Last week I promised that I’d address an ongoing Someday in my life: my fiction writing. So here goes: inside Alex’s Someday…
That’s right. I battle Someday Syndrome, specifically I’ll Get Around To It Someday. For 25 years I said that someday I’d become a writer. Two years ago I finally set out to do just that.
And I succeeded.
I wrote a novel, had a short story published, wrote several video scripts for an organizing website, and built up a decent reputation for my writings on Someday Syndrome.
So just how is it that I still think I suffer from I’ll Get Around To It Someday?
Because I’m not writing my next novel and I have a short story begging to get rewritten.
A year and a half after coming up with the plot for this second novel, I sat down to write it. I was going to use NaNoWriMo as motivation to get it done. After 8000 words I stopped.
I could offer up a whole bunch of excuses, explanations, reasons, whatever-you-want-to-call-them, but really, I simply stopped writing. Period.
I’m not going to justify my stopping because in this case it doesn’t matter.
“But wait!” you say. “If you understand the reason for stopping then you can clear them out of the way and get started again.”
And in many cases, you’d be right. But in this case, poking and prodding around my mind would just offer me another opportunity to procrastinate. You see, there’s nothing stopping me. I’m simply choosing not to write, which means I can simply choose to start again.
For example on Wednesday this week, while my students wrote an exam, I banged out 3 pages in one of my beloved Moleskine cahiers and added a fourth on the bus home.
It’s time I stopped futzing about and got writing. And to show you the seriousness of my intention, I’m going to head straight into the scariest thing I could do and announce that each Friday I will report on the number of notebook pages written (yes, I handwrite my novels first draft).
How about you? What are you choosing not to do?
19 Responses to “Stop Procrastinating and Start Doing”
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Alex,
I can really empathize with this, as my fiction writing feels like a constant ebb and flow. I push really hard sometimes, then at other times it seems that I go into neutral…
Posting your word/page count is an awesome way to keep yourself going!
Zoe´s last blog post..My Time is Not Money
I am choosing not to advance on the editing of the joint manuscript Harry and I have written.
Writing that down in that way absolutely sucked. Yuck. Is this what procrastination looks like?
James Chartrand - Men with Pens´s last blog post..Drive-by-Shooting Sundays: The Antisocial Social Worker
Hi Alex — thanks for this message today. Your honesty is inspiring. So is the kick in the butt!
Like you, I have a book in the wings. Outline written, chapters levied out, title page slipped into the 3 ring binder cover. It sits beside me on my desk. I look at it every morning when I walk into my office. I look at it every night when I turn off my computer.
And still it sits.
The reason.
Yup. It would only be an excuse. The 4,356th in a long line of good reasons why I’m not doing what I can to achieve my goal.
Thanks for the jolt of energy this morning.
Gotta go get writing.
This is a good one, Alex. Yeah, I procrastinate like everyone else - but I’m getting a lot better at this stuff.
The public accountability will really help.
I chose not to do NaNo because it wasn’t advancing my goals any further. If I had been writing my magnum opus
I am not confident that the quality would have been what I desired. If I had written anything else, it would have been an advanced form of procrastination for me.
So I didn’t do it - and I’m happy about that.
What I did do instead was draft a proposal to be sent to literary agents. I sent it to one, and have just been tweaking it a bit (wasn’t quite what I wanted) - and then I’ll send it to some others.
Then, I’ll get back to writing my book.
I think you’re doing a great job, Alex - you’re aware of what you need to do, and you’ll do it.
-Brett
Brett Legree´s last blog post..viking fridays - fate of norns.
That’s a great idea to make things public. Should be a good motivating factor. I find myself procrastinating mostly on things that I’m not that into. Is it possible that you secretly don’t want to write about the topic you’ve chosen?
Steve C | MyWifeQuitHerJob´s last blog post..The Hidden Benefits Of Owning Your Own Business
Hi Alex: I wrote on Wednesday about creating a Life List and making sure that you set deadlines. I’ve committed to checking off five items from my list in 2009: sky diving, learning to juggle, having my blog be in the top 1000 of Technorati, learning to scuba dive, and running a marathon
Marelisa´s last blog post..Five Joyous Tips for Being Happy
The timing of me finding your post about procrastination is kind of funny. I just sent this YouTube video to a friend a little while ago:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P785j15Tzk
Really sums it up well.
Smiles,
Tax submission!
No, seriously, I always procrastinate when I have to phone someone or have some sort of face-to-face dealings (except with friends).
It’s part of being such an introvert. And now I’m trying to deal with that. I have also “put it out there” by starting a series on my blog about my process. Yikes!
Juliet
LifeMadeGreat | Juliet´s last blog post..Are You Seeing Your Opportunity In The Economic Downturn?
Quick answer…right now, I’m avoiding housework and avoiding driving 2 hours in the snow to visit my sister. I’m warm and comfortable here in my little house.
Related to this topic. My sister-in-law “hinted” that she’s like some of my cartoons for Christmas. (Copies of what I’ve already done).
That’s going to be several hours of work. It’s not something I want to do. My heart isn’t into it. (Besides, they already HAVE quite a few Friar original paintings.)
