Blogger KRISTI HOLL is the author of 42 books, including MORE WRITER'S FIRST AID.

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Reading in the Middle of the Night

October 13, 2008

It’s the middle of the night. And, as always, I’m thankful to be a reader.
When I was a young mother, I was plagued by chronic migraines that kept me awake for hours during many nights each week. To take my mind off the pain, I often read or wrote, finding it a helpful distraction. But with improved health, I hadn’t needed that help for a long time. Until tonight, for some reason. I woke at 1 a.m., my head pounding, my neck cramped, and my back stiff. Nothing worked to relieve the pain, so I finally got up about 2, careful not to wake my snoozing spouse. I took two aspirin and curled up in the rocking chair, grateful that I wasn’t facing a houseful of toddlers and babies in the morning, as in years past. I made a cup of hot chocolate, listened to the quiet of the house…and I thought of books.
It had been a busy weekend, with a book signing and talk on Saturday, church on Sunday, and some other obligations. I’d missed having some quiet time to myself. Why not take advantage, as in years past, of this unexpected free time? I’d half expected to sit in the living room feeling sorry for myself, but then I remembered the new (used) writing book that had arrived in the mail Friday, the Elizabeth George book Write Away that I blogged about in “Demystifying Writing.” Sipping my hot chocolate, I read a chapter that detailed the author’s researching techniques when visiting England. It got my mind to racing, as we plan to visit England in the spring, and I could easily picture myself doing research there. Perhaps I could think of a tax deductible book idea before spring…
I’d also picked up four mysteries at the library last week that I hadn’t had a chance to look at yet, so I chose a cozy by an author new to me, kept sipping, and started reading… Now I’m three chapters into Aunt Dimity: Snowbound and so far, I’m hooked. I love a mystery set in England, minus the corpses, and while I read, the headache faded into the background. It brought back memories of how I dealt with those long years of constant chronic pain. What would I have done without books?
I think I’ll head back to bed for a couple hours of sleep before the day starts officially. Yes, I’ll be sleepy tomorrow and may need some extra caffeine at some point. But my blog for today is finished, I’ve started two excellent new books, and I’ve enjoyed some quiet hours of reading. My body may feel old and tired right now, but my mind is happy and my spirit refreshed. All because of the joy of reading good books. I’m so grateful that I love to read.
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4 Comments »

  1. You are so right about reading! One great thing about being on leave is that it has reminded me to quietly sit down now and then and read for pleasure. I hadn’t realised that I had stopped. A 20 minute “time out” with a good book does more for my stress than anything else.

    Comment by Sherryl — October 13, 2008 @ 11:01 pm

  2. I totally agree! It’s funny how twenty minutes of quiet reading can seem so relaxing compared to twenty minutes of TV or a movie. I use reading for a bribe real often too–”write two pages and you can read for ten minutes,” etc.

    Comment by Kristi Holl — October 14, 2008 @ 1:43 am

  3. The same thing happens to me. Wake in the middle of the night, and I grow so restless I have to get up. My mind races 90 miles a minute with book ideas, scenes for my current novel in progress. When those images of my characters doing something sparks in my imagination, I’m forced to get up and write it all down. I think we are all in the same boat, Kristi. The quietest time of the day for a writer seems to be in the middle of the night when everyone else in the house is sound asleep.

    Comment by Inspire — October 14, 2008 @ 11:48 am

  4. I do wish it were scenes from a book that usually wake me up, but you’re sure right about the middle of the night being the quietest time to think and enjoy the sleeping world. I agree that we’re all in the same boat with our active minds! And the quiet night hours give us a chance to capture a whole thought or scene or idea without interruption. That’s worth a million!

    Comment by Kristi Holl — October 14, 2008 @ 1:12 pm

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