Friday Fun – Procrastination

Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, writing-related question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.

QUESTION: It’s not a matter of if but how: we all procrastinate. What do you do to avoid the blank page, circumvent the looming deadline, squirm around the writing assignment? And do you think procrastination is just a waste of time, or is there something to it?

Deborah Lee Luskin: It’s a love/hate thing. I hate procrastinating even though 1) I do it all the time, and 2) I know that “stuff” is percolating in my distracted brain even as I’m playing computer solitaire. I’m working towards getting right down to work – but sometimes, I just have to play one more game. Just one more . . .

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Wendy Thomas: I am a HUGE procrastinator in some things (like cleaning the house.) In other ways I’m prepared well before the event (I’m one of those who like to get my Christmas shopping done by the end of November.) I’d say though, that my 6 kids have taught me to be a bit more of a doer than a putter-offer. I make endless lists, and from those lists, I can see my exact progress during each day. As I  hate to not make my daily goals, if its on my list I usually get it done in time and when I don’t it’s the first thing that greets me the next day.

There are a few big personal writing projects that haven’t seen the light of day. In those cases, I don’t know if I’m procrastinating due to fear or not but this is going to be the year of “just do it,” so to get over that procrastination bump, I’ve actually scheduled appointments in my calendar to sit down and work on those projects. We’ll see how that goes.

Jamie Lee Wallace: Ah, procrastination – the demon who whispers in my ear and lures me from my task to spend “just a few minutes” on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest. The reasonable voice of “responsibility” that quietly suggests that now might be a good time to sort through my inbox, straighten my desk, or scrub the toilet … in short, ANYthing but put words on the page. I procrastinate all the time. My favorite (and possibly only) cure for my wandering attention is to take my work down to the local coffee shop. Don’t laugh. It works. They don’t have any WiFi there and there’s no reason for me to leave my seat – no dishes to put away or laundry to fold, no tea to make, no snack cupboard to rifle through. All I can do is sit and write, or sit and do nothing which makes me look weird. The funny thing about procrastination is that once I get just one step ahead of it and start to put a few words down, it loses all its power. Almost always, as soon as I start to chip away at the “dreaded” task, I find out it’s not really as bad as all that. Funny how that happens.

Julie Hennrikus: Hands down, the single best procrastination tool I have is my computer and the internet. If I am focused, I check email, read and respond to tweets quickly, check on Facebook and update or respond to posts and then I move on to the task. But if I am dreading what I have to do, I easily get lost following threads, reading blogs, making sure my Google reader is clear. And don’t even get me started on seek and find games or Angry Birds.

That said, I have begun to realize that procrastination is a device I often use to regroup, or give my brain a rest. I get back to the tube, but in my overscheduled life, sometimes investigating Pinterest isn’t such a bad thing.

Susan Nye: Since I love to write, I don’t do a lot of squirming at the keyboard. It usually only happens when I’m not crazy about, even bored with a topic. Sometimes it’s been assigned and I have no choice. Sometimes I’m on a deadline and it’s what I came up with.

What do I do to avoid this tedious work? I allow myself to be distracted. I read and send emails. I peruse Facebook. I visit Twitter. I check my blog stats. I google something.

This avoidance is a waste of time. It takes twice as long to get the project done. It wouldn’t be so bad if I filled the time with useful endeavors like weeding the garden or cleaning the house. When I’m honest about what I’m doing … avoiding work … I go skiing, take a walk, read a book. A much better approach to procrastination.

The price of writing

I’ve had to move out of my house.

No, no worries. It’s not that kind of moving out. It’s more of a “I can’t get a darn thing done with dog, chicken, children, and husband around me” moving out. I need my space. I need to not have to worry that someone will interrupt me to ask (bark) for me to let them go outside. (Again, again, and again. )

Which is why when I found out that a local chocolate shop (Swans in Merrimack) had opened their upstairs as a place for people to meet and/or work, I was thrilled. How perfect was that? Chocolate, coffee, and writing – literally a match made in heaven.

I’m actually not too keen on writing at some coffee shops, there’s just a little too much activity going on. I’m not one of those people who can easily tune out other things (like the two women over in the corner who are talking about their children’s high school finals – well what do you know, my son has one of the teachers they are discussing.)

However, when I’m in a groove, like a superhero I can make everything disappear (even the cool Frank Sinatra music that is always playing here.) The shop activity is downstairs, there is nothing up here but chairs and tables. Since I’ve arrived this morning, I’ve written a post and an article. Not too shabby.

