Thoughts of a Procrastinator
So I sit here, in my home office wanting desperately to write more of my second novel and I find that I cannot seem to put words to page.
This is extremely frustrating as writing these particular words on this particular page is panning out to be relatively easy. Why can't that be the case for book 2 of my Fortune series? I mean, by all accounts it should be easier. At least for book 2 I have: a clear outline, a finalised story and the desire to write it. Yet here we are.
I have come to the conclusion that a writer - really anyone, but let's stick to writers for the time being - need not be afraid of procrastination. Procrastination is nothing more than your brain wanting to produce or do something other than what you think you want to do. If channeled correctly, it is possible that you could use procrastination to your advantage. That is, of course, if your particular flavour of procrastination is that of 'doing' something. If procrastination manifests itself in you via Tiktok doom scrolling then perhaps this analysis is not going to resonate with you.
If you fall into the camp of doing things other than what you 'want' to do no matter how much more work the procrastination could turn out to be, then take this post to heart. I am only writing this blog because I am procrastinating. The only reason I made part of the cover of my book 2 was because I was procrastinating. Are you seeing what I am seeing? Is it too obvious? Does it not apply broadly? Then allow me to offer another example.
Yesterday I procrastinated by packing the dishwasher and doing a load of laundry - I know, how very domestic of me. But when I was done with that, I proceeded to write a page of my WIP. Why? Because in a way I had lightened my stress load (knowingly or not) and thus I felt more motivation to write. Because less things were weighing on my mind.
So, this is a long winded way to say that one should look at active work as progress, even if it does not relate to what you are ultimately putting off.
This blog post is an example because though I may not go write the end of chapter 10 right after this, I have still started something new that will (however small it may be) have an impact on my author profile which could end up motivating me more to get my first draft out of my brain and thus one step closer to publication.
So all in all, it is okay to procrastinate. Though, if you find you are doing it more than four times a week, perhaps consult your GP.
Maybe I will post again, unless I do something else instead.
This is extremely frustrating as writing these particular words on this particular page is panning out to be relatively easy. Why can't that be the case for book 2 of my Fortune series? I mean, by all accounts it should be easier. At least for book 2 I have: a clear outline, a finalised story and the desire to write it. Yet here we are.
I have come to the conclusion that a writer - really anyone, but let's stick to writers for the time being - need not be afraid of procrastination. Procrastination is nothing more than your brain wanting to produce or do something other than what you think you want to do. If channeled correctly, it is possible that you could use procrastination to your advantage. That is, of course, if your particular flavour of procrastination is that of 'doing' something. If procrastination manifests itself in you via Tiktok doom scrolling then perhaps this analysis is not going to resonate with you.
If you fall into the camp of doing things other than what you 'want' to do no matter how much more work the procrastination could turn out to be, then take this post to heart. I am only writing this blog because I am procrastinating. The only reason I made part of the cover of my book 2 was because I was procrastinating. Are you seeing what I am seeing? Is it too obvious? Does it not apply broadly? Then allow me to offer another example.
Yesterday I procrastinated by packing the dishwasher and doing a load of laundry - I know, how very domestic of me. But when I was done with that, I proceeded to write a page of my WIP. Why? Because in a way I had lightened my stress load (knowingly or not) and thus I felt more motivation to write. Because less things were weighing on my mind.
So, this is a long winded way to say that one should look at active work as progress, even if it does not relate to what you are ultimately putting off.
This blog post is an example because though I may not go write the end of chapter 10 right after this, I have still started something new that will (however small it may be) have an impact on my author profile which could end up motivating me more to get my first draft out of my brain and thus one step closer to publication.
So all in all, it is okay to procrastinate. Though, if you find you are doing it more than four times a week, perhaps consult your GP.
Maybe I will post again, unless I do something else instead.
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