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I am lazy. There, I said it. In fifth grade, I told a classmate that I waited till the last minute to do everything. My teacher overheard me and said I was a procrastinator. I said, “What’s that?” She told me to look it up in the dictionary. I did and nodded my head as I read the entry. Yep, that was me.

I am a procrastination pro. I can give lessons. However, as a wannabe published author, that “skill” isn’t going to get me very far. I know this, but still I struggle.

Last night, at work, I took the opportunity to work on my newest masterpiece (tee hee!). A co-worker asked what I was doing. Was I writing a book?

I told him yes, I’m working on a romance. He made the hilarious comment that I had to post on Twitter, but he also said something else. He said he’d like to write a screenplay, but he didn’t have the time. He is busy. In addition to our common place of employment, he has a full-time job, not to mention a husband and a million other things I don’t know about.

But his comment got me thinking. Where do I find the time? Yes, I’ve been procrastinating, but I’ve also been working on the masterpiece.

How? Seems I’ve hit on the right motivation. If I ever get contracted, I know my motivation will be deadlines and not wanting to look bad. But as an unpubbed author, I have no one looking over my shoulder asking when the book will be finished. It’s all on me, which isn’t good because I am the procrastination queen.

Don’t get me wrong. I love writing, but one of the hardest parts of the process, for me, is getting started. Why begin when I can do so many other things, like check Twitter or ESPN, which require so little effort on my part, and yet offer hours of entertainment? Once I get going, I’m fine. But to actually open a Word document, you’d think I was trying to complete some Herculean task like run a marathon (which I would NEVER EVER do) or do laundry before I’m out of clean towels.

So after hours of procrastination, I’ve been telling myself, “Just open the document. If you can do that, the words will come.” All I have to do is drag the mouse to the file and double click.

More importantly, I’m not putting pressure on myself to make a specific word count. Could I write more words if I spent less time wasting time? Of course, but I’m averaging about 1600 words per day, which puts me on track to have a first draft finished by the end of the month. I’m finding this works for me so much better than giving myself a specific daily word count goal. In the past, if it’s gotten late and I know I won’t get the daily goal in, I just won’t start.

This way, it’s about not the number of words, but the fact that I have words. And like I said, I know myself. Once I get going, I’m likely to continue and get more words in than I thought I would.

So far, so good.

What motivates you? Do you have a daily word count goal? Does guilt work like it does for me?

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Write Day Friday 10/15/2010
 
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In my last Write Day Friday entry on September 24, I wrote about how I was winning the “Procrastinator of the Year” Awards and not making much progress on my manuscript.

Well, I’m happy to report that I’ve located my mojo and made great progress in the editing/rewriting of Second to None. I’m only halfway through the book, but that puts me a lot closer to the end than I was in September.

I attribute part of my success to FINALLY figuring out what’s driving my hero, Jeremiah. I knew Dee well because she was a secondary character in my first manuscript. I knew how outrageous and outspoken she could be, and what was driving her. When I started this MS, I thought I knew Jeremiah, but really I didn’t.

I struggled with him all throughout the first draft and into this second draft. In my gut, I knew something wasn’t right, but I couldn’t figure out how to fix it. J&D have a history and they both bring baggage from that past into the present. I knew why Dee was reluctant to get involved with him again. I gave him a reason for being upset with her, but I knew there had to be a deeper underlying reason for that anger to be justified.

I was beyond relieved when this part of his backstory popped into my head. It made so much sense and will make the book infinitely better.

If nothing else, I’ve learned that I struggle with characterization. Coming up with a basic plot is the easy part for me (so far, anyway). Trying to figure out who the characters are and what drives them is another story. But figuring that stuff out is so necessary. Plots are great, but the reader has to care about the characters in order to become fully invested in the story. The characters have to be unique and real and relatable and flawed. That can’t happen if I, the writer, have no clue who they are.

But, hey, the first step is admitting you have a problem, right? I bought a couple of writing guidebooks I hope will help me for future stories. I plan to read them after I finish Second to None. I’ll let you know what, if anything, I get from them.

So how’s your writing going? Do you struggle with characterization or is that your strong suit?

xoxo,
Jamie

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Write Day Friday 09/24/2010
 
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Sigh.The procrastination gremlin has me firmly in its grasp. I haven't done much editing over the past few weeks.

Oh, I have excuses galore.

1. I started a new job, and I'm still adjusting. At the old job, I could write while I waited for the phone to ring. New job, not so much.
 
2. New job has a killer commute, which automatically cuts down on the time I have to write.

3. I'm more focused when I sit at a desk. I'll have my desk again when I move into my new apartment. Plus, the new place will be close to work, so good-bye commute.

That's all well and good about the new apartment, but I don't have a new place yet and the writing still needs to be done.

I'm frustrated with myself. I ran into a snag in the manuscript, which always throws me into a tizzy of indecision, self-doubt, and nonwriting.

Plus, once I'm out of the groove of writing, it's hard for me to get back into it.

This needs to stop NOW. 

As a result, I've decided to punish myself. There will be no reading for pleasure until I make some headway. Harsh, but necessary.

However, I have to start reading something, so I can write next Wednesday's blog, but that's five days away. Hopefully, I'll be done with chapter three and have started chapter four by Monday night, so Wednesday's blog will be about a book and not about how I don't have a book to discuss because I'm still in a self-prescribed timeout.

Wish me luck!
How's your writing going? Please tell me better than mine.

xoxo,
Jamie
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