Procrastination and Discipline – one writer’s life

My friend Ann broke her toe yesterday.  I went into “good friend” mode and did what I could to make things easier for her because she’s a great friend about whom I care deeply.  Some of that involved sitting on her couch with her chit-chatting today.  The day before that, we went shopping together and I brought my camera so I could get photos of more signs in weird or lousy English.  The day before that I had a lunch date with another friend.  I had a charity meeting and a haircut on Monday.  Are you sensing a theme here?

Normally I’m pretty good. I sit my butt down in the chair and write.  I write all kinds of things – articles, stories, and of course, even novels.  I do a newsletter for the Jewish Community Center, and I do work with a charity.  I have a lot on my plate if you include the two kids and their activities as well.

But there are some days when the discipline to be a writer just won’t come.  When I went to the Japan Writers’ Conference last week, Lauren Shannon, a wonder-woman type of human, gave a session on writing in groups and alone.  But the one thing writers do, she said, is WRITE.  She gave us all types of strategies for staying focused and getting the work done.  She suggested blocking email and facebook while writing.  She suggested different venues in which to write.  She suggested finding an accountability partner who will hold you accountable for your work, be it in chapters or time.  Those are all great suggestions, and normally I can do one or more of them daily.  As much as I love writing, I also most often love the act of sitting in my chair (and it’s a GREAT chair) and being in front of that computer.   This week, however, even the great chair holds no charm.  It’s a slow week.

Today is one of those days.  Can’t be perfect every day.  I am going to let it go.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll write 3000 words that will make me leap with joy.  One never knows.

That’s the great part about days like today: THEY END.

“Til tomorrow then.