“Never put
off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow just as well".
Mark Twain, from: "More Maxims of Mark”.
Writers
procrastinate. It's a fact of life that, one can argue, is truer than our need
to eat and drink. After all, we can all name a writer who, at one time at
least, was so occupied by his writing that he (or she, procrastination knows no genders) forgot to eat or drink. But
no one can name a writer who hasn't procrastinated at least once.
You can find hilarious stories about procrastination anywhere you search. And although procrastination is practiced by everyone the world over, it seems that writers are the ones most famous for it.
When writers start with those first pages of their careers, they can always picture themselves publishing that breakthrough book; making loads of money; becoming a household name. In other words, becoming J.K.Rowling!
But quickly after that all writers realize all the grueling work that goes into writing just one book. And imagine their feeling when they realize that that will be the one to get rejected. Writing, rewriting then rewriting again is just the start. Then there's editing and cutting and probably rewriting again. Drafts upon drafts follow each other until the work is ready for the world and hopefully the world is ready for IT!
The road to success as a writer is very long. Sometimes it can turn out shorter than you thought but it will never be easy. And the sad fact is that not everyone follows that road to the end, and at different spots along the way many talented writers drop out. Maybe it's the editing that gets to some of them or the rejections or the rewrites. No matter what it is that gets to them, they all have one thing in common; the first step of that road; that first page. And, of course, procrastination.
Even if all
you've ever written was a journal entry, chances are that with the second entry
you thought of calling your best friend first to tell them how great this
journal writing thing is!
Procrastination can kill talent, or at best, bury it under mounds of nonsense. Writers write. That's what they do. So if you are a writer. Write. And if you really can't help procrastinating, be smart and call it research.
For more on procrastination go to:
http://writerswrite1.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/writers-block-and-the-fine-art-of-procrastination/
http://grammar.about.com/od/writersonwriting/a/benchavoid.htm
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/features/2013/daily_rituals/franz_kafka_was_a_great_procrastinator.html
You can find hilarious stories about procrastination anywhere you search. And although procrastination is practiced by everyone the world over, it seems that writers are the ones most famous for it.
When writers start with those first pages of their careers, they can always picture themselves publishing that breakthrough book; making loads of money; becoming a household name. In other words, becoming J.K.Rowling!
But quickly after that all writers realize all the grueling work that goes into writing just one book. And imagine their feeling when they realize that that will be the one to get rejected. Writing, rewriting then rewriting again is just the start. Then there's editing and cutting and probably rewriting again. Drafts upon drafts follow each other until the work is ready for the world and hopefully the world is ready for IT!
The road to success as a writer is very long. Sometimes it can turn out shorter than you thought but it will never be easy. And the sad fact is that not everyone follows that road to the end, and at different spots along the way many talented writers drop out. Maybe it's the editing that gets to some of them or the rejections or the rewrites. No matter what it is that gets to them, they all have one thing in common; the first step of that road; that first page. And, of course, procrastination.
Procrastination can kill talent, or at best, bury it under mounds of nonsense. Writers write. That's what they do. So if you are a writer. Write. And if you really can't help procrastinating, be smart and call it research.
For more on procrastination go to:
http://writerswrite1.wordpress.com/2013/07/10/writers-block-and-the-fine-art-of-procrastination/
http://grammar.about.com/od/writersonwriting/a/benchavoid.htm
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/culturebox/features/2013/daily_rituals/franz_kafka_was_a_great_procrastinator.html
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