The Luna Writer

I used to think I could thrive in the day but I found out I'm a blind bat of a writer.

Gosh! I can't cope with the sun.

And trust me, I'm not alone.

We are many (legions).

We are the darkwalkers.

We thrive when it's dark.

It would be best if you saw what we spin when the sky gets darker.

The darker it gets, the more we flow like unstoppable rivers.

Okay okay...this newsletter was not meant to be a dark thriller. ???

Welcome once again to the Writer Psyche Newsletter.

Today, I will introduce a different type of writer whom you might be familiar with.

I call this writer the Luna Writer (in my opinion, the craziest of writers, the god of deadlines, and the member of the fellowship of Lunamons). ??

Let's ask Google if they know more about this person.

So let's see if Google has anything to say about Luna writers.

Prompt one: Luna writer

Answer: Just a bunch of names and people claiming to be named Luna Writers.

Okay let's try with this

Prompt two: Night writers, deadline writer characteristics

Answer:

Janna G. Noelle also gives great insight about the Luna Writer.

Although she says a lot about the Luna/Night writer, let me get to my point.

I'm a proud night writer.

Yeah, sometimes I have to work during the day because of my crazy schedule but…still, it works for me more at night.?

Why the name Luna?

Luna means moon and the moon comes out at night just like my writing skill. Trust me, it's 12.51am and I'm typing this.

I'll probably delete some things by morning but let's touch the points regardless.

Just like werewolves start acting out once it's night, my writing skill acts the same.

I'm never active or able to put down words but once the clock hits 5pm, I suddenly get a jolt and you see me all over the place completing activities like I had a naked wire awakening.

Yeah, I'm not sure that's how it works for you but if you do better work once it's night or when it's still very dark in the morning then you're welcome to the Luna club.

But why is this so?

Is there a psychological background to it?

Reminder: This is the Writer's psyche, we talk about the psychology of the writer.

1. On Quora, https://www.quora.com/Why-are-some-people-more-active-during-the-night-and-do-not-like-waking-up-early-in-the-morning-Is-this-aspect-or-characteristic-related-to-the-way-their-brain-functions-or-is-just-a-preferred-habit

One answer states that genetics affect some people and some parts of their brains are wired to function that way.

So when it's day time, their body says it's sleep time and when it's night time, the body says now it's time to be your best at being human.

And just like owls, their brain seems to function better at night. No wonder there's the name, night owl.

2. The-Scientist says morning people carry higher gene variants while night owls have fewer gene variants.

3. Also, some people prefer to work at night because of the calmness that comes with it.

• If you have a baby, that's when they sleep.
• If you live with family, there'll be no one to bug you at night.
• Your neighbor won't be roaming around.
• And all music will be mute except you have crazy partying neighbours.

The nighttime brings a calm that makes your mind explore without distraction.

That's why many people want to write at night.

Why are writers sometimes advised not to write at night?

As much as writing at night is cool and helps you explore a cool atmosphere, some people still believe it could pass for a personal bad habit as it can hinder you day to day life.

In what way? You might ask.

Imagine trying to write at night and you can’t just seem to stay awake and you end up writing what you might delete.

Also, when you don’t get enough sleep at night, it hinders your ability to stay awake and alert during the day. NIH (News in Health) says, that sleeping helps your performance improve.

A research by the Imperial College in London noted that the regular person is supposed to observe 7 to 9 hours of sleep daily so their brain can function well.

Best practice

Regardless of it, the night time is still a good time.

It’s serene.

And the imperial college of London even admits in their study result that those who are night owls scored higher on tests than those who go to bed and start their day early.

But how do you balance it?

• If you want to work at night and have good outcome, make sure to take a little nap during the day.

Like I said earlier, you need to understand how your body has been programmed and adjust its workings.?

Manage your time well.

Answer these questions and you’ll know the next steps to take.

How well into the night do you want to stay awake?

And can you take a little nap during the day to recover?

Do you work better at night and what jobs do you have during the day?

Who wins, the day writer or the Luna writer?

Janna says,

Other reasons why you are a Luna writer

1. Procrastination

Don’t be like Jane

Here’s what I found out she’s been doing.?

• Procrastinates all day and when when she notices that it’s getting late, she starts rushing and gains a superpower.

I call it the DEADLINE POWER. She can churn a lot of content in a short amount of time but she knows… She knows the quality is not what it should be.?

Now one question: Are you an authentic groovy Luna writer? Or just another procrastinator?

The solution

How do you stop being this person?

Learn to do the things you don’t want to do when you are supposed to do them.?

Here are some things I learnt from my mentor.

• Get a notebook (real notebook not phone note book) as soon as you wake up.
• Write down all the tasks for the day, including chores, if you’re going to be stepping out etc.
• Map out the priorities and try to finish them, it’s fine if you don’t but make sure you do the majority of the work.
• Avoid distractions. You can do your fun stuff by the end of the day.
• Avoid doing so many things at once.?

2. You mostly work at night and so your body tends to shut down during the day

One major reason why people are more energetic at night is that they stay awake every night.

Hence, their body has been conditioned to the NIGHT OWL WAY.

They can stay awake during the day but work better at night because they have conditioned their body system to be so.

Conditioning occurs when you repeat a behaviour and there’s a reward (reinforcement).?

You stayed up to finish a project.

Reward: you watched a movie and ate a late night snack with the feeling of victory about completing that project.

This repeats itself over time and now you find that you enjoy working more at night than during the day. Oh and it’s quiet too but it’s now affecting how you write during the day.?

How do you resolve this if you want to start being active during the day?

• Reduce the time you spend at night.
• Try to be more active by the day.
• It will prove difficult but it is something you can do even though you are literally changing how your body works.?

We reached this point!

Question: Would you like to try out working more during the day or you’ll just stick to your nightly routine?

I’d say, choose that which makes you more productive.

If daytime will work today, why not? If it’s night, then SHOOT.

Stop making up excuses, just WRITE?

Night writers are not lazy people, they are just people who find solace and quiet at that time and people for whom that is the time the world avails them.

But if you have time during the day, you should definitely finish up that writing and catch some sleep!

Thanks for reading once again.

See you on the next newsletter. ????

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This could and may not become a podcast. Who knows? We love writers in this space.