Writers Chat, hosted by Johnnie Alexander, Brandy Brow, and Melissa Stroh, is the show where we talk about all things writing, by writers and for writers!
“Because talking about writing is more fun than actually doing it.”
Writer Procrastination with Brandy Brow
Co-host and author Brandy Brow leads the Writers Chat community in a discussion on procrastinating, which she defines as “intentional avoidance.” We talk about the reasons we as writers procrastinate even when a deadline is looming and share tips on ways to prevent procrastination from becoming a problem. In a bit of a “plot twist,” however, we also talk about the positive results that can come from recognizing and even accepting our procrastination tendencies.
Watch the September 10th replay.
Brandy Brow, Writers Chat co-host who freelance edits and writes flash fiction and short stories for the general market, plus articles and devotions. Her fiction explores the highs and lows of human nature and ranges from normal to strange. She loves to help writers improve their craft.
Disclaimer: The opinions and viewpoints presented by the cohosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and viewpoints of Writers Chat or Serious Writer, Inc.
Writers Chat is hosted live each Tuesday for an hour starting at 10 AM CT / 11 AM ET on Zoom. The permanent Zoom room link is: http://zoom.us/j/4074198133
“A writer will do anything to avoid the act of writing.”
William Zinsser
Every writer or published author has dabbled or delayed in their quest to finish a writing project. This truth may comfort you. It happens to all creatives at one time or another: the flow is interrupted and the words disappear.
The malady has a name: procrastination. Synonyms include deferring action, stalling, hesitating, and my personal favorite—dithering. It’s not a character assessment – you’re not a weak person if you’ve dabbled with delay. But you may have developed a bad habit, one that may prevent (or at least postpone) achievement of your writing goals.
You’re not alone. Statistics reveal that 95% of the population procrastinates at times, with 26% of the population identified as chronic procrastinators.[1] The trend today continues to rise.
The cost of procrastination as a writer is significant:
Missed deadlines
Missed opportunities (often related to previous missed deadlines)
Stress and pressure to get something on the page when you are not “in the flow”
Damage to your reputation and reliability when work is late or poorly completed because you put if off until the last minute
Is it possible to change the behavior?
It is.
Dr. Tim Pychyl, author of Solving the Procrastination Puzzle, has done a tremendous job of research on the topic. He identified a set of triggers that make a task seem more averse – also defined as daunting, overwhelming, or unpleasant.[2] And when tasks create that sense of dread or overwhelm it’s easy to see why we put them off. Perfection and procrastination are partners in crime.
So let’s experiment with a quick exercise. Bring to mind something you’re currently struggling with in your writing. You’ll probably find the task that comes to mind includes some, if not all, of the characteristics that Pychyl discovered that make a task procrastination worthy.
Here are his top five examples and how they sound:[3]
Fear of the Unknown – “I don’t know how to get started.”
The Task is Difficult – “I can’t do this. It’s too hard.”
The Task is Boring – “I thought writing was a creative process. It’s not fun!!”
The Task is Ambiguous – “I’m totally confused – every expert says something different.”
Task is Unstructured / Feels Overwhelming – “Who am I kidding? I’m not a writer.”
Why is how it sounds important? It’s vital – these assessments are what we’re telling ourselves about ourselves. And it’s damaging self-talk that can convince us to quit. If you believe you are called to write, this can be devastating.
These five procrastination traps are common, but not necessarily the most common, especially among creatives – including writers. The most common trap among this group is often believed to be perfectionism!
How do we address it? What can we do when it strikes?
Maybe you had a mom like mine who taught me “anything worth doing is worth doing well.” And while that has served me often, it’s also caused me to be hyper-hard on myself if it’s not perfect in the moment. Perfectionism lobbies for it all to be perfect now – and limits the definition of success to an unrealistic standard.
“Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.”
William Zinsser
How does your awareness of “clear thinking” equip you to write when perfection isn’t present on the page? Acknowledge you’re stuck, distracted, or discouraged. Recognize when procrastination badgers you to do it tomorrow, go shopping, or clean out your closet. Think clearly and redirect your efforts to more manageable or appealing activities that still support your writing!
