TRANSCRIPT

Hi… in this video I’m going to talk about what I call the 3 a.m. dilemma.

What is it about 3:00 a.m. or anytime in the middle of the night that makes the mind become wide awake and start racing with thoughts (usually negative ones)? I can’t count the number of times I’ve experienced this. In the past, I’d try to get back to sleep and just get frustrated because I couldn't.

But one night as my mind was doing its version of doomscrolling, I had a thought: what if I use this time as an opportunity to work on my writing? At that time, I was wanting a better ending for my book Connor Crowe Can’t Let Go. Instead of trying to quiet my mind and go back to sleep, I started thinking about my story. That same mind that was previously racing with negative thoughts, was all of a sudden racing with ideas for the story’s ending.

So my advice to you is if you experience this middle-of-the-night wakeup, try shifting your mindset. Rather than feeling frustrated, think of it as an opportunity. Keep a pen and notebook by your bed and write down whatever comes to mind… ideas for new stories or ways to make current stories better. And, if going to bed feels unlikely, get out of bed and start writing.

Now I know that the idea of waking up at 3:00 in the morning sounds crazy, but that time can actually feel extremely special. The world is so quiet then. There are no distractions. And it feels like you and your story are the only things that exist. It really is the ideal environment for writing. And you may be tired later in the day, but so what? Most of us are tired later in the day anyway. It is so much more fulfilling to feel tired knowing that you’ve made progress towards your goal.

Thanks so much for watching. If you got any value out of this video, please like it, subscribe to my channel and share the video with other aspiring picture book authors. Thanks