing more in the afternoons and early evenings now. But I always start NaNoWriMo at midnight and write until I get my first 1,667 words done.
My night owl habit formed during my bachelor degree days. Classes were in the evenings so I'd do assignments in the wee hours of the morning while the fam slept. I'd sleep around 6am knowing I could wake up in time for classes. Plus its a UK school so timezone difference meant weird hours anyway. I kept with the night owl routine after that as I got a remote job and would write during my downtime. It was a US based company so the timezone/weird hours meant writing in the wee hours of the morning was how I got words in. But as of March 2020 (yep, when Covid lockdown hit), I switched my remote job role with earlier hours and also discovered my enneagram type after researching character personality typing (I'm a 1w9 btw). But my enneagram type favours early morning exercise so that meant early bedtime so I could workout before logging on for work. So instead of 3am to 6am writing, I'll do evening 6pm to 9pm or 9pm to midnight. What do you call that? An evening chicken lolz. If you'd asked me about being a night owl 3 years ago, I'd swear by it. Now, I get my words in, sun up or moon up. Period. Have a great week, Kate! That thunderstorm was scary :-)
As a longtime night owl I appreciate you giving this a try. I am less of a night owl now, mostly because life has forced me to change my routine but I still find most of my best writing and productivity time happens in the night. I usually find anytime after dinner time, so like 5pm or so, is a good starting point and I usually hit max productivity/writing around 8pm.That was one heck of a storm you guys had! Also, I still think you should do another 24 hour write-a-thon for NaNoWriMo because I really enjoyed the last one despite the disgustingly early start time haha.
I was so happy to wake up and see you've uploaded another vlog. I'm more of a night owl, but I don't mind writing in the morning as well. Ihave, however, started lighting candles and let me tell ya, I am so happy and relaxed with a candle on! I'm spending so much money on them now, lol.
YESSSS. Candles are so wonderful. I feel like I get into cycles of using them and forgetting about them. But they can make such a difference for ambiance! Especially if the particular smell is reminiscent of anything/a setting in your story.
Your comment about liking the feeling that you are awake when everyone else is asleep, is actually one of the things I like about writing in the mornings. So I think you can get that feeling morning or night or afternoon.
i would LOVE to be a morning writer but my mind is just wired for nighttime writing lol. i can usually crank out a really good writing session anywhere from 10pm-2am. I just love how quiet everything is at night because I get distracted really easily during the day 😭I admire you for switching up your routine and trying this!!
This was a great video! As a grad student, I can definitely relate to the night-owl writing routine. For me, it was most often between getting enough sleep and writing! XD
OMG Kate! I don't know how you were able to write at all during that massive storm! Thunderstorms are my worst fear, and if that had been me, I would not have gotten any more work done because I would have been in my bed with all the lights turned on and my noise-cancelling headphones in my ears to try and block out the storm. Kudos to you for staying so calm! I was already not a fan of storms, and after the summer we had here in British Columbia my fear of them has only increased. Super impressed that you were still able to write despite being scared!
@@KateCavanaugh I am unironically wanting to GO BACK-…yes, go b a c k-to exactly this method, if for no other reason than to have “incoherent characterization” act as a writing exercise.
I usually start between eleven and one in the morning. There really is something special about the hours when everyone else is asleep and you can be alone, without expectations. 🌙 💚
I personally love late night (like after midnight) writing sessions for planning, and then morning sessions for drafting. I definitely feel more creative at night but more productive in the morning!
Kate! I was JUST watching one of your older live write-ins last night to get some writing work done-the only time I have to dive into it (I’m NOT a morning person). So glad you tried this!
