Tag Archive for 'procrastination'

So I pretty much forgot that I had an anniversary this weekend. I mean I remembered, but only after I planned out all the hours I wanted to spend working on my revisions.

Needless to say, I did not get as much done as I wanted to.

That made me think of how to be a writer you need to be really strict and organized with yourself if you want to get anything done. BUT most writers are naturally a little more, um, unscheduled.

We can be chaotic if we let ourselves. I mean we hear voices in our heads (of our characters, of course) and we write on napkins in the middle of restaurants so we don’t lose amazing ideas. I love being spontaneous, but I will never achieve the level of writing and revision I want if I let my whims rule my schedule.

I am one of those people that hates wearing a watch—it feels so restricting. I don’t want to think about time. However, I went out and bought a stopwatch to help me stay on track. Have I used it? Heck no, but the idea…

Anyways, I don’t know if you have one of these, but I ran my excuses through my very scientific BS-OMeter at home, and this was what I found:

I need to revise another 20 pages, but I’ll be able to concentrate better if I go eat Chipotle first.

Okay, this is kinda bullcrap because I eat Chipotle like three times a day, so I never really neeeed it, but it is important to be fed and well rested before trying to hone your brain on your story. So why am I always up till 2am working on it???

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I’ll be able to write better if I just clean the house first.

Total BS. First of all, I am a horrible cleaner, and cleaning my house would take me all day because I get sidetracked too much. That’s what amazing husbands are for (shhhh). Also, once I get into my story, I’m in the zone, I don’t really see or hear the room around me. The important thing is to get your butt in that chair and get into that zone.

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I can juggle family time and writing time AT ONCE. Go ahead, sweetie-face, pop in that movie. I’ll just sit on the couch, watch the movie, and somehow still type coherently.

ding ding ding. Absolute BS. You will not be able to concentrate. I tried this weekend and I started typing what the characters in the movie were saying, or I’d completely space out, and then the movie would play this really dramatic music and I’d be like, “Wha’d I miss? Wha’d I miss????” booo.

.

Anyways, feel free to share your excuses that keep you from writing. Along with ways you combat them.
My best advice is just to sit there and type. It’s getting into that chair that’s hard for me.

Peace♥