I should always write in the mornings

Once again, I am reminded of the importance of writing first thing in the morning.

Could be that I simply lose my focus as the day goes on-- or maybe my brain gets tired-- but I sat here yesterday at 4:00 in the afternoon, realizing that I really had very little to contribute.

At the end of a day of "this, that and the other," the creative side of my brain amounted to little more than noise and mush.

What is your writing practice?

Although I am not exactly what most people would call a "morning person," there is little doubt that I do my best writing early in the day. By about 2-3 in the afternoon, I lack clarity.

According to writing consultant and creative writer Julia Cameron, we are typically at our "cleanest" (in terms of expression) before our heads start to fill up with the tasks of the day and the influences of all the stuff that is going on around us-- family, work, the news, life. And that holds true, regardless of whether we are early risers or night owls.

Of course, there are those who say they write their best late at night... but-- on further investigation-- it typically is true that this "best" doesn't set in until after a "wind down" from their day.