As someone who has to put in conscious effort to go to sleep before midnight, this was fascinating X'D I tend to start writing around 7:30-8:00 and try to stop at around 11:00, though like I mentioned above I have trouble stopping lol
Oooooo this is so very motivating for me today. This is my first day of having to be a night owl. It's the half-term holidays so the kids are home. My daytime schedule is switched up for the week. I'm so scared I'll fail!!! But your vlog has totally given me a boost 🥰
Oooh those moving-camera shots while typing at the start of the video were so cool! I prefer writing in the morning, but because I start my dayjob at 8am I've found training myself to work on creative projects in the evenings works better for me. But I'm a morning person on the weekends lol
Hi Kate! New Subscriber here 😀 I've just started my writing journey and am so blessed to have found your channel! Can't wait to join in on the next live sprint
Poor sweet Buffy during the storm. I prefer to write in the evening/night just because I work during the day and although I can attend your Twitch streams, more times than not I'm doing work instead of writing. Or I get interrupted (how rude, work). For the elixir, that TN spicy whiskey could be fun LOL
I did a total 180 in college and haven't yet looked back. I used to describe myself as a "night person," but that was really just shorthand for "I have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that keeps me up all hours of the night." Naturally, I used to do my best writing after midnight. But in college this became a huge problem, because I would often sleep through my early classes. (Or, if I showed up, I'd be too sleep deprived to function.) So I had to actually start taking my insomnia seriously, part of which included establishing a daily routine that was early enough for me to make it to my morning classes. Then on days I didn't have morning classes, I'd go to a cafe and work on my essays bright and early. As an adult, that's translated to waking up early and getting all of my writing done before the workday starts. Growing up, I'd never write before 10pm. Now, I'm my brain shuts off at 8 or 9pm and there's no hope of getting anything done. It's so different from the way my brain is naturally wired, but my natural wiring doesn't include healthy sleep circuits. So... this is one case where going against nature is a good thing lmao.
I'm by far a night owl. I don't usually get much if that "I'm the only one awake" feeling though, because I'm surrounded by other night owls. I usually start writing anytime between 7-10pm, and I will easily write until 4 or 5 in the morning if I can. Unfortunately, being a full time uni student can get in the way of these plans, but I get to be on my own schedule during breaks so I know it works well for me.
I don't start writing until 10-11pm at night. Most of my day is filled up with keeping my family moving. I might get a writing sprint in if I'm lucky, but nothing gets done until everyone has gone to sleep. After that I might have anywhere between an hour to three hours if I'm feeling like staying up to 1-2 in the morning. It's not really a choice, since my mornings are insane and I don't get to have and time alone until late into the night. Once my S.O can go back to work I should have more time, then I'll probably do more morning stuff.
I've always been more of a night owl, so night writing tends to flow for me if I didn't write in the afternoon. I tend to work with quite a few different tools, so I can go with it as I go and switch writing tools as needed. I end up switching my timing depending on what I need during the day, so it's variable.
I use to be a major night owl. Which I mostly think is due to school and work. Now I am more of a morning writer I enjoy the hours spent alone before anyone else wakes up particularly. Which was also a good benifit of night writing.
Great video as always Kate. As someone who's been doing this longer than me can you recommend a place to find someone to talk to about a plot I'm struggling with and can't find my way through? Thanks
I sugest picking up library books on plot. - How to Write A Novel And Get It Published by Nigel Watts talks about the 8 point story structure. - Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Broody has a 3 act 15 beat structure. These are the two man books I wouod sugest on structure they are very different but you will find a structure that works for you. I also sugest you look up videos on plot structure. You can literally just search plot structure and videos will pop up with peoples favorite plots and how they use them.
@@herothebard Thank you for this. These are great suggestions. I have my plot and I know where I want to end up, I'm just struggling to find a path to get my main character there. Will these books help with that?
I'm a night owl. Mostly because I loathe mornings and rush to get ready for the day job and the kids to school. I've started writing at early as 7pm and as late as 10pm. I try to stop writing by midnight or 1am. Otherwise I'm worthless at work the next day.
Stick with what works best for you. I would love to not be a night owl. Lol I love how writing early or late gives us this false impression that we're out-working the world even though a ton of people have similar routines. 😆
Total night 🦉🌙 , altho I’m most energetic/creative in the evening (post 2-4 pm energy slump most people get). Altho I can easily stay up till 2 am (my limit), I’m not super productive much beyond about 11 pm. Interesting that research shows night owls tend to be the more creative personalities. 😆
I decided to work on my short story this evening. I’m usually a morning person but I can work on fictional stories in the evenings at times. I don’t think I could write at night though cos my brain just doesn’t work late at night 😅
FOR THE NIGHT OWLS🦉: What time do you usually start writing??
3 pm, 6pm, 8pm
Start at midnight and usually end at 3am. The latest I've gone in the past is 5am.
I generally start writing around 6pm. I take breaks whenever I need to and usually end around 1am.
I start writing at about 6:30 because I have school all day and I take an hour nap then immediately start to write. I go to sleep at 12pm for school but on weekends literally 3am. 😂😍
I usually start at midnight and write until 3am... when I was in college sometimes I stayed until 5 or 6 am studying and writing.
