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Procrastination and Writing
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Author:  Evening L. Aspen [ April 25th, 2011, 1:39 am ]
Post subject:  Procrastination and Writing
I am a terrible procrastinator.

Anyone who's asked me to do a job knows this all too well. I may intend to do a job, but it takes me a lot of time, poking, prodding, and scheduling to actually get stuff done. Yes, it's a drag. But God is working on it! ;)

Being a procrastinator is a double drag when it comes to writing. See, you have to do something in order to write: you have to sit down, open your notebook or word processor, and write/type words. Writing is work. At times it can be a daunting task, such as when you are slogging through that fuzzy plot point or one of your characters is being a jerk.

So, this is my question to you: how do you get over procrastination in order to write?
Author:  Andrew Amnon Mimetes [ April 25th, 2011, 5:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Ummm...can I get back to you on this? ;)

Actually, I don't. *sits down and waits for other answers*

*realizes he is NOT being helpful* *hides*

eru
Author:  Treskillard [ April 25th, 2011, 8:18 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
One of the ways that I do this is to keep a writing log. I simply use an Excel spreadsheet, and I enter on each day the total # of words in the document ... then I have a cell to the right calculate the difference between that day and the previous day, which allows me to know how many words I write each day.

This motivates me to keep it up to at minimum 400 words per day. If you write at that pace, you can easily write a full length novel in around 6 months (depending on its length, of course).

You can also enhance the spreadsheet to give more complicated calculations ... mine tells me the estimated day I will be finished with the novel, but I just found out this week that I need a new way to calculate this, because as I got closer to the end (I'm at 98%) it got off.

Anyway, seeing that date helps motivate me, too! If it starts slipping it makes me want to write faster.
Author:  Sienna North [ April 25th, 2011, 8:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Although I could use some help in this area myself, here are some things I do {that I should do more often}:

Record all the non-school/work/necessary activities you do in your spare time. See if you can limit some of them. For example, limit email/facebook/holy worlds {please don't gasp, folks!} to alternate days of the week rather than all three at once, or purpose to reply to 3 messages/topics per time, for example.

Try a rewards/punishment system {it works ok, but it's certainly not perfect}. For example, try rewarding every 30 minutes writing/certain words written with comparable time watching a movie or reading a fiction book. Or you could think of it as a punishment: no doing such-and-such until you've written.

Another possibility is to write with a notebook during "odd hours." Maybe you don't have any unoccupied moments, but if you take the train around {as I do *quite* often} it provides some spare moments to grab a seat and write. Or you could record your voice during a car commute. Or write while waiting for your sister to finish her ballet lesson.

The unbeatable option, in my opinion, is getting up early and writing just after your quiet time {if that's when you like to have a devotion}. Your mind's rested and your creativity is not yet exhausted by the demands of a long day.

That's all my thoughts for now. Please continue suggestions, I really do need them more than this post would suggest!

~ Dawn
Author:  Bethany Faith [ April 25th, 2011, 11:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Shockingly, writing is one of the few things that I don't procrastinate in... :shock:

Maybe you could...force yourself to write? ;)
Author:  Leandra Falconwing [ April 25th, 2011, 12:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Currently, I get past procrastination by having writing time scheduled in to my life. Before that, I really didn't do much of anything and just wrote when I felt like it. :P
Author:  Varon [ April 25th, 2011, 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
I just wait until summer, since I have too much school to really write anything and my parents have this strange disease that makes them want to clean the house with my help on weekends.

Other than waiting, I don't really do anything.
Author:  Sienna North [ April 25th, 2011, 6:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Varon wrote:
my parents have this strange disease that makes them want to clean the house with my help on weekends.


How odd... my parents seem to have the same disease :P .
Author:  Calenmiriel [ April 25th, 2011, 8:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
evenstar wrote:
Varon wrote:
my parents have this strange disease that makes them want to clean the house with my help on weekends.

How odd... my parents seem to have the same disease :P .
I have to say it, but THAT WAS HILARIOUS! :rofl:

Back on topic!

I will be the first to say that I am a procrastinator as well. -_-;; In fact, I'm doing it now! *facepalm*

When it comes to writing, I can procrastinate for a couple reasons. Sometimes I don't want to write because I realize how long of a project I'm working on and am overwhelmed at how much farther I have to go. Another reason is lack of inspiration. If I force myself to write you can tell by the change in my writing style or the addition of a very pointless scene.

I think what helps me get over the procrastination is not having deadlines. If I can take my time I tend to feel excited about working on my story. If I have a deadline, I feel like I'm forced to come up with words to put on paper. (You can probably tell I don't like deadlines.) :D

Now that I've made bunny-trails all over my post, I wish you the best of luck on your procrastination conquering quest! ^^

~Calen
Author:  PrincessoftheKing [ April 30th, 2011, 4:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
evenstar wrote:
Varon wrote:
my parents have this strange disease that makes them want to clean the house with my help on weekends.


How odd... my parents seem to have the same disease :P .