I’ve spent years and years doing drawing an giving out my pictures. The novelly has worn off. I’m tired of giving out my artwork all the time for free, it’s almost like it’s “expected” of me.
So I’m choosing NOT to do it. And I realized that there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s OKAY.
It feels good to realize this. Like a weight has been lifted off of me.
Friar´s last blog post..Friar’s Revised Zodiac Signs
futzing about … I love that. Makes me almost want to do it so I can say that I am futzing about.
Right now, I am futzing about getting ready for Christmas. But today I made Nuts&Bolts so it smells like Christmas, and I’m getting in the mood.
Speaking of which SEND HOME ADDRESS TO YOUR SISTER so she can send you your present!
Dang! I thought I’d gotten you to ride that NaNo wave a bit further!
I was going to say that the snow today reminded me that I still had this Christmas domain hanging around for the last two+ years… Course, then I went and built a site. LOL!
Jamie Grove - How Not To Write´s last blog post..Your Favorite Christmas Memory
You asked me on my guest post on the Positivity Blog why my husband and I were planning a “someday vacation”. Your question really grabbed me and made me realize that it is time for us to make a plan! We’ve now set the date for our vacation for February 2010 - to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. That gives us time to get all of our ducks in a row with childcare for the kids and save up some moolah so we can head to Australia! And actually that’s not too far from now.
Thanks for the kick in the pants and happy writing!
Brianna´s last blog post..Starting With a Thankful Heart as Things Fall into Place
Lately I’ve been trying to be more positive. I was once a easily dispirited introvert. My mind would overthink whenever someone said something about my abilities, my future plans after college, etc. But now I think my mind is in a better place. I do the things I want to now. I’ve picked up a few hobbies, which I do when I need to take a break from studying. But probably my worst procrastination is writing.
I dreamed of writing stories when I was in 12-years-old too, but I was discouraged back then. I wanted to express myself in every way possible. Now I’m older but I still feel discouraged. I’m afraid of being unoriginal or writing things wrong. I always tell myself I have writer’s block.
But I’ll start small and write a short story after I’m done with my final exams.
I stumbled onto your blog today. Love it
@Zoe
Yes, it’s totally an ebb and flow - but for me it’s more like a tidal flow every twelve hours super high to super low…
@James
Yeah, it’s pretty harsh when we take full responsibility for what we’re not doing, eh?
@Louise
Ooh, what fun! I’m like caffeine - giving you a morning jolt! Let me know how the writing goes!
@Brett
Thanks so much! How awesome that you could figure out what you really wanted to do and followed through on it. That’s one thing I really admire about you - you’re very self-aware.
@SteveC
Aha! Yes, that is often the reason I don’t do things - because I really don’t want to, but in the case it’s more because I’m scared of messing it up, which is what most authors feel. The perfect novel that exists as a whole piece in my head will never appear on the page in the same way and that’s a hard thing to accept sometimes.
@Marelisa
I couldn’t create one for myself because I’m far too changeable - other than the writing and Someday Syndrome dream, so many whims come and go…
A life list - I like the idea. Friends and I have joked about having a list like that (but looking backwards) with all the different types of ex-boyfriends we’ve had.
@Jon
I love that video! Thanks for the link. That’s totally how days feel like sometimes, eh? Like anti-productivity moments.
@Juliet
I’m actually one of those who has my taxes sent off to my accountant the moment I receive papers I’m waiting for from others.
But I hear you on the calling people. I used to be totally extraverted but as I’ve aged, I’ve become more introverted for one-on-one interactions. I have to really push myself to make phone calls, schedule meetings, etc…
@Friar
I liked seeing you work your way through that decision. Yay! I love choosing NOT to do things. It makes life so much easier a lot of times.
@UP
Mmmmm Nuts and Bolts - since there’s no garlic in the house and I really should avoid wheat, there’ll be no Nuts and Bolts (then again, I wouldn’t be able to make them anyway because all cereals here in Spain are sugared).
Address sent a few days ago (not that’s something I won’t procrastinate about - presents!)
@Jamie
Yay to building the site! I know - I’m silly that way - put an external arbitrary deadline in front of my and I resist, but if I make the decision or if the deadline has real weight to it, then I’m super productive. Yes, I’m illogical. And I love me that way.
@Brianna
You have no idea how happy that makes me to read that you’ve made that decision! That’s so exciting. Now you have a countdown to look forward to! Woo hoo!
@Alex,
Thanks - I think self-awareness is just a start. The thing I admire about you is that while so many talk about it (I was in that category for the longest time, too) - you have gone and done it.
A little side note about the conversations we have here and elsewhere - we can learn so much from each other. The time invested here is well worth it.
Brett Legree´s last blog post..viking fridays - the system is broken.
Thank you for inspiring to write more.
Your success is inspiring, I’m happy that you did it and are enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Writing & Writers can be extremely hard on themselves.
And you showed how you were hard on yourself and stopped. Very Inspiring.
FrancoisTheo´s last blog post..New Music to Rock Your World!
@Francois
Happy to inspire any day - it’s what I’m here for!
But seriously - you’re totally right. Writers are often hard on ourselves - we expect perfection and then freak out when it doesn’t come.
I try to be gentle without letting myself get away with too much…