Something I have found worthy of note since I started writing is the effect that my mood can have on both the quality and quantity of material I can produce.
Since I have recently become single again, I have spent a great deal of time tidying up what was the office and which I now refer to as ‘My Writing Room’. So much time, in fact, that I have pondered whether I am subconsciously using this as a procrastination tactic.
This is a familiar problem among writers and when mood is low or distracted, it creeps into your soul like damp in an old house. There are numerous websites offering a wealth of guidance in overcoming the problem but to research them in any detail becomes yet another way to avoid tackling the problem. Therefore, I have taken this onerous task from you.
I know what my problem is: I really need to just sit down and write. However, I work full time and often quite long hours. When I come home in the evening, I do some keep fit, I make a meal and then shortly afterwards it’s time for bed so I have to choose whether to take some time reading to relax, or do I get out my notebook and write.
Gail Brenner advises in her article for the Write To Done website that the first step is to work out why you procrastinate. Rather like a variety of medical conditions, there are different cures for each kind, it seems.
Sometimes we procrastinate due to boredom or fear; sometimes it’s down to our own thoughts which are limiting our abilities to perform.
Yourwritelife.com offers advice about breaking a project down into bitesize chunks which are manageable. This I have found to work as I become demotivated if I can’t see that I’ve made progress. There are some days when I break down tasks into such minute levels of detail that it seems silly but it all goes towards rewarding myself with a sense of achievement, so I figure it’s worth it.
It’s a great comfort to know that some of the best literary figures in the world have suffered from this debilitating affliction and gone to extraordinary lengths, in some cases, to fight it.
Ernest Hemingway famously preferred to stand while writing. One can only presume he had his desk raised a couple of feet from the floor, otherwise he would have sustained severe back trouble in no time at all.
Victor Hugo used to write in the nude. His logic was that if was naked, he couldn’t leave the house. He even had his valet hide his clothes until he was done writing for the day.
Somewhat less eccentric, Douglas Adams asked his editor to intervene during the writing of Hitchikers’ Guide to the Galaxy. It is said that the book would not have been completed without Meretzky staying in the author’s house until it was done.
Dr Bill Knaus in his article for Psychology Today give ten tips for writers. Among them, my favourites are:
- Mapping your cognitive-emotive process. It’s worth spending some time thinking about the writing before you start. Allow yourself a few moments to gather your thoughts and work out what your feelings are towards writing.
- Reward and penalty system. I have a page of gold stickers by my calendar. Every day I write, I put a gold sticker on the date. At the end of the week, if I’ve written every day, I can reward myself with something nice. I might watch a film or go shopping for shoes.
- Expect inertia. It’s unrealistic to expect this will go away on it’s own. It needs work to make it stick. It’s also unrealistic to think you will ‘cure yourself’ and it will never happen again. It will happen. The key is to see it coming and be prepared for it.
Good luck with your writing!
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