You may have heard of Tee Morris– I write with him, I’m married to him, and I share a daughter and three cats with him. Today as part of the Write by the Rails Endless Possibilities Blogtour, I finally let him write something on my blog.
The worst thing about being a writer is the procrastination. I’m not talking about “Writer’s Block†(that’s a whole different animal) where you know the ideas are there but nothing is wanting to come out. I am talking about that conscious choice you as a writer make to do something else, even if it is absolutely nothing, except write. If you are looking at your day, you may think “I’ve got plenty of time to get to my work-in-progress, but first…†and before you know it, that day of infinite possibilities is done. You will hear authors of varying backgrounds — those who hold full-time jobs, those who manage the family, and those who are full-time authors — talk about how they are procrastinating, and yet seem to revel in it. To be a writer, you need to be able to recognize it and actually cope with whatever it is you are having a tough time coming to grips with. Otherwise, the harder you struggle, the more time you lose and the harder you get sucked in.
So how about we take a closer look at exactly what is standing between you, your ass, your chair, and your word processor of choice?
The Internet. I am guilty of this, as is the host of this blogpost. I’ve lost count how many times social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram has eaten away at my time. But note I don’t say social media is my timesink. I say, the Internet is my timesink. In the early days of my career (not just writing but acting) I lost hours of time surfing the Internet. I could have looked into leads for my next role on stage or in television, but I was too busy “surfing the web.†The amount of time I invested in casual browsing (reading news articles, random blogposts, chat rooms, etc.) could have easily equated to a book or three. Depending on who you are following on the big two — Facebook and Twitter — you could easily lose yourself in current events and commentary. The same can be said when you are researching a specific topic for your book. You hit a pivotal scene and you might need those magic facts to add realism or validate what you have depicted. An hour rolls by, and you are still hopping from site to site, still hunting those ever elusive facts.
How do I deal with it? Time limits. Yes, we need social media to promote and connect with potential readers, and we need the Internet for research 24-7. If you are on Facebook, Twitter, or indulging elsewhere in research, give yourself one hour for the entire day. Don’t play that “Well, the hour I just spent on Facebook was for my book promotion, so this hour is for myself.†That’s a bizarre way of justifying your procrastination. You have an hour online, so make the most of it. If you are in mid-scene or mid-chapter and you find yourself in need to fact-check something, have a timer (egg timer, stopwatch on your smartphone, or even a proper analog stopwatch) and give yourself 10-15 minutes before returning to your work-in-progress. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for, make a comment or leave a note for yourself in your word processor of choice, then come back to it later. Be tough on yourself.
And yes, that 15 minutes includes time with email. Speaking of which…
Email. I am terrible with email. This is something I am working on to improve because not responding to email in a timely fashion can drive contractors (i.e. other writers you may be working on with other projects) nuts and alienate fans that are writing to you to say “Thank you for a wonderful read…†However, in my own commitment to improving my email ethics, I’m finding myself spending lots and lots and lots of time on only one email while other await answering. Does this make me doubly-terrible in email? Why, yes, yes it does.
How do I deal with it? Keep it simple. In most situations, the email you’ve been sent, all you need to do is keep the response to a few sentences — five to ten, at the most. Avoid being curt, be polite, always lead with a “Thank you for taking time to read my work†even when the email you receive is critical of your work (Strive to take the high ground. The view is better from there.), end with another polite “thank you†and then sign off.
If you find the answer to this email (“What are my options in publishing?†or “Do you have any ideas for panels at a con?†for example?) is a deep dive, then go on and make a deep dive; but before sending the reply, select the body of your email, copy it, and then paste it in a word processor. There’s a good chance you are looking at your next blogpost.
Housework. Ah yes, your living abode. Whether it is an apartment for two or a three floor home in suburbia, housework is open of those timesinks that truly is a tough call to make. You think “Well, I can go another day without cleaning up the kitchen…†(and as I type this, I check the sink…yep, the dirty dishes are starting to back up…) and then suddenly your dwelling provides inspiration for your post-apocalyptic novel. Maybe some authors can work within an untidy burrow. Truth be told, I am not that author.
