25 Feb The joys of sleeplessness…
I have a little baby who, bless her, doesn’t sleep much night or day. However….I have increasingly found that this affects my writing, not in a bad way, but in a good way! Here are some of my observations:
- The middle of the night is obviously a good time for inspiration for me. I don’t look for it, but it finds me. Perhaps this is because of the stillness (despite the baby voicing her opinions!)
- Being woken up sharply in the middle of a dream means it stays in my mind for longer. That strange, otherworldliness of dreams is a fantastic source of inspiration
- I think the state of chronic sleep deprivation detaches you somewhat from reality. So naturally, I drift instead into the world of my imagination and I’m making good friends with some of the characters patiently lurking there!
- Baby hears about my picture books and I speak them aloud to her before pen even touches the paper. She has a favourite…and even if it doesn’t make it to publication, it will special for us both.
There are many more advantages but suffice to say, I will try not to complain about another sleepless night. After all, because of them, magical and marvellous things are happening.