How To Avoid Working On Your Work In Progress
Guess what I'm doing today!
If you guessed procrastinating, you are correct.
YOU WIN ONE MILLION INTERNETS.
I have a draft of book 2 that's staring at me, and I'm steadfastly refusing eye contact. But my soft deadline is six weeks from today, which is coming up alarmingly fast.
Long ago*, procrastination looked like Netflix binges of crappy horror movies while I started internet fights. But now that I have deadlines and a small beeb at home, procrastination looks different. Here's a list of things I do while procrastinating that still (hopefully) help me inch towards my deadline.
1. Research: This one's great! Since I'm writing historical fantasy, I can still Netflix binge, but I get to watch documentaries instead of horror movies. Better for my psyche anyway. And I get so much inspiration from getting a visual on those old documents, photos, or letters they show with the slow Ken Burns zoom/pan. I'm not a visual person so watching something gets my brain firing in new ways.
2. Reading: This one can be dangerous. When I have writer's block, reading is a godsend, but when I'm procrastinating, I'll happily try to fool myself into thinking that my entire TBR list is vital to finish. I have to be selective because I will read and reread new books and old favorites, and I'll never want to stop. Still, reading can help jog something that's been stuck in my brain, so it's vital. One thing that helps more than others is reading and critiquing for critique partners. Making my brain work on problems other writers are having is a good way to exercise my problem-solving muscles.
3. Blogging: HA HA. I actually don't know if this one's helpful. Obviously I should be laying down words on book 2 rather than here. Still, I can tell myself I'm being helpful to readers or getting out my angst or whatever. And there's a limit. I can't work on this post all day long. Eventually I'll get annoyed with myself and go open my document.
4. Shaming myself by blogging about procrastinating: Yup. I'm annoyed. I'm opening my document.
*Before book 1 sold.
If you guessed procrastinating, you are correct.
YOU WIN ONE MILLION INTERNETS.
I have a draft of book 2 that's staring at me, and I'm steadfastly refusing eye contact. But my soft deadline is six weeks from today, which is coming up alarmingly fast.
Long ago*, procrastination looked like Netflix binges of crappy horror movies while I started internet fights. But now that I have deadlines and a small beeb at home, procrastination looks different. Here's a list of things I do while procrastinating that still (hopefully) help me inch towards my deadline.
1. Research: This one's great! Since I'm writing historical fantasy, I can still Netflix binge, but I get to watch documentaries instead of horror movies. Better for my psyche anyway. And I get so much inspiration from getting a visual on those old documents, photos, or letters they show with the slow Ken Burns zoom/pan. I'm not a visual person so watching something gets my brain firing in new ways.
2. Reading: This one can be dangerous. When I have writer's block, reading is a godsend, but when I'm procrastinating, I'll happily try to fool myself into thinking that my entire TBR list is vital to finish. I have to be selective because I will read and reread new books and old favorites, and I'll never want to stop. Still, reading can help jog something that's been stuck in my brain, so it's vital. One thing that helps more than others is reading and critiquing for critique partners. Making my brain work on problems other writers are having is a good way to exercise my problem-solving muscles.
3. Blogging: HA HA. I actually don't know if this one's helpful. Obviously I should be laying down words on book 2 rather than here. Still, I can tell myself I'm being helpful to readers or getting out my angst or whatever. And there's a limit. I can't work on this post all day long. Eventually I'll get annoyed with myself and go open my document.
4. Shaming myself by blogging about procrastinating: Yup. I'm annoyed. I'm opening my document.
*Before book 1 sold.
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Robert
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May 05, 2015 11:22AM
Number 5. Reading blogs about procrastinating written by my old creative writing students who are now published, making me feel really, really guilty about not writing.
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Robert wrote: "Number 5. Reading blogs about procrastinating written by my old creative writing students who are now published, making me feel really, really guilty about not writing."Get to it!!! (am I allowed to even say that to you??)
Actually, no force on Earth has been successful in stopping me from writing. I am just not particularly concerned with getting published. In fact, I've never been concerned with it at all. In my youth, I was ambitious in this regard. But that was because I did not understand what I wanted from my writing. Long ago, I figured it out, and I've been writing ever since. What I wanted was just to write. I love writing. My job as a theater teacher who specializes in play writing actually pays me to write plays, and I get to see my characters live and speak on stage, and then I move on and start writing more. But I never try to publish. And I ought to publish my stuff. I personally don't care. But I am being selfish. I have three college-aged kids. If I can make money from writing beyond my sad teacher salary, I ought to do it. And that's where I'm guilty. And this is just one reason why you're a hero to me.
You know, (and I know this might be easy to say, as someone who is now getting published) but publishing was never my dream either. Don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful! But, like you, the thing that makes me happiest is the writing. I hope you won't keep feeling guilty for focusing on what you love! With your kids and your students you deserve to have something be just how you want it to be.Plus, my getting to this place is partially your fault, so you can take blame and/or credit as you will. :)
Thanks. Keep doing what you do, and I'll keep following it.
