It's the first day of Autumn. This marks the start of many things: colder days, shorter days, longer nights, dying trees, falling leaves and long sleeves. Winter gets a bad rap which is a shame because it seems as if there aren't a lot of guys out there that like the cold compared to the warm. Understandable, but annoying. For me, no time is better than sunsets forwarding into nighttime. And when it comes to writing time, nightfall is about the best time there is for it and when the world is quiet for a while, you'd be surprised how it helps. Well, it helps me, some of you may be early birds, but that's OK. Also, no time is better than nighttime for sweet, sweet music to help ease out the darkness you're writing about.
Under Starlight
I love music. Almost as much as I love books, but quite often I can't write fiction with music on. For some reason I can write blogs with the soundtrack of my new favourite album through my headphones, but with fiction I need either instrumentals or silence. With the lyrics of songs I find it hard to concentrate and lose threads of conversations and snatches of speech disappear which is frustrating. Most times I can't get them back. Blogs though, no problems at all, not quite sure why. There are also loads of bands I've found that work best for me at night even if I'm just listening to them while playing Minecraft or something. Bands like 'Daughter', 'The XX', 'AA Bondy' and 'Lucinda Williams' are fantastic nightly tunes. Nighttime is all atmosphere anyway, especially where I live. I love seeing the lights of the many houses nearby blazing through their windows and burning streetlights flanking the cal-de-sac road and beyond. I love writing about the night and reading books with night scenes and when you add all that up, nothing beats it. Some of my favourite books were discovered through night reading like 'Looking for Alaska', 'Paper Towns' and 'Bright Lights, Big City' and my favourite ever film, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' is best watched after hours.
I don't write in the night as much as I should. On normal days, my writing's done in the mornings and afternoons and nighttime is gaming and reading time. Both of which are better at night. I love games, but I always feel a little guilty booting up the Xbox before 5pm or so because I know I should be working instead. Once the sun's dead, the Xbox is on and I'll lose a few hours doing whatever it is I'm doing whether it's building my castle on 'Minecraft' or criminal shenanigans on 'Grand Theft Auto V'. After that, it's reading time and again, I'll lose a few hours reading under moonlight. I've always been better working after hours too, even for college and uni. It's quieter, I know there's not much else I can do then so I can concentrate on the more important things. I should try to write more at night, but I'm grounded in routine and right now, mornings and afternoons are writing time. Still, with Project Ghost on the rise next week, I may change up my writing habits a bit. That book will take place through a lot winter nights anyway and winter nights are fast approaching. It's the way of the story.
I don't write in the night as much as I should. On normal days, my writing's done in the mornings and afternoons and nighttime is gaming and reading time. Both of which are better at night. I love games, but I always feel a little guilty booting up the Xbox before 5pm or so because I know I should be working instead. Once the sun's dead, the Xbox is on and I'll lose a few hours doing whatever it is I'm doing whether it's building my castle on 'Minecraft' or criminal shenanigans on 'Grand Theft Auto V'. After that, it's reading time and again, I'll lose a few hours reading under moonlight. I've always been better working after hours too, even for college and uni. It's quieter, I know there's not much else I can do then so I can concentrate on the more important things. I should try to write more at night, but I'm grounded in routine and right now, mornings and afternoons are writing time. Still, with Project Ghost on the rise next week, I may change up my writing habits a bit. That book will take place through a lot winter nights anyway and winter nights are fast approaching. It's the way of the story.
The Cradle of our Mind
Nighttime also helps me to think as well, mainly because I know at around midnight, I'm one of the few awake. Well, I can't prove that, but it often feels like it. But, there's also a downside to that. Because it's so quiet, it means that you think a little too much and then all the regrets you may have (I know I've got more regrets than successes) all come back and then suddenly, it's as if everything has forgotten you. That's why I like to keep busy too. I always want to be doing stuff, even through the night. Almost every night I'm thinking about stuff when trying to sleep, usually writing stuff and sometimes I'll get a great line or idea and if I don't write them down, they'll disappear more often than not. If I remember them come morning, I know its something special. If ideas stick around, you should do something about them. Ideas come around all of the time and good ideas come around every once in a while. Great ideas? A rare breed. And world beaters? I have no idea. I hope you like the night as much as I do, and the winter. If not, do what you always do to get through the cold months. I know some people struggle with the winter for many reasons and I wish more of us liked it, but until that day comes around or never does, I'll carry on loving it and holding on to the last days when spring appears. This is the best time of year and nobody can take that away.
Songs of the Week:
Songs of the Week:
- 'Gimme Something Good' Ryan Adams
- 'Trouble' by Ryan Adams
- 'Tired of Giving Up' by Ryan Adams
- 'Feels Like Fire' by Ryan Adams
- 'Come On' by Lucinda Williams
- 'Are You Alright?' by Lucinda Williams
- 'Where I Find My Heaven' by Gigolo Aunts
- 'Discover Me Like Emptiness' by In Flames
- 'Rusted Nail' by In Flames
- 'Survive' by Rise Against