Writing When You’re Tired

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James Scott Bell

Man, I’m tired. 

I’m sitting in one of my branch offices. It has a round green sign outside and serves coffee all day and into the night. Of course, you have to pay for the coffee, but since the rent is otherwise reasonable I don’t complain.
I’m tired because I didn’t get enough sleep last night. I woke up at three, wide awake, knew I wouldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up and watched Mike & Mike for awhile, did a little email, tried to get back to sleep, didn’t.
So I’m here with cement bags behind my eyes, chugging dark roast, trying to figure out how to work on my WIP when my brain is lazing in a hammock with its hat over its eyes.
Here’s what I’m going to try.
1. Work on Paper
I like writing out notes and mind maps and doodles and ideas on paper. I carry legal pads in my backpack for this purpose. So I’ll do some of that. It doesn’t require that I think about style or word choices. I can mess around.
2. I’ll Write a Short Burst
I’ll think up an emotional moment in my WIP and write in a white-hot lather for as long as I can. It might be two minutes, it might be ten, but I’ll just knock off when my brain shuts down.
3. I’ll Stare
I believe in creative staring. This is why, when I’m sitting in a chair at home, looking out the window, and my wife asks me what I’m doing, I can say without qualm or hesitation, “I’m working.”
Here at Starbys, I stare out at the parking lot, or the outside seating area, looking at people, sometimes finding a character . . .or just letting the boys in the basement play around and send up images. If something occurs I like I write it down.
4. I’ll Read Something
When in doubt, whip out the Kindle and read something. When I’m this tired, and I read, I tend to nod off. I was reading once in a soft Starbucks chair and my head went down, down . . .and when I opened my eyes there was a handwritten note on top of my open Kindle that said WAKE UP. To this day I don’t know who left it.
When I’m at home, a nice power nap does wonders. But I try to avoid narcolepsy in public places.
5. I’ll Eavesdrop
I get some pretty funny dialogue exchanges this way. The names are changed to protect the innocent. I once heard a couple of guys arguing, and one guy asked the other if something-or-other was “logical.” The other guy gesticulated and said, “It’s so logical it’s ridiculous!”
6. I’ll Write Another Burst
I’ll try to write another burst, because getting words down is my number one priority. Write till the brain shuts down again.
7. I’ll Refill My Coffee
No explanation necessary. If you are not a coffee person (unlike me), then there are plenty of other things that you can consider using to help you wake up such as Modafinil. If this is something that you are interestedf in finding out more about then you can check out a website like https://imodafinil.com. No matter what you decide to take though, all that matters is that it wakes you up. Somehow.
There, I’ve just written about 500 words. I’m going to stop now because I’m fading . . . fading . . .
I’m back. Hey, who left this note?
What do you do when you’re tired and you have to write? 

36 thoughts on “Writing When You’re Tired”

  1. Hey Jim,
    Love the branch office comment. I’m using that one. 🙂 My hubby walked by the computer and looked over my shoulder. “Jim looks a lot younger in that picture.” Ha!

    Let’s see. I’m feeling pretty tired myself but I’m going to bed. When I’m super tired and have to write I get the Alpha Smart out knowing that I can close my eyes and write while sitting in a comfy chair or on the couch and sometimes the next day it’s not half bad. I’ve also written scenes where the character is really tired. I think we can call that getting into character, right? 🙂 Make it unimportant and hope for the best.

  2. I am presently in a cycle of chronic tired writerosity. A few weeks ago I started a 13-week contract with Audible, knocking out about a dozen audiobooks over that time. So after the 8-hour day job followed by 4-5 hours recording I attempt to write a few paragraphs of my WIP from the final hour before bed. By the time I sit to write, I am lucky to get a couple hundred words on the page that make any sense. Often I just sit there letting the story brew in my mind and hope I can get a couple minutes during the day job to peck it out on the keyboard between customers.

    Until today I had commitments every Saturday as well so there was no catching up on rest at the weekend. Now that the final weekend commitment is over I might be able to start catching up on rest and writing.

    By the way, today’s Saturday gig was worth the exhaustion. Spent the day at the Alaska Young Writer’s Conference teaching teens a session on how audiobooks are made and two sessions on writing action scenes (the handout, samples and writing challenge / exercise are posted on my blog if any of you would like to pop over and offer input). It was a blast.

  3. I’m bone-tired from a whirl-wind finish, edit, and submission of my latest novel. I’m sitting here staring into the blank space that lingers between stories – looking ahead to the next, staring over my shoulder at the work I completed…

    I check into The Kill Zone for inspiration.
    I smile when I read your post. It’s nice to know I’m not alone.

