I can’t speak for you, but the writing world I live in is filled to overflowing with all sorts of impediments to my writing. Ah! How I love them….and hate them!
Speaking of love. Let’s start with my husband, Garry, who, sweet and loving as he may be, thinks the open door to my office is an invitation to come in and chat about what’s going on in his day. These chats often include an invitation to—I know what you’re thinking but you’re wrong—have a break and a cup of coffee with him. What a golden opportunity to put my laptop on sleep and escape!
You see the rift emerging here?
There are days when I welcome the interruption, and days when I don’t.
There are days when I fantasize about an office of my own in another building miles from home, but that takes money AND the motivation to get up, get dressed in something appropriate and get out of the house! No can do, or no want to do…
I’m in the writing game to escape the suits, the no-time-to-ponder-my-broken-fingernail syndrome, the eight o’clock meetings and the hurry-up-and-wait aspects of the business world.
Another valiant member of my procrastination team is my cat, Emma, who thinks my sole occupation should be to look after her, gaze adoringly at her, pat her, and be her gofer-in-waiting. And what a source of procrastinating opportunities! After all, her long Maine Coon Cat coat needs to be brushed every day, and I’m the gal to do it.
And of course there are all the communication opportunities. Aside from the usual email, Internet and snail mail, there is the newspaper with its wonderful Sudoku puzzles, not to mention my coveted collection of Sudoku books. One must remember to exercise one’s mind, right?
When I think I don’t have another word to write, my favorite time waster is the telephone. During some of my worst moments of writing inactivity, I’ve even entertained the notion of talking to the computer-generated voice on the other end of the line!
Okay, so you see where I’m going. When I can’t seem to get the words flowing, I can come up with hundreds of reasons not to plunk my butt down in front of the computer.
I take solace in the notion that I’m not alone in this feeling, this waffling approach to my writing life. But is solace enough? How will my next book get written, if I don’t stop fooling around while gobbling huge chunks of my time all in the name of procrastination?
During one of my extended procrastination sessions, I watched Charlie Rose on PBS. I love his program, not only does it provide a wealth of opportunity for my delaying tactics, I actually learn a lot when I watch his program. Now, this particular day, he had Ian McEwan on his show, and he asked this incredible author how he found his next story, how he came to the writing process.
And guess what the man said? He “showed up” at his computer. He turned off the Internet and email and he simply wrote words, not necessarily words that would end up in his next book, but he exercised his writing skills while he waited for inspiration.
How simple could that be?
Well, we’ll see…
I’m going to try showing up every day at my computer for at least an hour in which I will WRITE. Not futz around with office stuff, get on the Internet, or daydream. I will actually write anything that comes into my head.
Stay tuned.
Stella MacLean writes for Harlequin Super Romance. Her next book, A Child Changes Everything, will be out in August. She’s also working on her first women’s fiction novel—Clouds Across the Sun.
Oh, yes…
I have recently been through this. Anything, even cleaning, could tempt me from my chair. I had to give myself several stern talking-tos before I changed my ways. For this book, at least
.
I’ve been told a while back RWA surveyed published authors asking if they thought they were struggling, surviving or thriving. The largest percentage said they were struggling. Only 10% said they were thriving. The struggling authors wrote less then 15 hours a week. The surviving authors wrote between 15-30 hours a week. The thriving authors wrote more than 30 hours a week. Something to think about.
Um,yeah, I hear you. Let’s not forget the tactic of running around on the Internet reading blogs by other writers so you don’t feel like you’re the only crazy, lazy, procrastinator out there. Luckily, this particular blog spurred me on. I’m off to write — real words.
Thanks, Stella!
Susan
So true, Stella. The time sucks are everywhere and those little interruptions by well-meaning husbands can jerk you right out of the writing world.
I go through this all the time. A group I belong to has timed writing, where they agree to write at certain times and then report their word count. It’s working for most of them. I’ve been revising, but I’ll try it when I start writing my next book.
BTW, I have a demanding cat, too. And two dogs!
Edie, love to hear you have cats and dogs.