I’m a night owl with severe adhd and basically the answer is we just suffer lol. I really wish I could be a morning writer, but there is something nice about being the only one awake and letting everything that happened during the day be pushed aside or added to your creativity in writing.
9:50 I totally agree! Even though I'm scared of thunderstorms, I find writing during them easier. The thunderstorm's roars are a reminder that I am small but alive. It's hard to get lost in your head when the noise outside forces you to stay semi-present. The voice in my head or what-not that's holding me back from writing is none compared to the wailings of the thunder outside my window.
Its actually thundering as i'm watching too! so the feeling is present.
I used to be a night owl and have become more of a morning owl during the grand pancake but lockdown also had me being very late nights, too, so I've been all over the place and am generally a permanently exhausted pigeon most of the time.
Permanently Exhausted Pigeon!! This needs to be a band name too, I love it bahahaha.
@@KateCavanaugh LOL. I wonder what type of music they’d play!
i'm a night and morning owl, early in the day and in the evening or at night r when my writing flow's at its best! mid-day is the struggle for me ahaha. but omg the storm seems like a great writing ambience!
re: the night owl elixir, I've had great fun with "spooky" mixed drinks here lately. my husband's favorite was apple cider and fireball. my best friend's favorite was "vampire bite," cherry vodka, then equal parts lemonade and cheerwine/black cherry soda.
Whaaaaaaaaat. Vampire Bite sounds so interesting and like I have to try it!! I've also never mixed apple cider and fireball but that might be the one drink worth trying fireball again bahahah.
What's your favorite been??
@@KateCavanaugh my husband also like apple cider with a shot of caramel vodka! i liked the vampire bite and "poisoned apple": apple cider, pomegranate juice, spiced rum, and grenadine.
I don’t even drink but these sound delicious 😍
When I was in school, most of the writing I did was in the evenings. Assignments and articles were easier to complete when I didn't have to think about classes anymore. It's been a bit different since I graduated, I find myself writing more in the afternoons and early evenings now. But I always start NaNoWriMo at midnight and write until I get my first 1,667 words done.
My night owl habit formed during my bachelor degree days. Classes were in the evenings so I'd do assignments in the wee hours of the morning while the fam slept. I'd sleep around 6am knowing I could wake up in time for classes. Plus its a UK school so timezone difference meant weird hours anyway.
I kept with the night owl routine after that as I got a remote job and would write during my downtime. It was a US based company so the timezone/weird hours meant writing in the wee hours of the morning was how I got words in.
But as of March 2020 (yep, when Covid lockdown hit), I switched my remote job role with earlier hours and also discovered my enneagram type after researching character personality typing (I'm a 1w9 btw). But my enneagram type favours early morning exercise so that meant early bedtime so I could workout before logging on for work.
So instead of 3am to 6am writing, I'll do evening 6pm to 9pm or 9pm to midnight. What do you call that? An evening chicken lolz. If you'd asked me about being a night owl 3 years ago, I'd swear by it. Now, I get my words in, sun up or moon up. Period.
Have a great week, Kate! That thunderstorm was scary :-)
As a longtime night owl I appreciate you giving this a try. I am less of a night owl now, mostly because life has forced me to change my routine but I still find most of my best writing and productivity time happens in the night. I usually find anytime after dinner time, so like 5pm or so, is a good starting point and I usually hit max productivity/writing around 8pm.That was one heck of a storm you guys had! Also, I still think you should do another 24 hour write-a-thon for NaNoWriMo because I really enjoyed the last one despite the disgustingly early start time haha.
I was so happy to wake up and see you've uploaded another vlog. I'm more of a night owl, but I don't mind writing in the morning as well. Ihave, however, started lighting candles and let me tell ya, I am so happy and relaxed with a candle on! I'm spending so much money on them now, lol.
YESSSS. Candles are so wonderful. I feel like I get into cycles of using them and forgetting about them. But they can make such a difference for ambiance! Especially if the particular smell is reminiscent of anything/a setting in your story.
Your comment about liking the feeling that you are awake when everyone else is asleep, is actually one of the things I like about writing in the mornings. So I think you can get that feeling morning or night or afternoon.
i would LOVE to be a morning writer but my mind is just wired for nighttime writing lol. i can usually crank out a really good writing session anywhere from 10pm-2am. I just love how quiet everything is at night because I get distracted really easily during the day 😭I admire you for switching up your routine and trying this!!
