Some quick tips to keep you from procrastinating on your writing

Procrastination

For me, procrastination can come from several sources:

1) I have too much to do and it makes me nervous, so I avoid the task altogether

2) I am currently uninterested in the scene I'm writing

3) I don't know where the scene is going

4) I'm afraid I won't do the scene justice

A lot of the time, the real source of the problem is #2. I'll lose interest in the scene I'm writing, and therefore when I'm not writing I don't have the motivation to write. I don't sit down to type with anticipation for the adventure ahead. And there's an easy way to fix that, which we'll get to in just a minute. But let's say that your main problem is not #2, but rather #1 or #3 or #4. So I'm going to address them all at once.

The core of the problem

What is making you procrastinate? What is the core of the problem?

1) You have too much to do in general and it makes you nervous, so you avoid the task altogether.

The problem: You're overwhelmed.

2) You are currently uninterested in the scene you are writing.

The problem: The scene is uninteresting or doesn't have enough conflict.

3) You don't know where the scene is going.

The problem: You're stalling for time since you haven't made a plan.

4) You're afraid you won't do the scene justice.

The problem: You're worried your writing won't be any good.

And it's ok if any of these are happening. You're here trying to find the solution to your problem, and that's the first step in fixing it. So how do we solve these problems?

How to overcome it

1) If you're feeling overwhelmed:

Break the project down into manageable chunks. Let's say you have to rewrite an entire chapter. First focus on just rewriting that one conversation. Copy and paste the previous version of the conversation into a new document and focus on perfecting just that one piece.

2) If you're uninterested in the part you're working on:

Like I said, when I'm procrastinating, losing interest is usually my problem. So what do you do? Add something that makes it interesting. The reason you're bored is that the scene needs more conflict or more tension or an element that keeps your attention going. Give the characters a goal. Or something that's keeping them from reaching their goal. Raise the stakes. Do something that makes it interesting again.

3) If you don't know where the story is going next:

Make. A. Plan. Even if you're a pantser and not a plotter, making a plan for this specific part of the story might help you stop procrastinating and move forward. You don't have to stick to that plan if you come up with a better idea. It doesn't even have to be a detailed plan. You just have to know what happens next and why so you can keep moving forward.

4) If you're worried it will suck:

Give yourself permission to suck. No great novel started off perfect. No good novel started off perfect, either. If it helps, write 'this is the version that sucks' at the top of the page and keep writing with that in mind. Give yourself the creative freedom to explore paths that might not work. No one else has to see the sucky version. You just have to get past the block.

Notice the common thread of all these solutions: Just do it anyway. Find out what is holding you back, find out how to get past the block, and keep writing. Giving in to the problem never fixed anything. Find the solution and keep pushing on.

Now go! Go forth and write your novels! Get past your blocks! Be amazing!!!

If you find that your procrastination problem is not one of the ones you saw above, or you just had more thoughts, drop me a comment! I'm always happy to talk more on this topic!