Writing Hint #23: Take a Nap
I am gradually changing the way I write. Over the last six months or so I am waking up quite early each morning. When I was teaching full time during the day and writing in the evening I struggled to arise in time for the start of the school day. By the time I arrived home my creative juices had often been drained completely by the demands of the day. The tank was empty. There was little, if any, left for writing.
Now that I am writing more or less full time there has been a transformation in my working day. Many days I am so eager to get on with my writing that I start in my PJs, sometimes neglecting even to shave and shower until well into the morning. (Oh, the joys of working at home).
There is, however, a payback time. By mid-afternoon the eyelids are getting droopy and the concentration levels plummet dangerously. Time for a “Grandpa nap” I often say jokingly. I can easily go to sleep in my favourite chair – sometimes within a minute – and sleep for about twenty minutes. I am then as fresh as in the morning and can get on with more writing or other tasks.
Backed up by research
What I didn’t realise is that my work pattern is supported by recent research.
A nap a day will keep lost productivity at bay, says the author of a new book, who says sleeping can change your life.
Research on the benefits of napping should serve as a wake-up call for employers as the drain on businesses is staggering, says Harvard-trained research scientist Sara Mednick.
Goodness – she didn’t have to do the research. I could have told her the facts. It is a habit I inherited from my father and two older brothers, all believers in the short nap. Intermittently over the years I have done this too, but not on a regular, consistent basis. I’ve even been known to have a nap in a noisy staff room, or under my desk in my classroom at lunch time.
Sleep deprivation can also lead to a whole host of health problems such as increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, decreased libido and obesity, said Mednick, author of the book “Take a Nap! Change your life.”
“What I found with napping research is actually that naps can actually help solve a lot of these problems,” she said.
I think I’ll just go and have a short nap.
To read the whole article click here.
Movies about writers: Moulin Rouge
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A movie I very much enjoy watching is Moulin Rouge starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. It is lively, fast moving, entertaining with uplifting and inspirational music.
Ewan McGregor plays the part of Christian, a penniless starving writer who desires to write about love. There is just one problem; he’s never been in love. He moves to the Moulin Rouge in Paris and begins to write his great love story, tapping out the words on an old typewriter while living alone in the classical writer’s garret.
He meets Satine, played by Nicole Kidman and instantly falls in love, not knowing she is a courtesan. Of course there are many complications but I won’t bore you here with them; see the movie or read an outline of the plot here. (It doesn’t give the ending).
Not only is it an entertaining movie but it also gives some insights into the writing process. It is hard, lonely and often difficult to become established as a writer. Set in an era when sponsorship of writers was the norm it highlights the struggles of a young, enthusiastic but inexperienced author.