How do I deal with it? If you let the home go, it will take you that much longer to face it. Instead of making one day the day you catch up with the house, break it up into sections. Accomplish a little bit throughout the week. Laundry one day, kitchen maintenance the next day, vacuuming the first floor and stairs the following day. This way, you can break up your work load and still have energy left over to write as opposed to attempt writing after a day-long tackling of your living space. I tend to be more productive in an organized space which is why I have to work — really work — on keeping my office & studio clutter-free. I’m getting better at that, but when the studio gets untidy I tackle it in stages, not all at once. That way lies madness. Lost only parts of your days as opposed to entire days (or several) in getting your living space back in order.
Hobbies and Other Passions. I met this lovely steampunk author who had big goals and even bigger plans for her writing career. She was running a crowd-sourcing campaign for her trilogy, wanting to raise money for its publication, and finance her vision. I admired her drive and her commitment as she even left her job to pursue writing full-time. Truly, this was dedication to one’s art and passion at its highest…
…but then I went to her blog and found no mention of her crowd-funding project, save for the quick mention of it in one (yes, one) blogpost from months prior. The rest of her blog depicted her first few months of her life as a full time writer spending a lot of time (and money, as well) working on cosplay projects. The cosplay was stunning, make no mistake. The end result was incredible; but when I saw what she had put into said cosplay, I could only think “This is why I will never podcast a novel.â€
I love podcasting, as many of you know. Just yesterday, I celebrated the ninth anniversary of my very first podcast episode; but between podcasting novels and hosting The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy, I was too busy with that passion and not writing. It was a truly “That Awkward Moment†moment when I realized I was podcasting a novel to promote my writing and hosting another podcast on the business of writing…only to discover that I wasn’t writing.
And that author? She didn’t make her crowd-sourcing goals…and returned to the job market in search of a new gig.
Yeah. That.
How do I deal with it? Earlier I mentioned time limits concerning social media and the Internet. For this procrastination, I propose time rewards. With my own conflicting passions of writing and podcasting, I set up the following reward standards: If I reach 1000 words written for the day, I allow myself an hour of both recording and editing. If I hit 2000 or more words (as, for me, 2000 words a day is always my ultimate goal), then I allow myself unlimited recording and editing on any project I’m working on. If I miss 1000 words, no podcasting.
This approach not only guarantees me the ability to hit goals, it drives me to work hard so that I can treat myself to some podcasting. My time is valuable as a writer; and if I have other passions, I should still pursue them, but only when I earn the time.
Not Your Ideal Workspace. While during a friend’s birthday party or a family holiday is hardly the right time to whip open the MacBook and start hammering out a few thousand words, there is something to be said about the excuse “Well, this is hardly my ideal workplace. I need to be in my office, a glass of Pinot within reach, Joe Bonamassa on my iTunes….â€
No, I’m not joking. I have heard this given to me as a legitimate reason for not writing. They are not in their proper workspace for optimum writing.
Seriously?
How do I deal with it? What part of “writer†exactly isn’t making sense to you? Keeping tact, decorum, and etiquette in mind, if you are within reach of your laptop or anything where you can hammer out five hundred words or so (and yes, that includes a legal pad and a working ballpoint pen!), that is a good place for writing. What? You don’t have your iPod plugged in to your “Writing†playlist? Too damn bad. You’re a writer. Write! You might find yourself with a block of time where you are waiting (an oil change, waiting at the doctor’s office, commuter train) so why not make the most of that time, regardless of whom is sitting next to you or how loud the TV in the hospitality lounge has been set. You got time? You got an idea? Write.
When you factor in life at home — relationships, kids, and the full-time job — the mileage may vary on your own success with this approach, but this is exactly what is needed to conquer procrastination: recognizing and dealing with it. I may sound like I’m denying myself little distractions or being unusually strict, but that is exactly what is needed to get things done. No one else is going to be harder on you than you, so own up to exactly what it is that keeps you from writing, and face it. Those epic adventures and how-to books for self-improvement are not going to write themselves, you know?
What about you? What is your greatest source of procrastination? How do you deal with it?
