Writer's Clock

Sleep experts say keep a routine. My brain says, “Here’s a scene idea at 3am, you’re welcome.”
“Writer’s Clock” is three short pieces about the daft things writers do to protect an idea: late, early, and when we should really be out for a walk.

Late Night
He watched the clock hit midnight, fine, okay. The tiredness wasn’t there yet. It would be. But not yet. His mind was on patrol. Sleeping was for ordinary minds.

Thoughts raced. Ideas drifted in and out. Words flew about like street litter in a storm. He didn’t flinch. Just kept tapping the keys, trying to let it out. Whatever it was. Tap, tap, tap.

He didn’t read back what he’d written. Not then. There’d be time for that. Right now it was discovery, the kind only the late‑night writers understand.

“Insomnia, eh? Fuck it,” he thought, and wrote on.

Right, that's the night. What about mornings?

Early Morning
He woke up, which was a lie. He opened his eyes instead of imagining he was asleep. He’d been awake for hours.

It was okay, though. He had a new scene for the novel in his head. Yeah, all there, a full scene. The beats, the dialogue, the whole lot.

Fuck it, he’d have to get up. Falling asleep would be lethal. The scene would drift off into the ether. No way was he letting that happen. Yeah, his eyes would be full of grit all day. But the scene? Worth it.

He got up, knees creaking, time to write.

I survived the night, got through the morning and then we get to lunchtime...

The Middle
Sunny outside, and lunchtime, so time for a walk. Yeah. But hang on, what’s that? An idea. He grabs a notebook. Jots it down. That’ll do. Walk now.

No. Fuck it, get that idea down in more detail. It’s good, but rough as hell. Yeah, do it. Walk later. He sighed, grabbed the notebook—

No. Laptop. The manuscript. Get it open. Get writing. The idea? It’s going to work. So he writes. Fingers flying, idea buzzing. It could be shite. But it’s not.

Then the guilt. He needs to move his arse.

Yeah, well, the words won’t wait, he mutters.

There you go, three Drabbles about an average writing day. I do sleep sometimes, not often, though.