Have you ever looked up the word "procrastination" in the dictionary? (Go
ahead. I'll wait.) Flip through the "p's" until you reach the
dreaded word and you'll find…. a picture of me. That's right. I am the
living, breathing definition of procrastination. You've heard the saying
"why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?". It's my mantra.
I put off doing the laundry, unloading the dishwasher, writing newsletter
articles (this one's due today)-you name it, I put it off. In fact, I am such
a procrastinator that both my children had to be induced.
And, worst of all, I put off sitting at my computer and writing that Great American
Romance Novel that I know is lurking inside me, waiting to spring onto the New York Times
Bestsellers List.
Writing is a little bit like playing the lottery. You can't win if you don't play,
right? Well, you can't sell a book if you don't get it written.
So, with this fact firmly in my mind (I'm considering having it tattooed across my
forehead), I am embarking on a new course, blazing a new trail, heading for a new venue.
Namely, I'm leaving home.
Ah, home. The bosom of my family. A place of refuge, comfort, and, in my
case, complete and total chaos and distraction on a daily basis. You see, in
addition to my proclivity for procrastination, I also have two young children, two dogs,
one fish, and one husband. Now, don't get me wrong. I wouldn't trade
them (well, maybe the fish) for the world. But, sometimes, instead of
embracing how wonderful it is to spend time with them, all I see is six speed bumps
impeding my passage down Creativity Road.
Of course, being a procrastinator, I lived with this chaos and complete lack of writing
time for far too long. What could I do? I wondered. Build myself another
house-one where I could live in peace and quiet for as long as it took me to finish my
book? No, as appealing as that thought was, I knew deep down it wasn't the right
answer. I was stumped. Stumped and resigned to the fact that I might never
write another word until my kids were in college.
Suddenly… voila! Just when I had lost all hope, my friend and critique partner,
Ingrid, who also battles procrastination and a lack of quality writing time, suggested
that we get the hell out of Dodge-figuratively speaking. We grabbed a couple of
legal pads and headed for the nearest coffee shop. There, armed with non-fat lattes,
we lost ourselves in our imaginations for two solid hours, writing long-handed, letting
the words pour out of us in a creative flow that dwindled to a mere trickle whenever we
tried this at home.
Now, it is a weekly event. A sacred time honored by kids, dogs, fish, and husband
alike. I've lined up all the high schoolers in my neighborhood and created a
baby-sitting rotation so sophisticated it could turn a major league manager pea green with
envy. You have to be a rocket scientist to figure out my carpool schedule but it's
worth it. I am so much happier because of it all. I manage to write, to
create, and to tap into those creative juices that were simmering on the back burner for
far too long. Plus, since I know Ingrid is waiting for me, I don't have a chance to
practice the fine art of procrastination. I show up. I do it. I love it.
I heartily recommend it.
If writing at home is proving to be impossible, try getting away to a new environment, one
that is free of the distractions of home life. You just might mange to get something
done.
When Eva Fox Mate isn't changing diapers or acting as chief cook, chauffeur, and
bottle washer, she devotes herself to writing romance fiction. She is currently
working on an historical trilogy.
Home | Membership Info | HODRW Authors | Congratulations!! | Links | Board Members | Meeting Info | Monthly Spotlight! | Articles | Calendar | Molly Contest | Aspen Gold Contest |