Procrastination

Procrastinate:  to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.  The Merriam-Webster Dictionary.

While procrastinating writing this blog piece because I could not think of a topic to write about, I thought procrastination, itself, might be a good topic; specifically, how it relates to writing.  I often find myself procrastinating sitting down, opening the computer, and working on a writing project.  I’m not sure why I do this, but I think it involves the fear of writer’s block - not writer’s block, itself, but fear that if I sit down and try to write, I won’t have any ideas and won’t be able to progress the story.  For me, this fear may relate to the fact that I don’t outline, but rather shoot from the hip when writing, so I generally don’t know what will happen in the next scene, although I do try to have a few ideas in mind as I go.  That’s why stopping writing in mid-action is better for me than stopping at the end of a scene.  That way, I will have something I know is occurring to go back to and can use that action to keep the momentum going.  

Procrastination affects people in different ways.  For example, if I don’t have something done a week or a few days before the deadline, I awaken suddenly in the middle of the night hyperventilating in a pool of sweat.  However, I know people who can wait until the last possible moment to complete a task and not even be anxious.  For example, a good friend of mine in college never wrote a paper unless it was the night before it was due, which would often necessitate her running across campus in her pajamas the next morning after staying up all night, and slipping the paper under the professor’s door at the last chime of the clock of the hour it was due, never breaking a sweat.  Also, my husband seems to like to begin substantial home improvement projects a few hours before we have to leave for the airport or before we are expecting house guests.  Maybe the last minute nature of their methods fuels these individuals to accomplish great things, whereas it paralyzes me.  

So, what are your favorite methods of procrastination, you may ask.  I find that doing something else that needs to be done makes me feel less guilty about my procrastination.  

Possibly acceptable procrastination tasks:

1.  House cleaning and laundry.  As I’m sitting down to do my writing, I will inevitably notice those crumbs on the floor that will likely soon attract ants or that pile of dirty laundry that needs washing.  These tasks, of course, need to be dealt with immediately, whereas writing can wait.  After all, my husband won’t have to go without pants if I don’t get my writing done for the day, but if the laundry’s not washed, lookout neighborhood. 

2.  Cooking.  You gotta eat, right?  

3.  Day job.  This is a no-brainer since it actually pays the bills, whereas I haven’t quite gotten to that point with the writing gig.  

4.  Socializing with pets.  Studies show that spending time with animals lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and I will go so far as to say puts one in the right frame of mind for writing, so this might actually assist in accomplishing my writing goals. 

[Gratuitous picture of my cat, who would rather be playing with her mouse.] 

Possibly unacceptable procrastination tasks:

1.  Watching TV.  Watching mindless TV (like The Real Housewives of [insert your own town here], one of my favorite guilty pleasures) is probably not an acceptable form of procrastination, or at least not a guiltless one.  But what if you’re watching something like Grantchester, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Midsomer Murders, or Death in Paradise.  I think this could count as time well spent for a mystery writer on researching plot and character development, so can probably be bumped up to the acceptable list.  

2.  Reading for pleasure.  See above.  In addition, reading just about anything can help the writer develop his or her craft, so bump this one up, too.

3.  Weekend trip or vacation.  This might seem like an unacceptable procrastination activity, but set your next story at your destination and you’ve turned this unacceptable diversion into an acceptable research and tax deductible opportunity.  

Now that I’ve established that there are no unacceptable procrastination tasks, I feel much better.  And, I got my blog piece done (3 days before posting)!  Tell me your favorite procrastination tactics in the comments.

Angela Crider Neary is an attorney by day and writer by night. She is an avid mystery reader and especially enjoys reading novels set in interesting locales. She was inspired to write her first mystery novella, Li'l Tom and the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau: The Case of the Parrots Desaparecidos, by one of her favorite areas in San Francisco, Telegraph Hill.  Her second book, Li'l Tom and the Case of the New Year Dragon is now available.  To learn more, visit her on Facebook and Amazon.