Yesterday I suggested some tips for people who want to try writing their scripts early in the morning, today it's the turn of the night owls like me:
1. Clear your mind of the day's thoughts. Before you start work, take five minutes to do some deep breathing and relax (not so much that you fall asleep, though).
2. Keep the temperature on the cool side. If it's too warm, you'll feel sleepy.
3. Don't use caffeine to stay awake, it will interfere with your sleep later. A glass of cool water with a shot of fresh lemon juice will do the job more naturally.
4. Get up and stretch every thirty minutes or so. It helps you stay alert.
5. A shot of energizing music can help, too. If listening to it while actually writing is distracting, listen to one track while you're stretching.
Of course neither the lark nor the night owl should sacrifice getting enough sleep. For most people that means 7 to 8 hours a night. If that's difficult, figure out what you might be willing to give up to gain some sleep time--like an hour to TV, maybe?
(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)
