Avoiding Procrastination
Procrastination and me are old friends. In my journalism days, I lived by the mantra, “that’s what the last minute is for.” Great if you’re on a deadline, but terrible if you’re a writer and, well, the stakes are low.
Accountability from others is one answer: a book coach (which is the only reason I finished my novels and therefore became one myself!) a critique partner, a family member or friend demanding to read your pages.
But how to instill accountability in yourself? A) by not beating yourself up over missed writing time (even if, yeah, it’s your fault) and B) by starting slowly to ease yourself out of your procrastination habits.
Here’s what I do: I sit at my computer. I pull up my work-in-progress (or blank page—sometimes the same thing). That’s it. I don’t force myself to write, but I do practice not getting distracted. I don’t go online or check social media. I don’t do the laundry or start dinner. And if I get through my hour (or 10 minutes or whatever) without distraction, I count that as success! Because it turns out when I force myself to confront the daunting task of writing, I’m reminded why I love it. Then, it’s much easier to just do it.