Scribbling In The Middle Of The Night

I've heard it said that a writer should keep a tablet nearby at all times. At night, there should be a tablet next to the bed for writing those wonderful ideas that sleep brings on. So, I very dutifully placed a pen and tablet next to my bed, then went to sleep. Probably because my subconscious mind knew the tablet was there and that same subconscious mind was in the mood for a good joke, I woke in the middle of the night with a story to write and I wrote. And wrote and wrote and wrote. It was a great story. Naturally, the pen I was using had a built-in light so I wouldn't wake my hubby while I wrote. Then, I went back to sleep.

In the morning, when I woke, I was so excited to rework the story and send it in. Of course, I couldn't recall anything about the actual story. It had been the result of an incredible dream. I did remember that there was lots of adventure and my inner cheerleader told me that it would be a best-seller practically before it hit the shelves. I was excited to get started.

My little tablet and I skipped merrily to my office to unveil the mystery of my best-seller. I couldn't have been more excited if it had been Christmas morning and I was looking at ten thousand gifts, all with my name on them. Finally, after preparing all that was necessary, I opened the magical tablet and my jaw dropped open at the words that I saw; if they could be called words. Personally, I was only able to recognize one or two places where letters came together to create actual words. And even those were questionable.

I guess the moral of my story is that it would be wise to know what you are doing before you do it. And if you are going to write in the middle of the night, it might just be a good idea to get out of bed and go someplace where light is not a problem. Would I have produced a best-selling novel if I hadn't been writing in the dark? Well, now, that remains to be seen. Would I have been able to read what I had written? Quite possibly, yes, because my best guess tells me that I would never have attempted writing with a pen if I had gone anywhere NEAR the computer.

I've often wondered what that great story was about and pined for the ability to read it. But maybe Mother Nature has a kind streak and protected me by not letting me read the results of "Midnight Writings." Since that incident, my sleep has been continuous, when I do sleep, but I am much more aware of the words I write. I'm still working on publishing that best-seller, but at least I know when words come together as legible.