Writing Like a Morning Person
From the pillow to the coffee pot to the notebook.
WHAT’S GOING ON
Write Like a Morning Person · drop in on my morning routine this Mon, Jan 20, 5:30-10am EST · join the session by becoming a paid newsletter subscriber
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If you’ve been impacted by the Los Angeles fires—directly, indirectly, physically, emotionally—and would like to attend either of the above writing groups, reply to this email and I will send you the Zoom link free of charge.
I would love to offer these spaces to you amid this time of collective grief. 🤍
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I WASN’T ALWAYS A MORNING PERSON
Aside from the promise of coffee, the thing that made me start getting out of bed with nary a frown or groan was my sunrise alarm clock. Turned out, the only reason I’d been setting 19 alarms and snoozing all of them for years was because the room was dark when I woke up.
And speaking of coffee, I’ve always been a firm believer in programming the coffee pot the night before.
OTHER EARLY MORNING WRITING SUPPLIES
the world’s largest cup of ice water
a Pilot G2-07
a gigantic notebook
a lit candle
noise-canceling headphones
my favorite writing playlist (below) at the lowest possible volume
I still look at my phone first thing in the morning, though that’s not something I’m trying to change.
One thing I have changed is not sitting down with my phone in the morning. I check my emails and texts while I’m walking to the kitchen for my coffee, and then I leave the phone on the counter before making my way to my desk.
Then, a few minutes after waking up, I write my morning pages.
THE PRACTICE OF MORNING PAGES
For the uninitiated and/or unaware, the concept of morning pages comes from The Artist’s Way, a creative program that prescribes three handwritten pages a day.
Author Julia Cameron urges her reader to write first thing in the morning: something about Jungian psychology and the ego’s drowziness in those first 45 minutes of the day, before the rest of life creeps in.
I’ve worked through The Artist’s Way before, but I when I did, fully ignored the part about writing the morning pages moments after waking up. One thing you need to know about me: I’m big into taking what works and leaving the rest. I’d sit down with my phone before writing a page or two, rarely ever reaching a total of three.
But in December, I committed to early AM journaling. I started waking up at 5:30. I started getting right into my journal. And in those pages, I made some of the most aligned decisions I’d made all year.
I decided to leave social media.
I decided to retire my book club.
I decided to initiate a year-long spending ban on certain things. Clothes. Shoes. Physical gifts. Candles and notebooks, unless I run out. The list goes on, and this habit change is already padding my savings for home repairs and travel.
Could I have come to these decisions if I’d journaled about them at any other point in the day that wasn’t 5:30AM? Certainly. But with my defenses low in the early morning, I noticed that I came to these decisions more rapidly and easily, making a plan to carry them out with a stronger sense of commitment. I’ve executed these choices with joy and certainty, without dread or waffling.
On Wednesday, I archived my Instagram posts, said goodbye, logged out, deleted the app, and rejoiced. I moved my Goodreads data to a private StoryGraph account. I deactivated my Twitter account. I’m leaving social media to protect my mental health and build back my attention span. I’m taking what works and leaving the rest.
My morning writing practice clears a channel for the day ahead, and then it clears it all over again the next day. I’ve been moving through life more buoyantly, all thanks to the magic of putting words on paper.
THINGS I WRITE ABOUT IN MY MORNING PAGES
wishes & dreams
wounds & sorrows
my novel-in-progress
brave things I want to do
the container of the day ahead
the morning sky is the limit
where black blooms purple
and purple unfurls orange
🌞
LET’S WRITE TOGETHER
Maybe you’re wondering what early morning writing might do for you. If so, I hope you’ll consider joining me this Monday, January 20 for Write Like a Morning Person, a morning-long virtual writing retreat.
SCHEDULE FOR MONDAY MORNING
5:30-6:45AM EST · GUIDED MORNING PAGES · We’ll begin our day with some journaling. Prompts will be provided, or you may freewrite to your heart’s content.
6:45-7:00AM EST · MEDITATION READING · I’ll read a passage from one of my favorite creativity books, and we’ll take some time to integrate it, setting the tone for the rest of our morning of writing.
7:00-8:00AM EST · EAT YOUR BREAKFAST & WALK YOUR DOG · Or do whatever else it is you need to do before continuing on to our next block of writing. Miss Susan is typically at my side right at 7, ready for our walk to the end of the street and back as my stomach howls for oatmeal.
8:00-9:45AM EST · NITTY GRITTY WRITING TIME · Return to your computer and dive into your writing project for one luscious chunk of time. I’ll be working on my novel.
9:45-10:00AM EST · SHARING & SIGNING OFF · Connect with your fellow morning people in a sharing session. We’ll celebrate our accomplishments before signing off for the rest of the holiday.
HOW TO ATTEND
Write Like a Morning Person is for paid subscribers of Lonely Victories. If you’re not a paid subscriber yet, you can sign up for $5/month, or save 17% and subscribe for the year. Upgrade your subscription by clicking below, and cancel anytime.
If you’re already a paid subscriber, no sign up is required for this morning writing session. You’ll find the Zoom link below the today’s paywall.
WANT TO COME FOR PART OF THE MORNING?
Drop in anytime on the 20th. Mics will be muted upon entry, so you won’t disrupt us by arriving late or leaving early. Hope to see you there!
BELOW TODAY'S PAYWALL
$30 off your first submission through my Deadline Darlings feedback program.
$5 off New Year Writing Nights: weekly accountability, fellowship, and virtual pats on the back, every Wednesday night through mid-March.
Details for Write Like a Morning Person. We’ll meet this Monday, January 20.
🌻 A portion of the proceeds of this newsletter benefit Florida Access Network, funding abortion care here in the Sunshine State.Thank you for being here. I hope you find some time this week to fill a few of the blank pages of your notebook. Take good care of you, dear one. 🤸♀️