An approaching deadline changes the evening differently in two written accounts from journalist and music critic Zach Schonfeld and copywriter André Spiteri. Schonfeld describes continuing an active work period; Spiteri describes sometimes returning after an earlier stop. Each writer makes the exception explicit, rather than presenting every evening as a late working night.
In his Famous Writing Routines interview, published September 14, 2023, Schonfeld describes afternoons and evenings as his usual main period for reporting, writing and pitching. A looming deadline can keep that work going late. Otherwise, he often heads to screenings or concerts, though those outings can be professional, pleasurable or a mixture. An evening away from the desk therefore does not necessarily mark the end of work. Schonfeld’s interview
Spiteri’s VeryGoodCopy interview, listed by its publisher on January 26, 2021, describes a usual stopping point between 5 and 7 p.m., depending on how the writing is going. Under a tight deadline, he says he sometimes resumes at 11 p.m., after the rest of the household has gone to bed. He describes working until finished or nearly finished, then revisiting the piece the next morning. The late return is conditional, not a nightly appointment. Spiteri’s interview · Publisher’s dated index
Both accounts appear in commercial publishing settings. Famous Writing Routines promotes books and carries an affiliate-policy link; VeryGoodCopy promotes copywriting courses, books and services, and links to Spiteri’s business. Those contexts do not establish payment for either interview. The descriptions are the writers’ own reports, not independently observed schedules.
The contrast is between extending work and reopening it. Neither account identifies a particular deadline night for comparison, and the 2021 and 2023 publication dates do not establish when the interviews took place. Spiteri’s stated restart time does not supply an overnight finish or bedtime; Schonfeld supplies no exact late-night stopping time. Neither establishes sleep duration, a benefit from working late or a practice that continues today.