Sandra Orchard here. I’ve never thought of myself as a procrastinator until I became a contracted writer with deadlines and got stuck in the middle
of a story that...
I had to finish.
If you’re in the same boat, here are proven ways to do it right.
P – Plan your day in minute detail to give you
lots of items to cross off your to-do list.
R – Reread what you wrote the day before.
O – Optimize your work area for maximum
productivity. Translation: tidy your desk.
C – Critique a friend’s latest scene, because
after all, it might help you see how you got off
track in your own story.
R - Revise everything you’ve written so far.
A - Ask 2 or 3 or 5 or 10 friends what they think
should happen next.
S - Storyboard. It’s amazing the holes you
discover in your story when you lay it all out on a big, bare wall. And even if
you don’t, you can pass copious amounts of time, cutting out pretty colors of
paper or jotting notes on multi-colored post-it notes.
T - Take a walk. If nothing else, you’ll get some
much-needed exercise and rest your eyes from staring at a blank screen.
I - Internet – a guaranteed time-sucker that will
make you feel productive at the same time. After all, you’ll be doing
“research”, “marketing”, “networking”, and I’m sure you can think of a bunch
more writing-related reasons to hang out there.
N - Nap. When you push too hard to be creative,
the right side of your brain, muse or whatever you want to call it, shuts down.
Coax it to come out to play by shutting down the analytical/critical side of
your brain.
A - Annoy telemarketers. C’mon, they always seem
to call right when you’re in the middle of madly typing out a great idea,
right? So it’s only fair that when you have no ideas you keep them talking and
talking and talking until an idea shows up.
T - Take a shower. Ideas always come in the
shower.
I - Invest in a new How To Write Blah, Blah, Blah
book. It doesn’t matter that you’ve already written and published half a dozen
books. You’re bound to learn something. And if you’re learning something, you
won’t be feeling guilty about not writing…right?
O - Outline. And for the seat-of-the-pantsers
here who get hives just reading the word, use chalk and outline the dead fly
bodies on your window sill. If you’re a suspense writer, it’s bound to kick
start an idea.
If there are no dead fly bodies on your window sill, then you’ve
obviously been procrastinating your writing by cleaning the house. But cleaning
the house can hardly be classified as doing something writing-related and
therefore justified as a valid mode of procrastination. But hey, if you’d like
to come over to my house and procrastinate a little more, I have dust bunnies
the size of Harvey.
N - Nourish the mind, body and soul. Dark
chocolate and praise music work well.
I hope I’ve helped make your procrastinating time more
enjoyable. If you’d like to procrastinate some more, check out Blind Trust, the
newest book in my Port Aster Secrets series, which also happens to be on sale
for a real steal at all E-retailers for one more week!
Here’s what Booklist
had to say about Blind Trust in their May issue:
Blind Trust finds Kate Adams still reeling from her
friend’s murder as she attempts to get her life back in order. However, what
begins as a seemingly small-time counterfeit operation soon spirals into
something much bigger, with Kate at the center. Detective Tom Parker has his
eye on Kate, and not because she’s a suspect. His feelings for her continue to
grow, as does his desire to protect her, but Kate’s determination to get to the
truth on her own means that Tom is often getting her out of trouble, rather
than keeping her from it. When the action shifts from mere counterfeiting to
poisoning, theft, and decades-old secrets, Kate insists on researching her way
to the facts. Orchard infuses romance with suspense and keeps the excitement
coming page after page. Readers will love the ever-deepening mystery as Kate
extends her investigation and finds herself and her
long-dead father tangled up in an international corporate conspiracy.
Sandra Orchard is
a multi-award-winning Canadian author of inspirational
romanticsuspense/mysteries with Love Inspired Suspense and Revell. An active
member in ACFW, The Word Guild, and RWA, she enjoys helping writers hone their skills. To find out
more about her novels, and to read interesting bonus features, please visit www.sandraorchard.com or connect at www.Facebook.com/SandraOrchard
Your Turn: What's your favorite way to procrastinate?
Deadline Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
