> Does listening to music while working serve as a distraction, or motivation? Both. It depends on what I am doing. If programming with completely new stuff,

> Does listening to music while working serve as a distraction, or motivation? Both. It depends on what I am doing. If programming with completely new stuff, I need silence (but can't stand it). If programming stuff that is familiar, but still new, music is perfect, as long as it's not slow. If writing, I do best when listening to music that corresponds with the mood of the current scene. > Why does writing in the morning (anecdotally so far) seem to be so effective for writers, even ones who are not morning persons? While programmers, which seems like a similar occupation, are invariably owls? Funnily enough, I write best at night when I'm slightly sleep deprived. I've had more people praise my writing for a technical document [1] written during late nights than for anything else. They specifically praised the snark, which was just the result of a sleep-deprived brain. I'm not sure why, but I have a hunch: I'm a little autistic and can be quite stilted; however, a sleep-deprived brain can go a little haywire. Going a little haywire seems to make me more human. This is like the Ballmer Peak [2], except that this doesn't work for me when programming. I'm currently working on code and a novel. I'm trying to get into the habit of programming when I'm fresh and writing the novel or technical documentation when I'm tired. [1]: https://git.gavinhoward.com/gavin/bc/src/branch/master/manuals/development.md https://git.gavinhoward.com/gavin/bc/src/branch/master/manua... [2]: https://xkcd.com/323/ https://xkcd.com/323/