Mornings are not my time, I'm a night owl by nature, but some writers find that getting up before the rest of the household gives them the best opportunity to crank out some pages. If you've tried that but struggled, here are some tips:
1. Caffeine. I know that it's not a good idea to keep cranking up your system and then letting it crash by having too much coffee throughout the day, but starting with a cup can be a good way to get going. If you want to sustain your energy rather than jolt yourself periodically, sip coffee throughout the day (but make sure you're not taking in too much).
2. Cool water with a dash of fresh lemon juice. This is my drink of choice first thing i the morning, along with a green tea capsule. I find the effect similar to having a cup of coffee, but more pleasant.
3. Wake up to whatever kind of music gets you going. If there's somebody else in the bedroom who wouldn't appreciate this, just have an iPod or other mp3 player handy and wake up enough to jam in your earphones and then turn up the volume.
4. Set the thermostat so that your place will be warm when you get up (obviously this is seasonal and depends on where you're working, but when I first got to London and lived in a flat without central heating, facing the cold bathroom in the morning was a major incentive to stay in bed).
5. Get some quick exercise. Ten minutes of jogging in place and stretching should do the job.
6. Get everything ready the night before so you can get right to writing.
If the thought of working in the mornings fills you with dread, the next post will feature six tips for working at night after everybody else has gone to bed.
(There are lots more tips for how to use your time effectively using right-brain methods, in "Focus: use the power of targeted thinking to get more done." You can get it from Amazon and other online and offline retailers, and you can get more information at www.focusquick.com)
