Creative Minds and the Need for Sleep by Mary Ellis

Read any author interview or listen to any conversation between writers and you will hear one universal theme: There aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. Between day-jobs, families, houses that need to be cleaned, and meals to get on the table, how does a writer find time to write? Once published, authors must find time for editing, publicity, research, and coming up with ideas for a saleable proposal. But wait…what about email and social media, that lurking Goliath ready to devour every minute? Writers become ingenious at squeezing more into their day, but sleep often gets short-changed. 

Instead of slipping under the covers at a decent hour, writers network into the wee hours and face the next day sleep deprived. Besides bags under our eyes and crabby dispositions, there’s another downside to consider. Sleep-time is also dreamtime, and there is no better way to recharge your creative batteries than dreaming. During REM sleep, dreams are often vivid enough to jump into and direct the outcome. The more writers dream, the more they revitalize the right side of their brains. I’m no dream therapist, nor do I play one on TV, but for years I’ve noticed my writing is better after a good night’s sleep. Creativity thrives on rest, not extra caffeine. So authors, the next time you find your story stuck with characters having nothing to say, don’t reach for another cup of coffee. Instead brew a cup of chamomile tea, turn off your phone and catch some zzzz’s. Your writing will thank me in the morning. 

Mary Ellis is a former schoolteacher turned USA Today bestselling author who’s written twenty-six novels including Amish fiction, historical romance, and suspense. Her first mystery, Midnight on the Mississippi, was a finalist for the RT Magazine’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier Award. First of her current series, One for the Road, is available in Kindle for $10.99. Also available in hardcover and CD’s. Book two, One Hundred Proof Murder just released in hardcover. She enjoys gardening and bicycling and lives in Ohio with her husband and dog. www.maryellis.net or www.facebook.com/Mary.Ellis.Author

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