Your Red Badge of Courage: How to write an essay overnight
What do Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe, and Jean-Paul Sartre have in common? They have night-walked and trance-wrote their way to literary immortality. It doesn't mean that you must be acquainted with the night after you're struggling with time management. If you have seen Steven Soderbergh's thrilling depiction of Franz Kafka's isolation from the real world, then you would resolve to practice self-discipline and stick to leisurely writing. Let's look at it closely.
Literary criticism requires time, as the human brain isn't capable to process too many information and come up with an intriguing argument (for your essay assignment). James Norman Hall (of "Mutiny on the Bounty" fame) argued that loafing is part of the writer's routine. Susan Hill, one of the renowned authors in the Horror genre, would attest to it. However, she wondered if she could have been more prolific with a different routine. You may have time to ponder about it, with your coursemates, in a different place and time. You're old enough to know your priorities, so you must finish your (essay) assignment ahead of the deadline. However, your brain would wish for somewhere else. (It's not uncommon among college students who have been stressed from the coursework.) Your body is yearning to lie down. (You feel recharged after a good night's sleep.) And you haven't mastered the fine art of juggling lectures, paper writing, and examinations. You have to resort to last-minute essay writing along the way.
You can finish a long essay overnight if you stick to a strict schedule. Every minute counts here. You'll feel like the bright summer morning if you pull it off.
An Hour-by-Hour Breakdown of Your Frantic Schedule
12 midnight. You have thought about your title, even have your references by your side. (The online sources could be seen on those numerous tabs in your computer screen.) You're missing on the most important part of your assignment, and it would consist of 2,000 words. You wonder if it could be done in seven hours. You can make it if you distance yourself from your bed and couch. If you're getting sleepy, then you might see your (computer) keyboard as another fluffy spot (to lay your head on). Better munch on an apple. (It should give you enough energy, which would last you through the night. Sugary food won't do you good.) Head to the library, if not stay on your (study) table.
1 AM. If you really need a shuteye, then don't resist a catnap. Thomas Edison would recommend it, which was the secret behind his numerous inventions. Remember that you couldn't go beyond 15 minutes. Keep an alarm clock by your side. You can ask your roommate a favor (and wake you up). If you're a light sleeper, then you can try unusual methods. (Your buddies might look at you strangely after they find you sleeping on the floor. A softer surface will prompt you to sleep longer.) It's your assignment, and you have a deadline to beat. Nothing else matters.
2 AM. You are wide awake (or so you thought). You have consumed another apple. You already have your fill of caffeine. It's now or never. Do your best to speed-read other texts. (Let's assume that you already read several chapters of the assigned book.) Recall the other books you have read, which is linked to the book that you're writing about. (If it's Modern Literature, then you should have read one or two titles by H.G. Wells and Joseph Conrad.) A comparison will help you write 500 words or more, but you must think of another approach. Your very own idea. It seems improbable, as you hardly have any sleep. Anything can happen. Repeat.
3 AM. This is not the time to check out your grammar, even wonder if you have penned redundant ideas. You must keep on writing, as you have a word count to reach in an hour. If your argument requires truth, then recall your most memorable experience. (Don't ever think of writing to cold alien-life forms about love. Your professor won't be amused at your attempts on putting humor into your essay.) If you need a reference to a recent event(s), then do a quick Google search. Don't meander on it too long, though. It's a now-or-never moment, so try to do more than you can do.
4 AM. You're nearly there, but there are temptations. You have come across a blog by a backpacker who has been to 30 countries. He penned an essay on "Heart of Darkness" in his notebook after staring at the Pyramids of Giza. You like to rephrase his words, which should enable you to sleep for an hour (at the most). But don't. You'll think about it later. Regret won't be a good thing. You know the rest.
5 AM. You're blinking many times. You're getting the jitters, even thinking that you might pass out at a sudden moment. Relax. Take a deep breath. Drink water. One more apple will do. If any of those things won't motivate you, then chat with your friends on Facebook. They turn out to be on the same boat like you. Remind yourselves that you're nearly done with your assignment.
What You Must Do During the Final Hour
You see a faint light on the horizon at 6 AM. You're starting to feel proud of yourself, even comparing your writing abilities to the likes of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Don't. You haven't completed the conclusion, not even proofread your draft. Do it quick.
It's past 7 AM. You believe that there's nothing more to write (or proofread). There's little time left, so better proceed to the Submissions Office. It would be a good idea to do a stroll, which will keep you awake. (You don't want to miss a lecture a little later.) It's a fine morning, which should inspire you to do your best during the rest of the day.
You deserve a reward, and it should be a long sleep. Social media can wait for another day. You need the rest, as you have another deadline to beat. You can have the bed all by yourself in the afternoon (and the entire evening).