And as an added bonus? I’m sitting in an upright chair that won’t allow me to slouch. My back hasn’t felt this good after writing for a few hours in a loooong time.

As soon as I get this post up, I’ll turn to my manuscript for that last hour I plan to be here (and then it’s off to begin the eternal kid pick ups from school activities.) It will be the first time I’ve had a chance to look at that baby in weeks. (I blame the holidays and the kids all being home – won’t admit a bit to procrastination.)

I guess it’s all about finding out what works for you. I’ve considered renting a room but to be perfectly honest, it’s not in my budget. I’ve lusted for a tiny (expensive) writing cabin, heck, I’ve even considered working out in the cold pen with the chickens – nothing seemed to be doable. But because I’m a writer and because as a writer, I want to write, I had to find something.

So even though it means packing up my computer and notes, it’s still worth it, the benefits of finally finding a place where you can concentrate on your writing far outweighs any and all hassles.

And as for those few extra inches from the treats (this morning it was a cafe au lait with an oatmeal, cranberry, and white chocolate cookie) that will be on my hips by the time I finally get my manuscript finished?

Small price to pay and totally worth it.

All that's left of my cookie.

 

Wendy Thomas is an award winning journalist, columnist, and blogger who believes that taking challenges in life will always lead to goodness. She is the mother of 6 funny and creative kids and it is her goal to teach them through stories and lessons.

Wendy’s current project involves writing about her family’s experiences with chickens (yes, chickens).

 

And next time? It’s the cannoli.

I think I’m going to like working on this book. 

Post Script to Cross Training

Several readers have asked for the title of the book I’m using for my poetry exercises. Poetry Writing: Theme and Variation by David Starkey was published in 1999. While it’s still available in paperback, it costs $25. I’m using it because a colleague or publisher or sales rep gave me a copy back in my teaching days, along with the Instructor’s Manual. I never adopted it for a course, though over the years I’ve dipped in to it for ideas. My point is: it doesn’t matter what book you use, just as it doesn’t matter if you use a weight machine or free weights. What matters is that we each make a commitment to work out.

If you’re like me, you probably have a few writing manuals collecting dust on your shelves. Dust one off. Or check out your local library, independent bookstore or used book emporium. Maybe some of you have favorite books from a class you once took. Or maybe someone can recommend a prompt a day service. Ideas, anyone?

Thanks, as always, for your feedback. – DLL.

Cross Training

I’m a prose-writer. I write essays and novels and the occasional short story. I have strong prose muscles, muscles that allow me to think in sentences that are often long and complex, sentences that use repetition and subordination, sentences that mimic the thoughts they express.

            I wasn’t always this way; when I was younger and fearless I wrote poetry and plays, taking my skills for granted the same way I flew down double black diamond ski trails with abandon. But as life crowded in – marriage, children, money – I shed activities that took too much time or cost too much and instead engaged in the solitary, narrative sports of sculling, cross country skiing and long walks.

For a long time, this was enough to keep me fit. But recently, I found myself breathless and weaker than I wanted to admit, so I joined a gym and started a program of interval training, core strengthening, and weight lifting. It’s made a huge difference in how I feel and think. One day while I climbed hills on the treadmill, I realized I need to cross train my brain as well. I need to pump poetry.

Cross training with verse will help me improve my performance with prose. Poetry, I realized, will teach me concision the way doing bicep curls creates muscle definition. It will help me write vividly and to the point.

I must be onto something, because I feel as much resistance to this as to joining the gym in the first place; I was sure I would hate it. Resistance, I find, indicates I’m on the right track. So this is my plan: I’ve discovered a poetry textbook from my teaching days. It’s got fifty exercises in it: one a week.

Just exercises. Like sit-ups, leg-lifts, shoulder presses and hammer curls, I’ll lift voice, push metaphor, rotate audience, repeat rhythm, chant rhyme, and practice form.  Just like working out at the gym, I might surprise myself and have fun.

Deborah Lee Luskin is the author of the award-winning novel, Into The Wilderness, “a fiercely intelligent love story” set in Vermont in 1964. She is a regular Commentator on Vermont Public Radio and teaches for the Vermont Humanities Council. Learn more at her website: www.deborahleeluskin.com

Friday Fun – How Do You Spend a Snow Day?

Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, writing-related question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.

QUESTION: Except for a few minor blips, winter has been late coming this year. Finally the snow has started to fall. School has been cancelled and kids have enjoyed their first snow days. What do you do on a snow day … cuddle up with a book? make snowpeople with the kids? or business as usual?

