My Reasons for Writing at 9 PM Every Day
Reason #2: I have lower inhibitions
True writers write every day. They hone their language, tweak their sentences, and critique their ideas. They experiment.
As a student, it’s hard to maintain a writing habit. I can only write after school hours, after finishing my homework, and after all my extracurricular commitments.
Still, this is nothing compared to some full-time workers. In some ways, I still have it “easy.”
Writing at night may not be everyone’s preference, but it has its benefits. I would keep writing at this time, even when I’m not forced to by my schedule.
Reason #1: It’s my only free time
When I started writing, nighttime was the only time I could sit down and write. Even though my classes technically ended in the afternoon, I couldn’t make headway on a piece five minutes at a time.
If you’re a fellow writer, you know what I mean. The writing process isn’t a switch, but instead more like a spigot for creativity. A switch immediately turns on and off, while a spigot takes time for the water to start flowing.
I can only make progress if I write for more than 15 minutes.
Writing in short bursts is like stopping before you’ve even started. You get the ideas flowing, but then you run out of time to put the pen down.
Why this matters:
If you’re a busy person, you have to understand that you can’t just arbitrarily sit down and write. You must designate substantial time to write.
Don’t treat writing like browsing social media. Take the time to respect writing, or your readers won’t respect you. Writing (or more specifically, blogging), isn’t a small feat. It takes a lot of time. And the success isn’t linear.
Writing is something you must dedicate either 100% or 0% effort towards; anything in between will only give you 0% of the success.
Take your time to go through the writing process — skipping steps is cheating yourself.
Reason #2: I have lower inhibitions
Writing at night also means more productivity. I can get more writing done in the same amount of time.
When I write in the mornings, I’m so aware that I nitpick every word and sentence. A paragraph can take me 5 minutes at night, but 15 minutes in the morning.
Although writing isn’t something to take lightly, being overly analytical on every word is also counter-intuitive. How can you expect to finish if you can’t make any progress?
At night, I can plow through 1000 words in a blink of an eye. This allows me to edit in the morning when I’m uber-aware and overly analytical. My workflow is great for me, but that doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.
Why this matters:
Pick a time where you reap the most benefits. Some people have better ideas in the morning and write the best then. Others enjoy the afternoon, writing comfortably while eating an afternoon snack.
I like to write at night. I find that I can get the most done when I’m not too critical.
You might like writing in the mornings or afternoons. You’ll never know unless you try. Take a week and experiment with different times, and you’ll discover when you’re the “best” writing.
Reason #3: I don’t forget
This is a reason that is integral to any new writer. The process of starting a writing habit is long. There will be setbacks, obstacles, and successes. I needed all the help I could get.
After reading James Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, I learned that having a designated schedule for something helps you stick to it. Our brains will subconsciously remind us at that time to do it, which prevents the common problem of forgetfulness.
After a long day, it’s likely that I could overlook my writing. I might not remember — or worse, I might disregard it.
Writing every night at 9 PM ensures that my brain finds the pattern. If I don’t stick to a strict schedule, it’s much easier to slack off and abandon this habit.
Why this matters:
You can’t build a habit if you aren’t consistent. Personally, I needed all the help I could get. That included a regular writing time.
When you’re not consistent in the setting where you do something, you won’t build a habit.
Use your brain’s pattern recognition to your advantage. If you write at the same time and place every day, you’re more likely to build that habit. Make sure that you’re leveraging every tool, especially when you have something hindering you (like a busy schedule).
In the end, the quality of your writing doesn’t hinge on when you write. If you want to be a good writer, all that matters is knowledge and experience.
But, building a habit makes it easier to get the necessary knowledge and experience. If you can write regularly, you’ll improve faster.
I write at 9 PM because it gives me the best results. There are unique benefits to every hour, so find what works for you. Experiment with every time, and see what yields the best results.
