Writing procrastination -- how to end it forever

Do you procrastinate on your writing projects? Maybe you're not procrastinating at all.

Many writers think that they procrastinate, when it turns out that they don't leave room it in their writing lives for gestation. Every writing project needs time to "cook" so to speak. A gestation period is vitally necessary, and if you don't leave time for your projects to gestate, you'll find writing much more difficult than it should be.

Perhaps this is true for you. If so, start now to leave time for gestation. It's quite easy to do this, and it doesn't matter what you're working on, whether it's a long project like a novel, or a short project like an article.

Create lots of lists

The answer is to create lots of lists. I have a master list of projects that I'm working on, and I review that list every day.

Once a project makes it on to the list the first thing I do is write down my current thoughts on that project. This gets the material out of my head and onto the page. Then I leave the project for a few days. Of course this isn't always possible if the project has a deadline. In this case, I might only leave the project for a few hours. However, this gestation period is vitally necessary for every project, so I always leave time for it.

You always know when the gestation period has finished. Ideas for the project will suddenly stream into your mind. You won't find difficulty in carving out time for the project, because the project will be impossible to ignore. You'll find yourself "writing" on the project when you're in the shower, waiting in bank queue, and while you're eating dinner. You're compelled to write the project.

Ideas are seeds

Think of each idea as a seed. It's necessary to plant a seed and leave it time to grow. If you don't leave it growing time, and try to force the growth process, you'll kill the plant.

So if you feel that you procrastinate on your writing, try this process. Create lists. Put each project on to one of your lists. Write your initial thoughts on the project. Then allow the project to gestate.

You'll find that you'll be much more productive, and much more relaxed about your writing. As a bonus, you'll find that your writing improves because you're using both your conscious and your subconscious minds.

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Comments

[Jeff]

Interesting thought. Although sometimes I procrastinate because I feel like there's too much to do to even get started.

[Lesley Arrowsmith]

This is absolutely right! I can spend weeks thinking about a character, or a setting, and there doesn't seem to be a spark there to get anything down on paper.
Then, one day, I'll be walking the dog, and I'll have to rush home and get something down on paper Right Then, or I'll wake up early and something will come to me in that twilight time between sleeping and waking, and I'm off.
You're right, it does get impossible to ignore, and once there is something down on paper, it's so much easier to carry on, and change it around.