Diane MacKinnon:  When I used to see patients, I would plan for a snow day by getting up extra-early and making sure I had a scraper and a shovel in my car. Now that I’m home with my son, we leave the car in the garage, and plan the morning a little differently. We eat a big breakfast for energy, dress warm, and head out in the snow. We shovel, we rake, we hoe (Santa brought a miniature garden tool set this year). I watch my son, watch the snowflakes falling from the sky, watch the world soften as the snow settles on all the edges. Oh happy day.

Deborah Lee Luskin: The first thing I do is shovel. If the roads are bad, I cancel any commitments that involve travel and stay home. If I’m really lucky, I cancel commitments that involve travel but still make it out to ski. And with clear night skies, I snowshoe by moonlight.

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Wendy Thomas: The very first snow day that we have (and I’m talking no school – yeah, have to shovel the driveway – boo- snow day) we break out our blizzard basket. It’s a covered basket filled with treats that waits to be opened since Thanksgiving. In it are baking mixes, hot chocolate, marshmallows, a bit of candy, and either some new music or a video that we can watch as a family. Blizzard basket day (and for the record we haven’t opened it yet) is a real holiday in our house.

On other snow days, things are just quieter. Noise is muffled, a heaviness literally covers us all. We’ll stay in our jammies, drink an extra cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, and the kids, like cats, will curl up in the corners of the couches, book in hand under a warm blanket to spend the day.

Julie Hennrikus: First of all, I love Wendy’s blizzard basket. How cool is that? When I owned a house snow days were spent shoveling, or thinking about shoveling. But condo living means a snow day is spent watching the quiet come over the city, and reading. I love the quiet of a snow day. A true can’t-leave-the-house snow day is rare, and it makes me feel like a kid.

Jamie Lee Wallace: Most snow days, I end up trying to balance work with spending part of the day with my daughter. This always leads to me feeling like a failure on both fronts. On a few snow days – the really good ones – I ditch the work part of the equation and pretend I’m a kid home from school. My daughter and I go for walks, hit the sledding hill, build things with snow, and – ultimately – come in for hot chocolate, popcorn, and a movie. On the very (very!) rare occasions when I have a snow day to myself (daughter at her dad’s house, no work, and beau out doing his plowing thing), I like nothing better than to indulge in a winter wonderland walk, a little journaling, and then curl up on the couch with a huge mug of tea, some biscuits, and a good book (or three). If things go perfectly, I’ll slip away into a luxurious nap.

Susan Nye: As long as there is power, it’s pretty much business as usual. Except for the shoveling thing … which I consider cross-training so I don’t walk on snow days. I’m a skier so if there is a lot of snow, I measure the accumulation every hour or two and post updates on Facebook for my flatlander friends and family.

If the power goes out, then I spend the day in my jammies and on the coach with a book and cup after cup of coffee in the morning and tea in the afternoon … except when I’m outside shoveling and measuring.

My 5-Year Journal

I’ve been wanting one of those Thought for a Day 5-year journals for a long time; I’ve looked at them so many times over the years. Levenger sells one and I’ve drooled over it in the catalogue many times. Recently, I was in a bookstore and saw a few different 5-year journals. I reacted like my son does when he sees a toy car, truck or bulldozer—Gimme!

I picked up each book, examined each closely, put each one back. I don’t really need a 5-year journal.

Then I thought of something I have said over and over to my coaching clients. “If you have had a longing for something ever since you can remember, that longing isn’t going to go away.”

Usually, we are talking about a longing to do something (such as write for a living or work with animals), or to have a certain experience (such as white water raft the Colorado River or have children). I don’t usually think of longings with regard to buying something. But I realized I have wanted a 5-year journal for a long, long time.

I love the idea of writing a few short sentences to encapsulate my day. I have always admired writers who journaled every day, the men and women of earlier centuries who wrote about the minutia of their days, which added up to an amazingly clear picture of a life well-lived.

So I finally bought a 5-year journal. This one is titled “Thought For A Day.” It’s only been a couple of weeks, but I am thoroughly enjoying my new journal. I have noticed two cool things since starting to keep this new journal.

1) Every day is a “Good Day.” That’s what I tend to write at the beginning of each entry. Even the days when my son vomits or I don’t get one thing done on my to-do list, it’s still a good day. And that’s good to know.
2) Writing in my 5-year journal seems to have freed me up to write about other things in my regular journal. I tend to want to write about what’s happened (a boring I did this, then this, then this) but now that I’m summing up my day in my 5-year journal I can dive right into whatever thoughts are occupying my mind as I sit down to write in my regular journal.

