March 2022 SOLC–Day 3
A huge thank you to Two Writing Teachers for all that they do to create an amazing community of writers and a safe, welcoming space to write, learn, share and grow.
http://www.twowritingteachers.org
Ruth Ayres offers a weekly prompt for writers on her blog. This morning’s was especially timely for me: Write about a writing habit.
This morning I woke up one minute before my alarm went off. 4:37 am. Why it’s set for that exact time I can’t tell you. Except 4:30 sounds so early, and 4:45 is too late. I can’t remember when I started rising so much earlier, but I can tell you that my mornings fall into a pattern that enriches me.
This morning, like every morning, I stumble out of bed and grab my glasses and robe. Downstairs I turn on the coffee pot, pour my OJ/cranberry juice mixture, and feed the cats. Curious about whether we got any snow last night or not, I turn on the outside lights.
The scene has been transformed overnight, and it’s still snowing heavily. I hadn’t expected more than a dusting. The dried hydrangea blossoms, which should have been trimmed months ago, serve as mounting platforms for snow. The small garden lanterns wear tall top-hats and the birch tree is lined with a glistening white coat. I feel a momentary leap at the beauty and then a quick flutter of hope. Snow day? I don’t think so though. I quickly check the forecast and realize the snowfall should end within an hour or so. Thoughts of an extension to my relaxed morning fade away, and I slip back into my routine. Into my habit.
I sit down at the table where I write and look outside for a few more minutes. Feel gratitude swamp me for this view. For my home. I could linger here for a long while. Content to watch the snow fall past the outdoor lights, accumulate on the path…Content to do nothing but absorb it all…
Still, I haven’t written my SOLC post yet. I know I should probably go straight to the computer. Efficiency and all. But my hands automatically reach for my notebook. That’s my habit. That’s where I begin every morning. Some days it’s journaling, some days it’s story writing, some days it’s poetry, Most days it’s a mixture. But almost every day it happens. Page after page in my notebook. I strive for at least three pages, but honor whatever happens.
That’s my writing habit. An anchor in crazy times. The place where, as Ruth writes, words “wobble and bend” and “stack”. The place where I center myself before the day begins.
My gift to myself.
Nix the comfort zone 
What a beautiful morning routine. I, too, am up in these early morning hours. Happy writing!
Shine on,
Ruth
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Early morning hours are the best!
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Well, this explains why you can turn a phrase or write lines like: “The small garden lanterns wear tall top-hats and the birch tree is lined with a glistening white coat.” It’s not just a gift, it’s a daily practice. I do not get up at 4:37, and I am not sure people would like me much if I did, but I do think the start of your day sounds so right. Writing in the evening is a much tougher habit to stick with.
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I write at night sometimes, but that always feels so uncertain to me. There are so many things that could easily prevent it from happening. I also like writing in that liminal space between sleep and fully waking. And then there’s the fact that I tend to go to bed pretty early at night…I wonder why lol.
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Your morning routine is wonderful. Everything looks so cozy in the photo.
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True confession: I did move a little bit of clutter before I took the picture. lol
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Um… what Peter said. That description of the snow-covered scene is truly beautiful. Wow. Also 4:37!!! That is *early* (she says, commenting after 10pm)
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10 pm is just WAY past my bedtime!
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I love that you get up at 4:37…and that you actually get out of a warm bed and settle to write. You truly give yourself a gift of time and space and writing. I tend to write at night, when it isn’t quiet and calm…
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I treasure my morning writing time. It truly is a gift.
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Wow. This is early. Super early. Yet I can feel how the wee hours of the day are great in sustaining your writing habit. The view is helpful too.
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The view can sometimes be a bit distracting, too!
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I always like “behind the scenes” explanations. It’s similar to great movies, like of course La La Land, where I love to hear the actors and directors comment on the film in the Extras on the DVD.
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True confession–I’ve never seen La La Land. I watch maybe one movie per year and on occasion my kids will convince/pressure me to dip into a series. It’s very rare, though.
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