Ok. So you’re planning to write a bestselling novel. You’ve got a brilliant idea, and all you have to do is put pen to paper and get on with it. But the blank page is staring back at you, taunting you, and suddenly, you find you’ve developed writer’s block... Writing Coach Louise McCarron shares five tips to challenge fear and turn procrastination into positive action.
Procrastination is said to be the thief of time but it can also be the mask of fear, robbing you of creativity, motivation and success.
Displacement activities are well known to writers – in fact we probably invented most of them. Tidying cupboards, making coffee and lining up paperclips can all seem far more urgent than getting down to some serious work. For many, getting started is the hardest part. We make excuses like being too busy or not having any ideas. What lies behind these is often fear – of failure or rejection, or of having nothing to say.
Fear makes us procrastinate. When we avoid something, the stress we associate with it increases. The result is that we perceive it to be more difficult than it really is. Resistance sets in. Eventually we’re only motivated to act when the stress of not doing something becomes greater than the stress of doing it.
There are some simple strategies you can use to overcome procrastination and resistance. Try these and you’re guaranteed to get your writing back on track.
1 Take action
Action always precedes motivation so don’t wait for the muse to strike. Get yourself into the flow with a short 10-minute writing exercise. Describe an object, a telephone conversation or preparations for a meal. Engage all your senses. What can you see, hear, smell, or feel? Use this time to warm-up your writing muscles.
Make your session fun – write about a cup of coffee using a crime or comedy genre, or feature a house-plant in a children’s story. Let your imagination run riot. Use different coloured felt-pens. Draw pictures. Enjoy yourself and get your creative juices flowing.
2 Find place and space
Do you need to organise a place to write, somewhere you can keep notebooks, ideas, cuttings? If you don’t have the luxury of your own desk, a mobile office using a box file can be just as effective. Keep your materials together so that everything is ready for your writing sessions. If you want to keep your writing private, buy a lockable file or storage box.
What do you need to do to support your writing practice? Perhaps scheduling specific time in your diary or delegating domestic chores would help. Other people making demands on our time and attention can often sabotage our plans. Learn to say no.
Negotiate the support you need and nurture relationships that will give you encouragement and co-operation. Whether it’s a friend, a partner or a writing group, find something that works for you.
3 Set some goals
What do you want to achieve with your writing? Being clear about your goal will immediately increase your chances of success. For example, you might want to work on a short story for a competition. Set a time limit for your writing sessions and a date for completing your work.
Make your goal specific and write it down in one single sentence using the 3Ps – make it personal, positive and in the present tense. Your goal might be: ‘I am spending one hour a day on my short story and will complete it in two weeks time.’
Schedule your writing time and the date of your deadline in your diary. Commit yourself to your outcome. Review your goal regularly – read it at least twice a day. Constantly remind yourself that you are a writer and that you have a goal.
Writing down and reviewing your goal strengthens your commitment. Regular action moves you forward, creating a virtuous circle and decreasing the stress that comes from procrastination.
4 Small steps – big results
So often we fail because we start in the wrong place or forget to break the task down into manageable steps. Once you have decided on and written down your goal, think about what you need to do to achieve it.
What is the first action you need to take? How willing are you to take this action? Give yourself a score from 1 (not willing) to 10 (completely willing).
A score of 7 or less means that you’re unlikely to do it. Maybe that isn’t your starting place. How could you increase your score? Choose the quickest or easiest action you can take. It might be as simple as switching off the television, buying a notebook, or finding a telephone number for some research.
5 A is for achievement
Energy follows our attention, so focus on the positive. At the end of each day make a note of what you have achieved, no matter how small. Keep focused on your goal and the actions you’re taking achieve it. This will create the motivation you need to take you towards success. Enjoy your writing!