Is there anything in your writing life that you’ve always longed for?

What frees you up to write about the things that are most important to you?

From a Distance

A friend was telling me a story the other day. It was a funny, sad, dramatic story, and I was listening. But I was listening as a writer, which meant I was listening from a distance. I cared, and made appropriate facial expressions and sounds. But there was a part that held back, and took mental notes. I could use part of her real life story in one of my written ones. And I will.

As I become more entrenched in my writing life, my distance grows. I hesitate to call it emotional distance, because I am present. But I do find that the writer is with me, taking notes on my day to day life. Once I was in a meeting that got very heated. Afterwards a colleague followed me to my office, still ranting. I nodded and “tsk”ed a few times. She finally asked me why I never lost my cool.

“I write murder mysteries.” I explained.

“What does that mean?” she asked.

“Rather than get riled up, I step back and think about how I would kill you all. It is how I relax.”

Now, of course I was kidding. Sort of. The truth is that the writer was in the room and she was observing everyone. And taking mental notes. Crafting a new character, or giving an old character more dimension. Plotting. Or doing the important daydreaming part of beginning a new piece–the collecting part where thoughts, ideas and observations are churned around and around until an idea starts to form.

I don’t think this emotional distance is the purview of writers alone. I suspect it is also the curse/blessing of actors and musicians. Anyone who channels humanity in order to recreate it for art and/or entertainment.

How about you? Do you find yourself stepping back and observing more than you did before you started writing? Do you listen to stories and decide what parts to use in your writing? Do you mind the distance?

J.A. Hennrikus is the Executive Director of StageSource. She is a mystery writer who has her story “Her Wish” published in DEAD CALM, an anthology by Level Best Books. She is a huge social media fan, and tweets under @JulieHennrikus. She wrestles with allusions of athleticism, is an avid theater goer and a proud member of Red Sox nation. Her website is jahennrikus.com

LinkedIn for writers

The mention of LinkedIn probably sends your mind to “that’s a site for people who need jobs,” or something along those lines.

It’s actually a very powerful networking tool that offers a lot for writers and I’d like to offer it to you for consideration. Whether you’re just starting out, or you’re multi-published; whether you write fiction or non-fiction; whether you write long or short, LinkedIn can help you improve your craft and make connections.

Groups and resources on LinkedIn include (this is nowhere near an extensive list, just examples):

Asking questions in the “Writing and Editing” category. Ask any question you want and people will reply.

You don’t have to belong to any groups to ask questions in this general forum.

Join one ore more groups. There are groups specifically for writers – some are open and anyone can view, post, and comment in them. Other groups are closed and you have to become a member to view, post, and comment.

As of Jan 16, doing a search for groups related to “writing” results in 1,929 groups. A search for groups on the word “writers” results in 2,384 possibilities. “Magazine writing” has 18 possible groups to choose from. “Fiction writing” gives 50 results (example below).

Here is a close up of the details at the bottom of the first group in the above snapshot – the Creative Designers and Writers group listing:

You can see how many discussions were active the prior day, how many jobs were posted (some groups allow job postings), the group owner’s name (which is clickable so you can view his profile), and how many members are currently in the group.

Search terms are unlimited and the more specific you can get, of course, the more relevant your returned searches will be.

Joining groups is a great way to meet other writers who share your interests, find potential work if you freelance, and improve your writing skills by sharing with others.

You can search for people with the same search terms you use when searching for groups.

People are ranked based on keywords (which I can talk about in another post). This is a great way to connect with other writers in your field or area of interest. It’s a way to find authors you might like to read, writers who have similar experience as you.

These are just a few examples of the power of LinkedIn and how you can connect with writers, literary agents, publishers, newspapers, magazines, and so much more.

If you’re on LinkedIn already, feel free to send me a connect request. Let me know you saw this post. Have you found it helpful?

If you aren’t on LinkedIn yet, I hope you give it a shot. It’s free to sign up.

Lisa Jackson is an independent editor, writer, New England region journalist, and a year-round chocolate and iced coffee lover. She writes fiction as Lisa Haselton, has an award-winning blog for book reviews and author interviews, and is on the staff of The Writer’s Chatroom which is now a 5-time winner of Writer’s Digest’s 101 Best Websites for Writers, where she gets to chat with best-selling authors, non-fiction writers, publishers, and other writing professionals on a weekly basis.

What do you write when you don’t have to?