  4. Must be my age, but I’m *always* tired. Powered by coffee, I start writing in the morning and work until the stupid hits me square in the forehead, then I lay down for 10 to 60 minutes, get up and do it again. It’s one of the few times – no, it’s the only time – when I am glad I haven’t sold one of my novels yet. My deadlines are all self-imposed. Or I’m I rationalizing? I’ve always been able to find a silver lining.

  5. I do something else for fifteen minutes. No more, no less. It’s amazing how much clutter you can get rid of in a quarter-hour, or how much e-mail you can answer/trash, etc. The change of activity usually does it, so long as it doesn’t involve getting horizontal, as in “I’ll just nap for fifteen minutes.”

  7. Exercise, Coffee, and Sleep

    Thanks for the great tips.

    When I’m nodding off, I do some physical work or exercise. I try to avoid coffee after mid afternoon, so it doesn’t interfere with my next night’s sleep. I exercise each evening (while watching TV) and try to finish at least two hours before bedtime, so I can fall asleep easily. And when all else fails, I “stare” with my eyes closed, and tell the boys in the basement to take over while I take a short “break.”

  8. As a mother of a 19 month old I am well acquainted with methods of getting work done while bone-tired. Luckily he’s sleeping through the night on a regular basis, so it’s getting better.

    The biggest thing for me is to adjust my expectations. I can normally pound out 2K during nap time, but I have to realize that if I’m so tired it’s taking effort to keep my eyes open, that’s probably not happening. Depending on how tired I am, I usually lower my goal to 1K or even 500 words.

    I remind myself that some words are better than nothing.

    I am also a fan of the 15 minute power nap. I have a hard time actually sleeping other than when it’s bed time, so laying down and shutting off my brain for 15 minutes is rejuvenating without the danger of falling asleep for those two hours..

    I love your idea of using paper. That’s a great way to get some work done, but for some reason it’s less draining that firing up the computer.

    • Thanks, Elizabeth. An alternative nap technique I learned from someone is to lie on your back on the floor, with your feet up on a chair. Then relax and deep breathe for 10 to 15 minutes. Even if you don’t sleep, it rejuvenates you. Blood to the brain and all that. I works.

  9. I experienced an intense rewrite of my second novel during the week (and before it and after it) my debut novel was released, this past August. I cut out of those weeks everything non essential to staying alive, getting the work done, and promoting the debut. There were days at a time that I didn’t leave the house (no branch offices for me). I got up around 4am every day for about five weeks straight. I’m not a napper. If I try I wind up feeling like a zombie for the rest of the day. But I will lie down on the floor for a bit (nowhere so comfy I might drift off), do some stretches, or ride the stationary bike for twenty minutes, or play with the dog. Or I might read a passage in a favorite book. That usually gets me fired up again to write.

  10. Think CUCUMBERS. When I’m tired, I feel it most in my eyes. A thin slice of cold cucumber on each closed eye for a few resting minutes should work wonders. If not, you’ve got the start of a salad. It’s all good.

  11. Replay in your mind that scene from Doctor Zhivago where he has to blow on his fingers to get them warm enough to write a poem.

  12. Chocolate does it for me. If I’m having trouble keeping my eyes open, I’ll grab a Diet Coke and a handful of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies. Guaranteed pick-me-up.

    • I’m talking about writer recovery in my November Well Writer column in the Christian Fiction Online Magazine. And didn’t I go and forget to include Diet Coke and Thin Mints! Sorry about that. 🙂

    • Please reconsider the Diet Coke It is poisonous, as it contains aspartame, a product made from the excrement of bacteria. (I am not making this up.) If you are drinking it for weight control, also reconsider, as research indicates it actually causes weight gain due to its effect on the metabolism.(I am not making this up, either)
      Apart from worrying about your diet drink consumption, I enjoyed your post. Thanks.

  14. I don’t have kids but I’m thinking that writing a book is like having a newborn. In the early going, you get no sleep and you worry yourself to death that you will screw it up. Then, time passes, you get some sleep and your baby one day gets up off the floor and starts walking. Then all you have to do is follow it around with a pen and take notes.

    My WIP is not yet sleeping through the night — neither am I — but we’re getting there.

  20. 3. I’ll Stare

    When I do this, I start to pick at the dried-up, loose skin on my lip. It’s part of my OCD. Then my husband will say, “What are you thinking about?”

    Panic

    “Nothing”

    “You’re deep in thought. I can tell, because you’re picking your lip.”

    GRRRR, I start writing.

  21. As I discovered in Germany last week, I can’t. Jetlag is tough on creativity. However, the 9 hour plane ride home, when my body finally caught up, resulting in some great brainstorming over a new beat sheet (I’m digging the Save the Cat sheet these days). A long plane ride never went so fast!

  22. For future reference, light roast packs a bigger caffeine punch. Maybe enough for an extra paragraph or two!

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