In my head Tom Petty is the one singing the following lyrics:
Procrastination
Not gettin' it done
Procrastination
I'm feelin' real dumb
Procrastination
The time went no-where
Procrastination
The words just aren't there
Here in the northern hemisphere school is nearly finished until next autumn. I gave myself this school year to make some sort of headway with a writing career. Anything to indicate hope would have let me give myself permission to follow writing full time. A contest final, a 'good' rejection rather than a dreaded 'form' R, a request for a partial, a sale!
What have I achieved? That one lovely judge who gave me all but full marks aside, very little. Let me see, four to eight pages a day by the number of school days is, umm, too hard to figure out, but significantly more than I actually wrote.
I have excuses. But that's exactly what they are, not true reasons. What have I spent my time doing?
Yep. That's right.
Procrastinating.
Why? It's too easy to do other stuff. And of course the pop psychologists have got it right. What if I tried my hardest, did my best, poured my heart and soul into as much writing as I should have got done this year and didn't get anywhere? What if I failed?
what if I sent off my Q and S/3 chapters and got back that fantasy 'R' that I'm sure lurks in the back of all writers' minds? You know the one. It goes something like:
Dear Ms Davis,
After reading your submission and getting back from the emergency room (who knew ribs really could crack from laughing?) I would like to recommend that you take up something for which you are more suited. Higher mathematics or astrophysics perhaps.
Should you persist in your attempts at writing please be advised that all personnel at this office have been given your name and a 10 foot pole fitted with a flame thrower for dealing with any manuscripts you send our way.
Good luck with your new career,
Edwina Editor
I told myself to get over it. I have 9 and a half days left to write and I'm sure I can eke out an hour here and there during the summer.
This morning I outlined the paranormal series, gave working title a real title, outlined the rest of working title and part of its' series. And now I've written this blog. With any luck I might even get around to real writing today.
Any advice?
How do you keep the procrastinations away?
H! :)
H Maree Davis
4 comments:
Maree - surely you would never ever get such a letter! The fear of failure is common but keep up with the writing. Good luck.
Heather - love the entry, very funny! Here is my advice...
Oops, sorry just had to go and do the dishes, ok, down to business...
Sorry again, I just can't think with a messy desk. It's nice and clean now...
I'm serious now, no more writing shopping lists, drat-forgot to include pasta...
I give up - seriously I am probably as bad as you and I don't have kids or a husband or a morgage to distract me. I am lucky to be able to set aside a whole day to write (and do) but of course that is after I have cleaned the house, taken out the garbage and gotten ready for my tax return five months in advance.
Kym
So, wanna know what I've been doing the last few days? Not much writing, that's for sure.
It does involve books though - nope, not reading (well no more than normal), I've been making readers for SG (that's the small girl).
I cannot believe they don't have take home readers here. What sort of town is this anyway? And as someone who used to do reading intervention in the day job I'm seeing warning signs, the kid needs proper levelled readers. Do you know how much those things cost? And no, those things they call 'readers' down at B and N are not what I mean. And as for whatever genius came up with re releasing the Dick and Jane and Spot and Fluffy garba . . . nostalgia - May they be the ones who have to deal with that percentage of the population that now become literate using newer readers and methods of teaching - no, wait, hang on, that would be down to people like me. Grrr.
H! (no smiley today)
Hi Heather
I could have written this. I am so good at not doing what I am meant to be doing I could give classes in it.
I have been trying to work out why somethings always get done no matter what else is going on then maybe I can apply these findings to my writing. For instance, I always put the bin out on Wednesday night. It doesn't matter what the weather is like, how I am feeling, where I have been, what else is on my mind, other tasks - the bins always go out. I never miss.
Perhaps because it is now a habit, the repercussions of not doing it are worse than the chore itself, there is a deadline, my self-image is of someone who puts bins out, I get some small pleasure from walking up the drive pushing the bin.
I am not sure where I am going with this - more procrastination??
Maybe if I try to make writing a habit.
cheers
lesley
PS - That is terrible about the readers. At least you can see the problem and are doing something about it for your daughter. Many parents just have to assume that schools are doing the right thing until it is too late.
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