Thursday, May 15, 2008

From morning person to night-time writer

As a Christian, I believe that God orchestrates every event in my life and therefore nothing happens by chance. Nothing about me surprises God. But I surprise myself.

I have always maintained that I am the quintessential "morning person." In my former life as a customer service rep. I used to say that I would prefer to go to the office, hours earlier than to stay back after closing time. In fact, being able to go to the office two hours before it's official opening was what kept me sane during those years of a torturous commute and boring "sit-and-wait-for-customers-to-come-in-and-sell-them-something" work.

After twenty months of living the life of a fulltime freelance writer, I have moved into the realm of the night-time writer, and I don't know how it happened. I have said here before, that every time I settle into a comfortable writing routine, things change.

Most times one incident: a phone call, a visit, an unscheduled trip to the mall or any one of the normal life events, is the spoke that jolts my writing wheels. Initially, I don't view the interruption as a major set back with long range consequences. Yet, it is only after a few days have passed and writing is more of a chore than a choice, more of a pain that a passion, that I realize an interruption days before put me out of sync with my daily rhythm. This time though, there was no jarring realization that my usual routine was out of whack. It seems that I had slipped effortlessly into being an "night person."

This "writing in the evening" thing though, is quite the surprise. I'm just glad that it is an enjoyable and productive one at that. I've been writing up a storm. It's a new rhythm and the sound is smooth, effortless, and deeply inspiring. I never knew that I could do so much writing after dark. I am stock piling articles for my column and posting to my blogs more often than before. I 'm taking the time to post my work on content sites and tooting my own horn to boot. Imagine that! Maybe I am really a writer after all.

You know, I've been trying for months, maybe more than a year to control my night-time TV addiction, to no avail. I couldn't write at night; Law and Order or some intriguing Lifetime movie always beckoned. Yet, without warning or reason, I really don't give a hoot about what is going on in TV land when the sun goes down.

Last night, as I sat at my computer writing up a storm, my husband inquired when I would be coming to bed.

"It's after eleven, I didn't know it was so late. I don't know." And with that I continued churning out words until after 1.00 am. Still not sleepy, I decided to call it a night and disappeared under the covers. In the stillness of the first hour, ideas continued to rumble around in my head and dutifully, I reached for my notebook on the bedside table and recorded them.

Even while scribbling my disparaged thoughts I wondered if this was really me, ablaze with ideas at this hour with not a hint of sleep in sight. How did I just slide into this once unimagined night-time writing?

I'm not complaining. I believe that God is taking me somewhere with this. Of course I have no idea where. He alone knows and that means everything is as it should be, everything is moving along just as He planned. In His time, His perfect time, He will show me where and maybe even why.

Until then, I write.

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