Am I Procrastinating? Or Am I Just Not Ready Yet?

Last week, we talked about how procrastination can get in the way of writing. This week, I want to explore how certain things might be considered procrastination, but really aren’t.

About a year ago, I wrote an article about how an idea needs to bake (so to speak) in a writer’s head before it’s ready to be written. I need to do this, anyway, and if I sit down and try to write that story before it’s ready, it will not go well.

Research can fall into the same ‘not ready’ category. So can character worksheets, planning/outlining, brainstorming, and pretty much any kind of preparation work that can be done before you sit down to write your story. I’m a firm believer that this prep work is still considered writing, even though you’re not actually writing.

Nick said last week that he only writes when he feels inspiration—I feel for ya, Nick, cause that’s a hard thing to break out of. :) As he astutely pointed out, this is a form of procrastination. However, waiting until you feel your story is ready is not the same thing. It might feel like procrastination at times, but there’s nothing wrong with waiting until your story is strong enough in your head so you can put it together without worrying that it will fall apart.

There is a fine line between the two, though, and it’s often difficult to tell the difference. But there is a way to put it to the test: sit down and attempt to write it. It might be difficult at first, but don’t give up right away. I’d say give yourself at least fifteen minutes, and then look to see what you’ve got. If you had to struggle through each and every word for those fifteen minutes, then your story probably isn’t ready to be written yet. But if you found a groove and the story started flowing, then you were just procrastinating. :)

So, are you guilty of procrastination?  Or do you lean more toward the prep work and only feel like you're procrastinating?  Or do you not have an issue with this at all?  Do tell!  :)

Procrastinators Unite! ...tomorrow

Procrastination. It’s a common side effect of writing. Whether we’re suffering from writer’s block, lack of motivation, lack of inspiration, etc, it often grabs hold when our guards are down. And, once we’re in its grasp, it’s really hard to get out of it.

“I’ll start writing as soon as I clean the bathrooms.”
“I’ll start writing as soon as I wash the dishes.”
“I’ll start writing as soon as I organize my closet.”
“I’ll start writing as soon as I...”
You get the idea. :)

I’m a champion procrastinator. But, at the same time, I don’t like leaving things to the last minute. So I often get caught between “I’ll do it later” and “Oh crap, there’s not enough time to do this!” It sucks, and it’s taken years for me to even recognize this pattern within myself. Now that I have, I try to keep myself from getting sucked into that whirlpool, but I’m not always successful.

My writing used to suffer as a result, too. I’d fall into the I’ll-do-it-later trap, really *truly* meaning to do it later. The trouble was, it was *always* later. I’d gotten myself into a routine where everything came before writing. And if everything comes before writing, the no writing is ever going to get done. Still, nothing changed, even after I realized this.

You see, I like routines. They’re comfortably predictable. I like knowing what’s going to happen and when, and if I break out of my routine, then that comfort is taken away. My oldest son exhibits these traits, too. Poor kid. :)

Actually, I think many people are this way. I think it’s easy to find habits and routines where everything is the same. It’s reassuring, even if the habit or routine isn’t the greatest or best thing for you. On that same note, I think many people find change very difficult. Change is the unknown, and often the unknown is scary. Even if that change is for the best. That’s probably the easiest way for procrastination to get a hold on you.

And then there’s the fear. Fear of failure, success, inability to finish what you start, etc. Fear can be an excellent motivator, but it can be just as effective as an inhibitor. After all, if you don’t try, you’ll never fail. And it’s easy to talk yourself into things with statements like you never had time, other things always got in the way, things didn’t work out, etc.

Getting out of a procrastination rut can be the same kind of thing. It was for me, anyway. My desire to get published finally broke me out of it, and I created a new routine that included time for writing. I’m still using that routine, but I’ll still lapse occasionally...like I said, I’m a champion procrastinator. :)

Are you a procrastinator? If you’re not writing, why not? And is it something you feel needs to change?

That kind of gets into the next subject: what is not procrastination. But that’s for next week. :)