“What you read when you don’t have to determined what you will be when you can’t help it.” – Oscar Wilde

I came across this quote via my new guilty pleasure: Pinterest. As an avid reader and prolific writer, it struck me with a one-two punch. Think about it. If what you read for pleasure says something deep and true about who you are when you are being your most honest and authentic self, what can we learn by looking at the things we write when we don’t have to – the things we write just for the pleasure of the practice and the craft?

I mentioned that I’m a prolific writer. I don’t say this to boast. I write to earn my living. Since I am not yet an internationally successful novelist commanding huge advances and earning film right residuals, I write a lot. I also write a wide variety of things. For my marketing clients I write messaging frameworks, creative briefs, content strategies, blog posts, e-books, white papers, web copy, and so on. For my own marketing, I write about … marketing. I create course materials for my own training programs. Here at Live to Write-Write to Live, I write about writing. Over at BabyCenter and Fans of Being a Mom I write about parenthood. I’m about to launch a new blog project that will let me write about a whole new category of ideas that are very close to my heart.

But what do I write when I don’t have to?

It’s a really good question. Although I enjoy much of the writing I do to support myself, it isn’t necessarily writing I would do if money weren’t an issue. When I have the rare and precious hour of down time, I often spend it at my local coffee shop – perched at a table with my cinna-soy chai latte, MacBook Pro, and trusty notebook and pen. I step out of my workday routine and into my writer self. I push away the concepts of deadlines, headlines, and keywords. I untangle myself from the web of rules and best practices. I open up the secret door in the back of my mind and invite my inner novelist out to play. She’s a little shy and not always ready to dive right in, so we make some small talk in the form of journaling or bad poetry. We share our thoughts on the books we’ve been reading – the stories, fairytales, and folklore, not the non-fiction titles about overcoming fear, creating smart content, and Zen living.

My fingers hesitate on the keyboard, unsure of where to go without a task list to guide them. But, once we begin to meander – my inner novelist and me – I practically glow with the joy of writing just for the pleasure of being able to put one word after the other and create an image, a feeling, or give voice to an idea. This is the writing I do when I don’t have to. This is the work that I can’t help doing.

What do you write when you don’t have to? What work do you do because you just can’t help it?

Friday Fun – Friday the 13th!?!

Friday Fun is a group post from the writers of the NHWN blog. Each week, we’ll pose and answer a different, writing-related question. We hope you’ll join in by providing your answer in the comments.

QUESTION: It’s Friday the 13th. Is it just another day, just another TGIF … or something to avoid? Will you spend the day hiding under the bed or throw caution to the wind and enter a chainsaw juggling contest? How superstitious are you? In general? and when it comes to your writing?

Deborah Lee Luskin: Friday the 13th? Feh. But put my nightgown on backwards or inside out: Yikes! My superstitions are a direct inheritance from my ancestors in the old country. I’d never name a baby after someone who’s living (for fear of confusing the Angel of Death, who would come for the wrong person), and stuff like that. As for writing? I’m not sure. I just know it’s unlucky not to.

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Susan Nye: As a kid I remember searching for four-leaf clovers, stepping around cracks and the pleasure of finding a horseshoe. I still knock wood and step around ladders but that’s just good sense … isn’t it? When it comes to writing (and a lot of other things), as far as I can figure, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.

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Julie Hennrikus: I do believe that when Mercury is in retrograde everything goes haywire. And I have trouble wishing anyone “Good luck!” (I work in theater). And I never say “MacBeth” in a theater, or whistle. But Friday the 13th? Bring it on. Just don’t make me watch the movies. (I am not a horror fan.) As for writing? I don’t submit things unless my friend Jason has read it. And I sense that if I were a paper writer, I would be all about the “new notebook” “special pen” habits. Maybe I should work on some…

Jamie Lee Wallace: I’m not overly superstitious about Friday the 13th. Usually – like today – I don’t even realize it’s happening unless someone reminds me (like my friend Stephanie did today.) Not knowing much about the origin of this superstition, I took a quick trip over to Wikipedia (don’t hate me) and found the following interesting tidbits:

• The fear of Friday the 13th is called friggatriskaidekaphobia (Frigga being the name of the Norse goddess for whom “Friday” is named and triskaidekaphobia meaning fear of the number thirteen).
• An estimated 17 to 21 million people in the United States along are affected by a fear of this day.
• According to a 2008 article in National Geographic News, That translates into roughly $800 – 900 million in lost business (due to people not taking flights, skipping work, etc).

We humans are a Craaazy bunch!