Stop staring at the blank screen. Don’t rewrite that opening paragraph ten times and trash it. Turn your attention to other tasks:
Research material for your book or article.
Work on the proposal: research comps, select a format.
Read a chapter in Writing Well by William Zinsser that will fill a knowledge gap.
Edit work completed previously.
Listen to a podcast on writing that will advance your knowledge.
Brainstorm with a writing buddy. Don’t have one? Find one!
OR . . . WRITE—and disconnect from the procrastinator’s prayer: “Please God, make it perfect right now!”
Is that last one possible? Successful writers know perfection is not always or easily attainable. Have you ever finished a late-night writing session, hit SAVE with great satisfaction, assured the writing is brilliant? Then wake to discover it’s not brilliant. It’s not even passable. That’s why there are second draft, critique groups, and amazing bolts of lightning when you are engaged with some other activity.
Redeem the day—invest in dumping perfectionistic thinking in your writing. Pump your productivity with other writing related tasks. Then return when you can think and write clearly. And never forget: one can’t exist without the other!
Deborah DeArmond is a recognized leader in the fields of performance development, facilitation. She is a certified writing coach as well as an executive business coach. She is also an award-winning author.
Deb’s the author of Related by Chance, Family by Choice, I Choose You Today, and Don’t Go to Bed Angry. Stay Up and Fight! All three books focus on relationship dynamics, communication, and conflict resolution. Her humorous devotional entitled Bumper Sticker Be-Attitudes was published in late 2019. Her newest release, We May Be Done But We’re Not Finished: Making the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life was released in July. She has published more than 200 articles in print and online, including a monthly column, now in her 7th year for Lifeway Magazine with an international circulation of 300,000.
Deb helps clients achieve success in becoming the coach others desire to work through through her engaging inquiry, humor, and straightforward approach. Her clients have described Deb as “candid but kind” and skilled at asking the questions that help “guide others to discover their answers and solutions to success.”
Available for reuse http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hell_LavaPit.JPG
One of the most beautiful passages in Scripture that expresses God’s providence, as well as, being one of the most challenging passages to me is Esther 4:14,
For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?
I am sure you are familiar with the story, but Esther who is a Jew is providentially brought into the position to be the Queen of Persia. Esther’s uncle receives word that a plan was underway to exterminate all of the Jews. He approaches Esther and requests that she speak to the King and intervene on behalf of her people. The words recorded in verse fourteen are the words her uncle used the encourage her. He tells her that God has placed her in her position at the right time for the very purpose of saving her people.
Esther’s privileged position as Queen now is a double-edged sword. She has a dreaded and difficult task of approaching the King. The buck could not be passed she had to be the one to do this, and to cut the suspense — she did it.
But what if Esther had drug her feet?
What if she continued to question God, asking if it really was what He wanted her to do?
What if she lingered praying to make sure she was hearing God right?
What if she spent time waiting on the right words?
What if she didn’t think her speech was good enough and never spoke to the King?
What if she just put the task off?
If she had procrastinated for any period of time, regardless of how good her reason would have been then her people would have perished. Esther had been given a task. It was difficult. It could be considered unfair. She faced it alone. She was in unprecedented territory. She might be mocked. She might even be killed. Esther’s God-given task was vitally important, and so are the words God has told you to write down.
It is easy to feel as if our writing is no big deal and that we have valid excuses, but [bctt tweet=”souls hang in the balance in need of the words we have not put on paper.”]
I just finished a blog post I was “given” over a month ago. Heck, I just began taking writing serious three years ago when I have felt I needed to for fifteen years. I am the chief of procrastinators. I also have good excuses.
I am not the best writer.
I need to become better at my craft.
I am busy as a pastor. I am already doing ministry.
My family needs me.
I could go on. All valid excuses. All reasons to procrastinate. All causes for souls to perish.
If God has given you something to say, then it is important.
He gave it to you. Therefore it is your responsibility. At the minimum if you don’t do it, someone else will get that chance.
But even at that souls will perish in the meantime.
But it could be that the message is not given to someone else.
Our procrastination in writing is costly.
Souls hang in the balance. You better get to writing because “who knows but that you have [been given this story or message] for such a time as this.”
