Procrastination

Ms.Write · Apr 9, 2007

Some writers have a problem with this, including me at times. I came across this description of procrastination in a book called "The Right to Write" by Julia Cameron, which is excellent:

"A primary reason writers procrastinate is in order to build up a sense of deadline. Deadlines create a flow of adrenaline. Adrenaline medicates and overwhelms the censor. Writers procrastinate so that when they finally get to writing, they can get past the censor.

"What writers tell themselves while they procrastinate is that they just don't have enough ideas yet, and when they do, then they'll start writing. It actually works exactly backward. When we start to write, we prime the pump and the flow of ideas begins to move. It is the act of writing that calls ideas forward, not ideas that call forward writing."

Can you relate?

janetbellinger · Apr 9, 2007

Sounds like gobbledygook to me. I procrastinate because I am afraid of more rejection.

Claudia Gray · Apr 9, 2007

That does make sense to me, though at this point it applies more to the writing I do for my day job than my fiction. Without the adrenalin, the work stuff wouldn't have much excitement to it.

Siddow · Apr 9, 2007

I procrastinated all through last year's Nano, until the very last day when I had to pump out 9k words to achieve success.

I did it, too. So I can feel the first paragraph you quoted.

But I've never told myself that I'm not writing because I don't have ideas yet. I have too many ideas. I procrastinate because I can't pick one, or because the house is dirty or the kids are hungry or I'm lazy or American Idol is on or there's a Gordfest on AW or I'm hip-deep in a beta read or I just got the new King or my hubby's looking 'specially hot tonight...

scarletpeaches · Apr 9, 2007

I'll answer this thread tomorrow.

Azure Skye · Apr 9, 2007

The second paragraph I can agree with. The first, not so. I cannot create under pressure, which is why when I know I have a deadline, I don't procrastinate. Some people feel they can work that way. I don't know how they do it.

Shadow_Ferret · Apr 9, 2007

I procrastinate because I'm essentially lazy and say, "I'll do it tomorrow." I've always been that way with everything, not just writing. Has absolutely nothing to do with any censors or internal editors or anything to do with writing. It's just me and a nasty habit.

I once had an essay to write in college. It was due at the end of the semester. I was going to do it on procrastination, but I kept putting it off and putting it off, and then I realized it just wasn't an interesting enough topic so I changed my topic to addictions. Even so I ended up pulling an all-nighter the day before it was due.

victoriastrauss · Apr 9, 2007

Azura Skye said:
The second paragraph I can agree with. The first, not so. I cannot create under pressure, which is why when I know I have a deadline, I don't procrastinate. Some people feel they can work that way. I don't know how they do it.

Same here.

- Victoria

askeladd · Apr 9, 2007

I think there are various reasons for procrastination, reasons which can vary not only from individual to individual but from task to task. For some, it may indeed be the deadline thing; others, laziness, pressure from other obligations, or what have you. I wouldn't be surprised, however, if most of these reasons actually have their root in some type of lack of motivation - it's a rare individual who procrastinates in doing something he enjoys. Discover why there's a lack of motivation, and I think you stand a good chance of overcoming it.

That's my theory, anyway, and I'm sticking by it. Now if I could only discover my "why"....

Novelhistorian · Apr 9, 2007

I procrastinate usually when I'm not sure what comes next and am afraid to blocked. (So I block myself first--clever.) Often, that thing that's supposed to come next is description of an environment or the development of a character I don't know, and it's easier to procrastinate than do the hard work of figuring it out.

TrickyFiction · Apr 9, 2007

I think I do better under pressure, which is half the reason I'm taking certain classes (the other half of the reason is so I can learn to write more better

). Right now, I'm in a little writing class for which we are required to write something every day. When, I heard that requirement, I nearly giggled in anticipation, but then, the professor announced that he would not be collecting any of it. Now, I'm deflated because I can just lie about it, and I'm afraid that some days I actually will.

Ms.Write · Apr 10, 2007

How I related to the Julia Cameron quote, first paragraph is that when I procrastinate I feel pressure building up (guilt about not writing?) which creates a sort of "deadline." After all, there's no one pushing me to write my novel. Not even me.

I can also relate to what janetbellinger said about fear of rejection. I believe this is what stops me from plunging in on a daily basis. I remember all the rejections I received in the past and a little voice says, "why bother?"

I DO find that I generate more ideas once I am into the writing (per Julia Cameron's second paragraph), though I need to visualize at least the start of the scene before I begin.

I agree with askeladd's interpretation of "lack of motivation" which would be something that PULLS us towards the work. Maybe we just need to immerse ourselves more in the story and character when we are not actually writing; that should provide a natural pull.

maestrowork · Apr 10, 2007

I procrastinate because there are no deadlines, no immediate rewards, no one breathing on my neck and say "I need that on my desk tomorrow." There are no rewards other than the satisfaction of getting something done -- instead, there's this dread that once I finish it, I will have to work on the rewrite, and after I work on the rewrite, I will have to submit it, and that means rejections...

So yeah, it usually takes a while before I tell myself, "suck it up; do it or die."

ChaosTitan · Apr 10, 2007

I used to procrastinate like a mad person. "I've got blogs to read." "I need to check the new threads on AW." "Oooh, it's a new Ask Ausiello column!" Any excuse to simply surf the web and read, or watch movies and veg. Oddly, this was more common a year ago when I was still outlining novels. Part of the problem was that I had no sense of urgency to write. No deadlines, no one waiting for a manuscript, and I knew how everything turned out because I'd already written the outline (and for definition purposes, I mean serious, chapter-by-chapter, in-depth outlines for the entire novel).

I wrote my last finished 95k novel in nine weeks, pounding out the words like a mad person because I had to know WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. If I procrastinated, I'd never know. I wanted to know. And I found out.

Also, two of my favorite words are THE END. I love to type that. So what's a better motivation against procrastination than getting to the end?

JPLangsdorf · Apr 10, 2007

Interesting. I give myself a lot of grief about getting stories finished, beating myself up mentally and reminding myself that things NEED to get DONE. So it's like every day is a deadline. Therefore, I don't procrastinate.

But I'm obsessive like that. I really bother friends/family/S.O. with how focused I get on one singular thing. But it's handy. I write things relatively fast.

Not to brag. Just saying.

ccarver30 · Apr 10, 2007

janetbellinger said:
Sounds like gobbledygook to me. I procrastinate because I am afraid of more rejection.

Agree. I procrastinate because as soon as I am done I will have to move forward and write query letters and get run through the mill of agents and rejection. It's avoidance of the unknown.

Procrastination

Ms.Write

janetbellinger

Claudia Gray

Siddow

I'm super! Thanks for asking

scarletpeaches

Azure Skye

Huh?

Shadow_Ferret

Court Jester

victoriastrauss

Writer Beware Goddess

askeladd

Polyglot

Novelhistorian

TrickyFiction

Who?

Ms.Write

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

ChaosTitan

Around

JPLangsdorf

ccarver30

Nicole Castro