First thoughts on Waking

…Doesn’t that sound like a great literary treatise? In actuality, not so much.

Blog request number three:     Michelle Brooks: My creative monkeys* want to hear about what you think about when you first wake up in the morning and/or what you think about as you drift off to sleep at night.

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Since my muse insists on flitting around like a dervish today, I’m having a hard time focusing on the edits I need to do. And I thought, given my state of mind, it might be easier to tackle Michelle’s somewhat difficult query. I seriously doubt the answer will be as earth shaking or pithy as she might imagine but I’m willing to give it a try.

That said, you must understand that the periods of day she suggested are probably the most nebulous of the 24-hour cycle. Well, I suppose the actual dreams I have maybe more questionable.

Interestingly, a lot of my writing and pre-writing can happen during those “real” times. I say real because for me those of the times of day (especially early morning) when I am most unguarded and authentic. I am vulnerable and open to the universe.

I think my first awareness is usually that I am “aware” of my surroundings. Even before I move or open my eyes, I sort of calibrate. I do a scan of sorts. Am I a comfortable? Is it too hot or too cold? Is there a dog near me [there should be one or two]? Does anything hurt? Do I have to pee? Once the questions are answered, I slip back a notch mentally into that in between state and allow my mind to wander.

Some days there are actually tasks I need to plan, which I do and then work backwards to see how much time I need. I don’t like those days so much.

The best times are when I am, let’s call it—In Project. If I’m working on a new story, this is the time I can mentally drift back into the scene I’m working on and watch it play out. It’s a little bit like remembering a TV show you watched before bed. Only I direct this one. At the end of the day, I try to quit writing in the middle of an important scene. It makes it easier to pick up the action. The scene plays out while I casually observe. (Remember, I’m not fully awake, I’m sort of drowsing or floating. I wouldn’t be able to figure out a math problem, for example.)

This may last ½ hour or more while I play out different scenarios and “what-if” the next scene or two. By that time, the adrenaline has started to flow and I want to get to writing.

However, If I’m doing revisions for edits… I think of other things  to forestall the time before I have to sit down at my desk and start work.

A Real place I dream,Belize

Now, it’s not always about writing. Sometimes, I just curl up and daydream about vacation, plans for the weekend, or any other flight of ideas until a drift off again.

 

Part Two.Last thoughts before sleeping.

This is much less creative, because I’ve generally been “in the day/world” for so many hours. Most nights, I’m exhausted by the time I close everything up and walk the dogs. My ritual is to get comfortable and review a list of things for which I’m grateful and drift into the arms of Morpheus. Often that requires some mantra-repetition—like the Serenity Prayer. And sometimes I have to repeat it ad nauseum, until my mind settles. Some nights I don’t get through one without nodding off.

As if…

That is not usually time for my imagination to fly. On occasion, I’ve read or seen something that is still ruminating. On rarer occasions, especially when I’m working on a new project, I’ll review a problematical scene just before I go to sleep, with the hope it will sort itself out. And it often does.

That was certainly elucidating! Perhaps you’ve nodded off by now too. If that were the case, I would highly recommend reading this Blog before bed. Sorry I couldn’t fill it with some Erotic adventures. Hmm, but maybe that would be a good idea for next time.

Thanks for the question…

* creative monkeys   Now This subject ( I call them Sock Monkeys and anyone who knows me, knows the Evil that are “them”), I could do a week’s worth of blogs on. Maybe that will be next.