Hmmm... it seems to be a common parental problem. :P
Author:  Bethany Faith [ April 30th, 2011, 4:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
PrincessoftheKing wrote:
evenstar wrote:
Varon wrote:
my parents have this strange disease that makes them want to clean the house with my help on weekends.


How odd... my parents seem to have the same disease :P .


Hmmm... it seems to be a common parental problem. :P


*wonders if there's a cure to this disease. :?
Author:  Aisha H Mimetes [ April 30th, 2011, 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
*Groans* I have a lot of trouble with procrastinating in my writing. It usually happens when I reach a point in my story where I don't know what happens next and I have to invent it. Those times unfortunately seem to coincide with being uninspired. I would love to see people overflow this thread with tips for overcoming this ailment.

~Aisha
Author:  Constable Jaynin Mimetes [ May 1st, 2011, 6:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
I learned the art of procrastination on Scriptfrenzy. Previous to that it was a totally unknown phenomena. I write like a madwomen. I have literally dozens of notebooks, and I usually filled one a month. Most of my novels I wrote in less than two months. However, I rarely went beyond that.

The trick to procrastination is that it is an art. I hate revising. I have to force myself to do it. But it's just as important as writing the first draft. When I'm stuck on a draft I pace back and forth across the house in physical agony, looking for things to bang my head on. When I get stuck on revising I simply go off and find something else do to, pretending it doesn't exist. If one understands that this is what one is doing, however, it's not so easy to forget. So it's procrastinating with purpose, acknowledging that you're simply stuck, and after surfing the web for fifteen minutes you go dig back into it. Maybe you just need to write for short bursts interspersed with something else.

Basically, I see procrastination as a common writing disease. The trick is to take it and put it to work actually motivating you. That's when it become an art that you can use to your advantage. :D

*stops procrastinating and gets back to work*
Author:  Svensteel Mimetes [ June 18th, 2011, 7:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
How about every time you procrastinate about writing you lock yourself in your room with a keyboard/paper for five hours straight?!?! Lol jk

I'd keep a chart of how long and when you have written for accountability! :dieshappy:
Author:  Willow Wenial Mimetes [ June 19th, 2011, 7:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Well, I know how I help people get over their procrastination. :P I badger them, and ask them questions about it until they tear out their hair in mortal frustration and get themselves off to do whatever it is they should have been doing. *grins* Some of you know of this technique. :D

Unfortunately, I'm not very good at badgering myself, so usually, I commit myself to 25 minutes of one activity and I CONCENTRATE. And I set a timer. And I know that I can do anything for 25 minutes, and if at the end of that I really want to take a break...I can! It helps SO much.

and then usually, I'm excited enough about what I've started writing that I want to continue. :)
Author:  Svensteel Mimetes [ June 19th, 2011, 7:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Willow Wenial wrote:
Unfortunately, I'm not very good at badgering myself, so usually, I commit myself to 25 minutes of one activity and I CONCENTRATE. And I set a timer. And I know that I can do anything for 25 minutes, and if at the end of that I really want to take a break...I can! It helps SO much.

and then usually, I'm excited enough about what I've started writing that I want to continue. :)


Timers! Times work!

That happens to me too! Same thing happens with books; once I start reading and get into it I can't put it down!
Author:  Evening L. Aspen [ July 27th, 2011, 11:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Procrastination and Writing
Willow Wenial wrote:
Well, I know how I help people get over their procrastination. :P I badger them, and ask them questions about it until they tear out their hair in mortal frustration and get themselves off to do whatever it is they should have been doing. *grins* Some of you know of this technique. :D

Consider yourself invited to do this to me. :D

Willow Wenial wrote:
Unfortunately, I'm not very good at badgering myself, so usually, I commit myself to 25 minutes of one activity and I CONCENTRATE. And I set a timer. And I know that I can do anything for 25 minutes, and if at the end of that I really want to take a break...I can! It helps SO much.

and then usually, I'm excited enough about what I've started writing that I want to continue. :)

I tried this today and was able to get a decent chunk of writing done. :D Thanks for the suggestion. Something along the same lines...I heard somewhere that the founder of IKEA divides his day into ten minute intervals in order to get more work done.

Aisha Hammermast wrote:
*Groans* I have a lot of trouble with procrastinating in my writing. It usually happens when I reach a point in my story where I don't know what happens next and I have to invent it. Those times unfortunately seem to coincide with being uninspired. I would love to see people overflow this thread with tips for overcoming this ailment.

I have that same problem, Aisha. It was especially bad during NaNo, when I knew I had to write but was utterly out of ideas. I agree, tips for this problem would be really helpful. :D I think it would be best to start a separate thread for that, though, to keep this thread from becoming multi-topical. I think I made up that word.

I've found that having accountability really helps me get things done, especially when it's someone who can help me get through writer's block when I honestly need help. In my experience, it's best to have an accountability partner who will ask you directly how you're doing rather than waiting for you to give an update.
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