On Insomnia and Plotting a New Novel in 2024
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I had some lovely time off during the holidays. Hopefully you did, too. One of many warm and fuzzy moments was having tea in Annapolis with some girlfriends. It was scrumptious, fun, and relaxing.
Of course, now is the time of year when we’re thinking about all the things we want to change in the fresh new year upon us. To plan for a more rewarding future, we make deals with ourselves to start or stop doing this and that, usually to improve our health or well-being or maybe our love lives.
I’m no exception. In the past my health related New Year’s resolutions have typically been of the physical sort. You know–lose weight, exercise more, eat better. But I have had a huge problem with insomnia for years. Those who don’t struggle with this aggravating issue do not realize how much of a drain it can be on your daily life to wake up in the middle of the night just about every night and be unable to return to sleep.
A constant lack of sleep impacts your health, your mood, your energy. And in my case, my writing. When my sleep pattern changed years ago (I once got eight hours of sleep a night easily), I realized that I was going to have to make changes. The days of writing for long stretches at a time into the wee hours of the night were over. I had to learn to plan well ahead in order to allow myself enough time to write in more frequent shorter stretches during the early hours of the day, when I was most alert.
Over the years, I’ve tried a ton of things to beat this insomnia–-sleep doctors, sleep studies, medication. You name it. My sleep seems to have improved somewhat, especially over the past several months, but not nearly enough. There was a time when a dismal three to four hours of sleep a night was the norm for me. I’ve managed to get that up to five or six. Yay! Better but not great. I’m one of those people who really need at least seven hours most nights. I’m lucky if I get that much sleep once a month.
So for 2024 I decided I’m going to try yet another approach. I learned from one of my sleep doctors that I’m a worrier. I mean, I kind of knew that but now it’s been confirmed. I worry about everything and nothing. I worry about worrying. So I signed up for a class on mindfulness and bought a couple of books on the topic.
Will this work? Will it help me relax my mind and get more sleep? I really hope so. I'm between novels now and in my opinion at no time is the imagination called on more than while plotting a new novel. This is when you’re trying to create something out of nothing, to develop new ideas out of thin air. Then you shape and hone them into a story that you hope feels believable, compelling, and fulfilling to readers. This takes a mind that is fresh and sharp.
I’m also working on writing activities for The Plotting Room. This is still in the planning stages but thinking of some challenges or writing prompts that will help motivate, inspire, and guide writers as they plot a novel alongside me. I’ll include tips, advice, and examples. Look for that to come soon.
So . . . I’m going to need a good night’s sleep in 2024 more than ever. Wish me luck.