Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Procrastination: Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour #8



Unlike a lot of writers, I'm faced with a different type of procrastination

Many people will tell you that they'll procrastinate in any number of ways to avoid writing.  They'll clean, knit, wash dishes and herd cats before they'll willingly Open their WIP (Work in Progress) and write the next scene.

Not me.  I'll write to procrastinate from having to do anything else.

I adore writing.  It's what I'd rather be doing at just about any time.  I sometimes have to force myself to take breaks an do other things, even things I love like work with photography and computer art.  Housework?  Are you joking?  I have to finish that novel I'm writing!

This can be a problem, of course.  Cats literally stand in front of the screen to get my attention.  Fixing dinner becomes a frantic rush to do dishes, fix food, feed cats, wash clothes -- how fast can I get all that done and back to the novel?

Oh, and if I'm outlining, it's even worse.  I'll sometimes get up to do something when I'm stuck on a scene.  Then I get the idea I need and rush back, leaving food out on the counter until my brain again disengages from the storyline.  I must put a timer on when I'm cooking.  Even if something is only going to heat up for five or ten minutes, I need the timer because I will completely forget it the moment I go back to the computer and start working again.

What?  Not go back?  Are you joking!  Waste ten minutes watching food cook when I could get a couple hundred more words written?

I do enjoy doing other things.  If I can get to the zoo for the day, just me and my camera, I might not do more than a handful of notes on notecards while I'm there.  (Hey, some animals make wonderful basics for aliens!  You didn't think I'd just forget writing while I was there, did you?)  When Russ and I go on long trips, we often spend hours in the car discussing a story idea or two.

In my world there's nothing better than sitting down for the day with nothing I have to do but write.

I'm a lucky person to love my profession so much.



If you want to get to read about nearly twenty other writers, check out the
Merry-Go-Round Blog Tour. Be sure to read tomorrow's post by Sharon Kemmerer

1 comment:

Brett said...

That picture must be the "Mom, we're hungry, feed us" look that cats are so good at. I get it all the time.

Usually followed by claws in the leg.

Great post. Never thought about the other side of the coin, using writing to avoid other things.