When do you write?

This is the final question in a series. Many thanks to poets Juli Jana, Juliet Wilson, Mavis Gulliver, Chris Kinsey, and Judith Blakemore-Lawton for their time, generosity, and thoughts.

So when do you write? There seem to be so many considerations to take into account: not just the time of day but the season of the year. Juggling demands of work, family, hobbies, housework. Finding enough headspace in among emails, Facebook, text messages, 24-hour news, work deadlines, housework (Did I mention housework twice?). Not to mention having to get back on track when your work has been a) published or b) rejected. What do our group of poets say?

Early mornings and late nights feature quite strongly. Chris Kinsey, who has had two collections published by Ragged Raven Press,  says, ‘I like to have an intensive burst of writing twice a day at 9.00 am, and often again after 9.00 pm.’  Judith Blakemore-Lawton, who writes poetry for adults and children, says ‘Quite often, I write in bed in the morning in a slightly dream-like state.’  When Mavis Gulliver, whose work appears in the Grey Hen Press anthology ‘No Space but their Own’, is visiting her grandchildren, ‘I make sure I get up early and have at least an hour writing before the grandchildren start demanding attention.’

Finding enough time to decompress is also on the poets’ minds. Juli Jana, author of ‘Everybody Needs a Lunatic’, and also an artist, says she writes ‘When I am not too pressurised with work.’  Chris Kinsey mentions that she writes ‘If I’m not fizzing with frustration over having things-to-do.’

What about the weather, and seasons?  Chris Kinsey, who writes nature articles for Cambria and Natur Cymru magazines, says ‘I like the light in Sept and Oct.’ Juliet Wilson, author of ‘Unthinkable Skies’, says ‘I find all the seasons equally inspiring!’

I’ll leave the last word to Judith Blakemore-Lawton:

‘No routine but I’m increasingly aware of tempus fugit and the wisdom of trying to make time to write despite all the demands of life (often convincing and even enticing).’

Tomorrow: Let’s have a look at how my own blog, my delayed reactions, promotes writing and writers.