If you want to write a book, why do it first thing in the morning?
Studies show that not only are we more creative in the morning, we’re also more optimistic.
In other words, we’re happier.
Sure, misery and angst have inspired plenty of creative geniuses.
But personally, I’d rather be creative when I’m in a good mood.
Wouldn’t you?
What’s the secret to getting creative?
If you’re like me, your creativity is at its peak first thing in the morning. But maybe you’re a night owl, and you work better late at night.
Either way, the trick to being creative is to capture ideas as they occur to you.
You could get on your favorite device and start typing. But you run the risk of getting distracted by something less important.
Instead, you need something that allows you to focus entirely on capturing your ideas. For my money, nothing beats index cards.
You might work better on a pocket spiral notebook. A good writer friend of mine swears by yellow sticky notes.
Whatever you use, stick to something handwritten. You can always type it up later, and the extra iteration can only make it better.
The secret weapon of bestselling authors is…
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can try a trick that has worked for many best-selling authors, including Khaled Husseini (author of The Kite Runner) and plenty of my friends.
It’s not easy, but it is simple:
Get up an hour early and start writing while the kids are still asleep.
Hey, it’s tough … but it works!