3 ways authors can conquer procrastination-Sherri Rosen Publicity, New York City
So many authors find themselves up against a daily wall: procrastination. It’s not quite the same thing as writer’s block. It’s just that we do anything, absolutely anything, before you start the business of writing—checking our email, looking in the fridge, making another pot of coffee, looking in the fridge again. For whatever the reason, we just can’t seem to get started with writing. When we’re honest with ourselves, we know this is one of the greatest vices of the writer’s life.
So what can you do to get out of this bad habit? How can we break through the procrastination, and step out into the working world of the writer’s life with a work ethic of integrity and discipline? Here are three helpful tips.
1. We must be honest with ourselves. Why are we delaying our work? Why do we avoid the art of crafting sentences and paragraphs like it’s mowing the lawn? Maybe, if we are honest with ourselves, it’s because we really do not want to write this book. Perhaps we actually do not believe in the message, or perhaps we simply do not like the topic. Or maybe our relationships, financial problems, or the distractions of daily life are getting in the way. Whatever the reason, the first step out of procrastination is to be honest with why we are delaying our work.
2. We must clarify our passion. Why did we start writing in the first place? What is it about the writing life that first drew us in? In order to take that first step out of the couch of procrastination, it can be incredibly helpful to hone our vision. What is it about words that so enamors us? Whatever our original passion might be, it is never too late to reclaim it, to guard it, and to fight for it. Let the fridge stay closed. Let our emails stack up. We can check them later. Now is the time to live from our hearts.
3. But what if we’re no longer writing from a vision or passion, but because it is our job? What if we have a three-book contract that needs completion, and 700 words stand between us and the final paycheck? To be frank, this is when we must learn to love writing as a discipline, not just an art. Learn to guard the hours, the craft of the project. If there’s something we’d rather be writing, we can prepare for writing that project better if we take on the difficult process of writing this project—as a discipline.
Whatever the reason we delay, postpone writing, defer the typing and drag our heels, these three steps might help us fill the pages with clear, concise and worthwhile sentences. First, we must be honest about why we are delaying. Second, we must rediscover our passion. Third, we must practice the writing life—even when it’s difficult or downright painful—as a discipline. And if none of these works, we recommend seeing if there really is something worthwhile in that fridge.
Sherri Rosen & Tyler Blanski, Sherri Rosen Publicity, NYC
Tags: authors, publicist nyc, publicity nyc, Sherri Rosen Publicity, sherri rosen publicity nyc
This entry was posted on Saturday, September 10th, 2011 at 1:58 pm and is filed under Clients, Friends and Colleagues, Industry News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
