Positive Procrastination- How I Write a Book

I have a notebook separated by nine different tabs. Each one is a different writing project...and I'm working on them all at once! Some are long (a young adult novel...okay, a few), some are short (poems), and some are in-between (picture books or magazine articles).

I know, I'm crazy, you don't have to tell me.

When I was an avid journal writer in middle and high school, I at one point had up to five journals at a time. (Let's see if I can remember them: Poetry, Fiction, Songs, Dreams, Everyday/journal!) For some reason it comforts me to sort things out that way. My brain likes the physical compartments.

I had been struggling with my writing process. I am a self-proclaimed procrastinator, and no matter how inspired I feel in the beginning, it's always been difficult for me to consistently sit down and write on a regular basis, especially on those days when you just aren't "feeling it". Consequently, I have left many projects unfinished. This used to be a huge stumbling block for me, it still is to a certain degree...those voices don't completely disappear  you just learn to ignore them better! I have always felt guilty about leaving something half finished and then berate myself for not having any follow-through. I have tried to remind myself that this is not productive, and not all things are meant to be finished anyway. Sometimes they are just for learning, a stepping stone to the next thing. Regardless, I've tried will-power and motivation, and charts, and all kinds of things, in order to turn those sketches and outlines into a finished product. Recently, I came across an article that helped things fall into place:


Positive Procrastination Not An Oxymoron

The basic gist is that you can use your procrastination tendencies to actually be productive. Here's a quote by Dr. Piers Steel from the article, “My best trick is to play my projects off against each other, procrastinating on one by working on another.”

You know those times when you feel completely inspired and the ideas just flow, then, all of a sudden you have five pages? We all love that feeling, we live for that feeling! But it's usually fleeting. Finally, I've found a way to leverage my inspiration!

If I am not excited at the moment about one project, I have a whole notebook full of others that I can choose from. Chances are I can find at least one to be excited about, and even if I only make a few notes or do a bit of research, it's still better than nothing.

It's not perfect, and it's certainly not for everyone, but that's where I'm at right now. It has it's draw backs, one being that it takes a lot longer to get to the finish line than if I were working on just one thing from start to finish. It may sound chaotic and crazy, for me though, it actually feels freeing. I still get those thoughts in the back of my head though, that fear that NONE of them will ever be finished! That I'm not working hard enough; that I should just push myself (even though i know that doesn't work for me). I try to think of myself as the tortoise, but my ego gets impatient. Sometimes the sheer size of the notebook is daunting.

It's wider than the apple!

But mostly, I feel comfy and safe with all of my ideas in a big, organized (color-coded) notebook. Just think, when I'm finished, I'll have a dozen things ready for print all at once! Then, I can sit back and take it easy for awhile...or not...chances are there will always be at least one project left unfinished, otherwise what do I procrastinate with?

What are your tricks, methods, and tips for getting inspired and getting things done?