Procrastination Bug Bit Me - Now I'm Biting Back!

When writing was a hobby I could punch out anything at anytime - poems, short stories, long stories, anthologies, whatever.  But when I decided to take it on full-time, all of a sudden that stupid dung beetle (aka procrastination) writhed into my life and bit me.

He crawled on my keyboard, slithered on my outline, stole my notes and creeped his way into every conversation I had with my main characters.

I'd really like him to take a permanent vacation.

So I went searching for the Eradicator – something, anything to help me get rid of the pest.  I’ve jotted down a few of these tools in the hopes that maybe they can help you too, sweep that bug from your life.


Tool 1- Kitchen Timer -- am I writing or am I trolling the Internet?

Tool 2- Word Count -- do I have a word count goal or am I cleaning out the fridge today?

Tool 3- Page Count – how about a page count goal or is this organizing-the-office day?

Tool 4- Scenes -- do I want to finish one scene or two, or maybe I’d rather watch TV for more "research" ideas?

Tool 5- Time of Day -- do I write at the exact same time every single day or do I keep filling that space with essentials like alphabetizing my book collection?

Tool 6- Favorite Place -- do I write in the same place every day (well-lit, uncluttered and mine) or is it filled with bills, homework or other fun stuff?

For me, the best tool has been to create a habit that works.  Experts say two weeks of the same thing at the same time and you’ll have that habit down.  I’m on day 10 – wish me luck!

Do you have favorite techniques for staying on task and fulfilling the dream of a completed, well-edited, ready-to-go manuscript?  Please share!




The sketch is from my good friend Chris Watt, please see more of his illustrations at http://macgregorsisland.com/

Want out of the slush pile?

Top 5 Reasons Agents Stop Reading (this is from Anita Mumm of Kristin Nelson Literary Agency)

1- Story starts in wrong place (confused about where the action is)

2- Too much set up or data dumping in the beginning

3- No sign of the main conflict (where's this going?  Seems to me this ties in with the first one)

4- Story isn't big enough (this isn't about word count but rather stakes.  Are they high enough?)

5- Mechanic mistakes (grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc... It smacks of rough draft.  BTW, Chicago Manual Style is the preferred writing guide)

Foundations of Fiction (why an editor will reject a manuscripts -- this is from Peter Kenftlberg of Kensington Press)

1- POV issues (no head hopping)

2- Tense issues (be consistent)

3- Conflict (it isn't evident right from the beginning)

4- Static characters (they need to change from the beginning to the end -- did they learn anything?  how did they grow?  why can't they go back to the way it was?)

5- Plot (what is the goal or motivation to do something - STAKES need to be high)

6- Pacing (don't have it bogged down in emotion, scene setting or description)

7- Info Dump (lots of background or set up; be careful with this in dialogue as well)

8- Dialogue (use contractions!  characters refer to each other by name too often)

9- Cliched opening (wakes from dream, looks in mirror, in a car)

10 - Mechanics (punctuation, grammar, spelling, voice (how does the voice differ from other books?)

Revising

Revising is excruciating but it is where the real work gets done. Stephen King says to get the story on paper. Then let it sit before revising. Joe Lansdale says he writes a scene and then immediately edits is 6 or 7 times and it's finished. I think the process of writing is as individual as the writer. I'm not a plotter or a pantser but a mix of the two. I meticulously plot out the novel and change as the characters get on the paper. Currently, I know without looking at my plot board or character sketches or outlines that I have three scenes in terrible need of work. So I should probably get to work -- I'm pushing a deadline for the conference this weekend!