This has nothing to do with writing, but it made my day. I saved $20.15 on my grocery bill today. I used coupons! I’ve used them for years, but lately I pay a bit more attention to ads in the newspaper and magazines, and I clip, clip, clip. I can use the money saved to buy a book or two at Halfprice Book Store. Or maybe three writer’s magazines at Barnes & Noble. What a treat!

Not too long ago, I was interviewed online and one of the questions asked was, “When do you do your best writing?” I find I am more creative in the morning, but then sometimes it can be very late at night when I get a spark of ideas and can really be productive. After reading a lot of articles about setting up rigid schedules, I wondered if I should stick to mornings only or focus on late nights. But reading an article by Jennifer Willis in the September 2009 issue of The Writer magazine, gave me permission to schedule what best works for me. It’s titled, “Are you a lark, or are you an owl?” She quotes Quinn McDonald, a certified creativity coach, as saying that “larks are morning writers, while owls are more productive at night.” Regardless, I like that Ms. Willis concludes with McDonald’s advice that “creativity cannot be forced, but it can be fostered by honoring your own rhythm.” So there. What about you? What works best for you?

“The feeling for words, the driving need to tell a story, the love of characters who constantly inhabit your mind waiting to be born, these are the inherent things that make us writers.” - Eve Bunting