Yeah, Rita, I’d love to be a thriving author and it’s interesting to see that thriving is coupled with HOURS of writing time.
More incentive to stay the course.
And Michelle, I can IDENTIFY with cleaning the house rather than working. In fact, right now I hear my climbing rose calling me…..
But I need to do Butt in chair for an hour…
Stella
We do have to be so disciplined in this field, don’t we?
Let me know how ‘showing up’ goes, Stella!
Hi Stella, boy have I been struggling with this same issue for the past few years. My demons are spider solitaire and on-line Scrabble!I like to say I’m “exercising my mind”. If so, my mind is in great shape!
By the way, my cat Penny looks a lot like your Emma. We got her from the pound so I had no idea about her lineage, but she must have some Maine Coon in her.
Off to write…
When the writing is going well, all I want to do is write. When it isn’t going well, all I want to do is something else.
Ruth, that’s some big cat.
So I am not alone? Well, I knew I wasn’t. We all procrastinate in our own ways. I have my day job and my kids, both of which seem to demand far too much of my writing time.
And the marketing really catches you, doesn’t it? Twitter, Blogs, Facebook! But making an appointment with my computer – sounds like a great idea.
Thanks!
Lilly
So glad to see I’m not alone. And CJ, aren’t cats great company?
I have a cat calendar and one of the quotes was that cats are smarter than does. The proof is “Did you ever see eight cats dragging a sled through the snow?” Pretty good proof, eh?
Stella
A lovely post, Stella. Best of luck at ‘showing up’! Oh and I have a cat calendar too, it’s great inspiration. Emma seems to know how to live (smile).
Dara
Stella, I don’t need a team of helpers…I can procrastinate all by my lonesome. But I find that with all the other constraints on my time – work, kids, husband, etc – that writing is for me and I enjoy it so much. That being said, I’ve been known to eat up my “writing time” by spending an hour or more researching a single detail…
Some people are born disciplined. 99% of us aren’t, I think. But we manage in the end…I agree with you in terms of not wanting to “go out” to an office to work. Who wants that?
Michelle
I’ve always found that getting started is the most difficult part. I can procrastinate all day as long as I haven’t put anything on the page. Once I do, I can get going, but I definitely have a million and one distractions lined up otherwise. When things get really bad, I turn off my internet and hide my iPhone. Surprisingly enough, that works.
A little late for this conversation, but I can’t help but wonder if procrastination means writing is really for us? If it’s so easy to be tempted to do something else, is it our commitment that’s lacking? I grapple with this constantly.
Sometimes my procrastination is a way of finding my way through a part of my book that’s not working. Other times, well, lately, it’s most times, it’s lack of discipline.
Rita, thanks for posting about the thriving authors. I always think that the thriving authors just sit down and spew out great scenes, and it takes them an hour or so.
Showing up at the computer…I like that.
Susanne
Hi Stella – sorry I didn’t make it by yesterday – my Fridays are sometimes my only day off, and that’s what it is this weekend. Your blogging hits very close to home – even for those of us who aren’t writers…..I can find so many reasons not to vacuum, sweep, mop, etc. – it’s much more fun to play with my scrapbooking supplies, check out fun projects online, figure out how to remodel my kitchen (dreaming), etc. I guess successful authors absolutely HAVE to treat it as a JOB and show up and work those hours. It’s not a hobby when you are a Harlequin author! And #1 in my book! (Hope your book is in my 4 pack for August..I’ll keep hoping!)
Have a great weekend.
Thank you so much for this article Ruth, when I’m done helping with the barn raising at our lot I’m going to butt myself down.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CurtissAnn Matlock. CurtissAnn Matlock said: Writers, do you procrastinate? I just re-read this piece from Stella MacLean. http://ping.fm/CWLDN [...]
Boy, can I relate to this, Stella. I’m definitely more productive when I’m alone in the house.
One trick I use to combat procrastination is I set the kitchen timer for 1-hour chunks and won’t allow myself to do anything but write during that time. It’s amazing how much I can get written when it’s uninterrupted time!
Can’t wait for your next book!
LOL Hmmm, not sure where those smiley faces came from because I didn’t add them.