Wow, so tired. My eyes feel like they've got sandpaper scraping against them every time I blink. My pillow and the latest novel I'm devouring are both calling me. Off to bed I go to catch some much-needed REM sleep. It's easy to fall off as I take the characters from my Kindle to dreamland.

What the hell? Like clockwork I'm up in the middle of the night with tons of ideas about fresh story lines that will add a little somethin', somethin' to my WIP. Thoughts swirl like fallen leaves on a windy autumn day. A cast of characters with a side of drama, whose conversations buzz in my brain, demand my attention. New titles for novels flit past the inside of my head like the news crawl at the bottom of the TV screen. Sentences form so easily it's beyond amazing. This is good stuff. Ugh! Will I remember it when the sun streams through the blinds in the morning? Doubtful.

Whether your subconscious creates a new character or sidekick, devises a cool plot, conjures up a wild scene, or grabs your attention with awesome dialogue, LISTEN and ACT, because you may lose those exciting ideas by morning. I grab the pad and pen on the bedside table and scribble my thoughts hoping I'll be able to decipher my atrocious handwriting in the morning. I know a comedian who talks into his phone whenever ideas surface. Either way, don't let those juicy tidbits slip away.

When a new day dawns and the alarm clock jolts you out of peaceful slumber, take things a step further by adding whatever delicious thoughts you recorded, to your writing bag of tricks.

What? Nightmares plagued your forty winks instead of tranquil or yummy dreams? Okay, no problem. Monsters and demons add dark elements to any fantasy novel. Draw them if you can or create a descriptive list of their appearance and traits. Use their evil persona and negative attributes for a new antagonist in any genre your WIP happens to fall under. Instead of cursing night terrors, embrace them as subconscious sparks of inspiration and weave them into scenes

Middle of the night brain buzz sometimes makes for the best writing!