This was a great video! As a grad student, I can definitely relate to the night-owl writing routine. For me, it was most often between getting enough sleep and writing! XD
OMG Kate! I don't know how you were able to write at all during that massive storm! Thunderstorms are my worst fear, and if that had been me, I would not have gotten any more work done because I would have been in my bed with all the lights turned on and my noise-cancelling headphones in my ears to try and block out the storm. Kudos to you for staying so calm! I was already not a fan of storms, and after the summer we had here in British Columbia my fear of them has only increased. Super impressed that you were still able to write despite being scared!
Wow I’m early! I could not write at night. It might kill but the stories would be funky.
Lolol I'd love to read some funky stories. Maybe I should write an incoherent character and I'll only write them at 3am when I'm also incoherent.
@@KateCavanaugh that would be hilarious!
@@KateCavanaugh I am unironically wanting to GO BACK-…yes, go b a c k-to exactly this method, if for no other reason than to have “incoherent characterization” act as a writing exercise.
I check for your vids first thing every morning. I love it when I find a "golden nugget" of Kate. LOL Thanks for making my day.
I usually start between eleven and one in the morning. There really is something special about the hours when everyone else is asleep and you can be alone, without expectations. 🌙 💚
lol, someone who works at the local hardware store tells me every time that my dog looks like their "grandpuppy" 😂
I personally love late night (like after midnight) writing sessions for planning, and then morning sessions for drafting. I definitely feel more creative at night but more productive in the morning!
Ooh I’m excited! *looks at 24-hour write-a-thons*
Kate! I was JUST watching one of your older live write-ins last night to get some writing work done-the only time I have to dive into it (I’m NOT a morning person). So glad you tried this!
I start writing at 10:00 pm usually. However, I also write in the afternoon or evening sometimes. Welcome to the Night Owl Crew, Kate!
Zelda little tushie wiggling when she saw your dad (I think it was your dad) brought me life today.
As someone who has to put in conscious effort to go to sleep before midnight, this was fascinating X'D I tend to start writing around 7:30-8:00 and try to stop at around 11:00, though like I mentioned above I have trouble stopping lol
For me the rain and thunder is calming
From me: Buffy fully believing she is the size of Zelda, jajajaja.
From the wife: Zelda fully believing she is a cat, bahahaha.
I'm in a phase of life right now where I write when I get the time. Mornings, nights, afternoons... I take the time where I can get it!
That first montage is such a vibe, like I’m legit dancing lol
Oooooo this is so very motivating for me today. This is my first day of having to be a night owl. It's the half-term holidays so the kids are home. My daytime schedule is switched up for the week. I'm so scared I'll fail!!! But your vlog has totally given me a boost 🥰
I'm SUCH a mix between these two types. I'm very much a "when inspiration strikes" kindof writer, and inspiration strikes at all hours for me haha
Oooh those moving-camera shots while typing at the start of the video were so cool!
I prefer writing in the morning, but because I start my dayjob at 8am I've found training myself to work on creative projects in the evenings works better for me. But I'm a morning person on the weekends lol
Hi Kate! New Subscriber here 😀 I've just started my writing journey and am so blessed to have found your channel! Can't wait to join in on the next live sprint
Awww yay, I'm so glad!! Welcome welcome and good luck on your writing journey! It'll be so fun. :)
Poor sweet Buffy during the storm.
I prefer to write in the evening/night just because I work during the day and although I can attend your Twitch streams, more times than not I'm doing work instead of writing. Or I get interrupted (how rude, work).
For the elixir, that TN spicy whiskey could be fun LOL
I did a total 180 in college and haven't yet looked back. I used to describe myself as a "night person," but that was really just shorthand for "I have an undiagnosed sleep disorder that keeps me up all hours of the night." Naturally, I used to do my best writing after midnight. But in college this became a huge problem, because I would often sleep through my early classes. (Or, if I showed up, I'd be too sleep deprived to function.) So I had to actually start taking my insomnia seriously, part of which included establishing a daily routine that was early enough for me to make it to my morning classes. Then on days I didn't have morning classes, I'd go to a cafe and work on my essays bright and early.
As an adult, that's translated to waking up early and getting all of my writing done before the workday starts. Growing up, I'd never write before 10pm. Now, I'm my brain shuts off at 8 or 9pm and there's no hope of getting anything done. It's so different from the way my brain is naturally wired, but my natural wiring doesn't include healthy sleep circuits. So... this is one case where going against nature is a good thing lmao.
