100 Themes Writing Challenge - Method

Most days, I'm up before 5.30am. I know, I know, it's crazy, but it's been happening for so long now it feels normal. A little over two years ago we both started waking up stupidly early. We decided we may as well get up and enjoy a pot of coffee before going to work. Two mugs each, sat in front of our computers catching up with the previous 12 hours emails, facebook updates, tweets (for Nikki) and news feeds.

I can't remember when it flipped from something we did because we happened to be awake early into The Daily Routine, but it wasn't long. It's a self-fulfilling routine too, because getting up at stupid o'clock also means you're ready for bed at stupid o'clock. And going to bed at stupid o'clock means you've had enough sleep so that you wake up at stupid o'clock. And so it goes.

But emails and facebook don't take two hours. Even when you add in the washing up (usually while the coffee is grinding and brewing); still not two hours. So what am I doing between the last email and going to work? I just know you're way ahead of me. Spider Solitaire. What can I say, it's an addiction.

So this writing challenge is just what I need to fill that early morning hour. First cup of coffee to wake up while I'm emailing and facebooking, and then SECOND cup of coffee to accompany the new writing. That's the plan. Pick the next one off the list of prompts, and off we go.

Now in Nat's case she's allowed herself 30 minutes painting. I don't know how much thought goes on before the start of painting, or if thinking time is included in the 30 minutes, but for the writing challenge I'm going to spend up to 10 minutes thinking about the topic - but without writing anything down in terms of notes, plot, etc. Then once I have an idea on how I'm going to interpret the theme, I'll set a 30-minute reminder and write until it goes off. There'll be a lot of unfinished pieces I expect, but with any luck there'll be some good ideas in there - maybe even the odd scene I can use in a novel, or the germ of an idea for a short story. I'm not going to restrict myself to narrative fiction either. If the theme suggests a poem then I'll rhyme for 30 minutes instead.

Themes coming up tomorrow. :0)