Merrillee here, thinking about how easy it is to procrastinate. The time ticks away, and I still haven't made that phone call, written that letter or worked in my yard. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons why I haven't completed a project or started one, but other times I have no excuse. I have just found it easier to put things off.Occasionally, that happens with writing. I have a a "Shoe" comic strip by Jeff MacNelly taped near my computer to remind me that I shouldn't procrastinate. In the first panel we see a little sign that says, "Quiet Author At Work." In the next four panels of the strip we first see Perfesser Cosmo Fishhawk turning off the phone and sitting down to write his novel. In the sixth panel, he asks, "What's the theme?" In the following three panels, he wonders about conflict, character motivation and plot. In the final panel, we see him sitting in front of the TV. He asks, "Where's the remote."
As writers, sometimes it is easier to watch TV, read e-mails or surf the Web than it is to sit down and tackle the important elements in our stories. I'm working hard not to become a Perfesser Fishhawk.
What about you? What causes you to procrastinate?
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I'm with you this week on procrastination. It's taken everything to get myself to do what I need to do this week.
ReplyDeleteMargaret
I find myself procrastinating when it comes to having to go to the grocery store. Don't know why I hate to go so much but I just do.
ReplyDeleteMargaret,
ReplyDeleteI know that feeling. I think that's why I wrote about it.
EllenToo,
ReplyDeleteI put off going to the grocery, too, but I went today because I had to go to town for my hair appointment. So I was right there. The store was crazy with customers. The Georgia-Florida football game is this week, and there are a lot of people in town for that. They were all getting groceries for the weekend and probably tailgating.