I'm by far a night owl. I don't usually get much if that "I'm the only one awake" feeling though, because I'm surrounded by other night owls. I usually start writing anytime between 7-10pm, and I will easily write until 4 or 5 in the morning if I can. Unfortunately, being a full time uni student can get in the way of these plans, but I get to be on my own schedule during breaks so I know it works well for me.
Ooooooh, as a night owl this'll be interesting 😂
I don't start writing until 10-11pm at night. Most of my day is filled up with keeping my family moving. I might get a writing sprint in if I'm lucky, but nothing gets done until everyone has gone to sleep. After that I might have anywhere between an hour to three hours if I'm feeling like staying up to 1-2 in the morning. It's not really a choice, since my mornings are insane and I don't get to have and time alone until late into the night. Once my S.O can go back to work I should have more time, then I'll probably do more morning stuff.
I've always been more of a night owl, so night writing tends to flow for me if I didn't write in the afternoon. I tend to work with quite a few different tools, so I can go with it as I go and switch writing tools as needed. I end up switching my timing depending on what I need during the day, so it's variable.
I use to be a major night owl. Which I mostly think is due to school and work. Now I am more of a morning writer I enjoy the hours spent alone before anyone else wakes up particularly. Which was also a good benifit of night writing.
One of my cats was watching with me and when you were waving Vin's toy around I thought he was gonna pounce at the screen.
I'm naturally a night owl, but my job has me going in at 5-6 AM so I'm being forced into afternoons at the moment
I'm a night owl but I love this experiment so much I'll try being an early bird. 😏😏😏
Bahaha DEAL. Let me know how it goes!!
Loving this! I’m a 5AM writer because if I write at night I would never get to bed and be forced to call in sick the next day 😂
Great video as always Kate. As someone who's been doing this longer than me can you recommend a place to find someone to talk to about a plot I'm struggling with and can't find my way through? Thanks
I sugest picking up library books on plot.
- How to Write A Novel And Get It Published by Nigel Watts talks about the 8 point story structure.
- Save The Cat Writes A Novel by Jessica Broody has a 3 act 15 beat structure.
These are the two man books I wouod sugest on structure they are very different but you will find a structure that works for you.
I also sugest you look up videos on plot structure. You can literally just search plot structure and videos will pop up with peoples favorite plots and how they use them.
@@herothebard Thank you for this. These are great suggestions. I have my plot and I know where I want to end up, I'm just struggling to find a path to get my main character there. Will these books help with that?
Nice. Rainy weather is good writing weather. lol
As soon as I saw the title of this video, all I could think was- "Oh, oh dear."
Being in the army years ago cured me of my night owl ways. I'm an up-before-dawn person now.
I'm a night owl. Mostly because I loathe mornings and rush to get ready for the day job and the kids to school. I've started writing at early as 7pm and as late as 10pm. I try to stop writing by midnight or 1am. Otherwise I'm worthless at work the next day.
Where did you find ghost 👻 lights?
for anyone who needs it: there are flickering lights between 4:15 and 4:25!!
Oop, thank you!!! Next time I'll be sure to put a warning or edit them out!
I usually start writing at 9pm and then end up done by midnight!!!
Stick with what works best for you. I would love to not be a night owl. Lol
I love how writing early or late gives us this false impression that we're out-working the world even though a ton of people have similar routines. 😆
the bottle will be good for little sweets like m&ms, maybe...
Sorry if I missed this, but is Vin named after Vin from Mistborn?? If so, that's awesome!
YES!! :)
Total night 🦉🌙 , altho I’m most energetic/creative in the evening (post 2-4 pm energy slump most people get). Altho I can easily stay up till 2 am (my limit), I’m not super productive much beyond about 11 pm. Interesting that research shows night owls tend to be the more creative personalities. 😆
I decided to work on my short story this evening. I’m usually a morning person but I can work on fictional stories in the evenings at times. I don’t think I could write at night though cos my brain just doesn’t work late at night 😅
I am a night owl naturally but no energy after work has me trying to get up early before work so I can work on my projects.
I´m generally a night owl, but my best writing is in the "morning" (9-11am)
Lol I am definitely a night writer. I cannot be a morning person. I've tried...my stomach hates it.
Hey, the duration of the video is literally 2020... 😅😅😅
Writing at night? hahahaha no