nightwriting

Nightwriting is the practice of producing written work during nighttime hours. It covers a range of outputs, including journals, poetry, fiction, and academic notes, and emphasizes the time of day in which the writing takes place rather than a particular genre or method.

The term is not tied to a formal literary movement. Rather, it appears in discussions of writers’ routines, productivity, and creative process. Nighttime writing is often linked to the atmosphere of the night—quiet, solitude, and a sense of liminality—that can influence tone and imagery toward introspection, ambiguity, or dreamlike qualities. While some writers view night sessions as essential to their practice, others use them only occasionally, depending on schedules and energy levels.

Common practices associated with nightwriting include establishing a regular late-evening or overnight writing period, creating a conducive environment with minimal interruptions, and using a preferred set of tools such as notebooks, pens, or keyboards. Some practitioners pair nightwriting with post-writing review sessions at different times, or with writing sprints that capitalize on the focused quiet of late hours.

In reception, nightwriting is treated as a habit or technique within broader discussions of writing routines rather than as a distinct literary movement. It is closely related to ideas about nocturnal drafting, late-night creativity, and the influence of time of day on creative output.