I haven’t posted here since April 12. That’s almost a full month. If I were my own client I would advise posting “at least every other week, minimum, and once a week would be much better.” But, if you suffer from blogger angst, you know that it’s a vicious cycle – the longer between posts, the more you worry about NOT posting and the harder it becomes to sit down and write something. Well, it’s easy to write something, but it’s hard to write

something you think is worth publishing.

Then, you check your calendar and it’s been a month! Yikes! The pressure is on! You must publish a post!

I’m a believer in the benefits of procrastination. Sometimes we really do just need to slow down and give our mental processes time to do their thing. However, it can go too far. Like when you wait a month between posting on your blog.

Since I am pretty much an expert at identifying when I have crossed the line between “taking a mental break” and “becoming a total slacker” I feel comfortable offering some tips:

Take advantage of the times your mind is fertile. There are days when I think of about 15 blog post topics. If I can capture a few notes about each one, I have a start on some posts. Better yet, if I can sit still and write them out fully, I’ll have stockpile. Days like that can’t be scheduled in, but there are some things you can do to increase the likelihood of them occurring.

Boost your creativity. The easiest way to do this is to give yourself little challenges. No matter what you are doing, try to think of some way that it could connect to the theme of your blog. How is a road trip like what you write about? Are your kids’ activities in any way like what you write about? Is there a current trend in your city that you can relate to what you write about? The more you stretch to make these connections, the easier finding them will become. Of course, you won’t always end up with a post you can use doing these kinds of mental challenges, but sometimes you will.

Write at least a little, even when you don’t want to. This is just another way to say “keep showing up.” You don’t have to publish what you write, but you really should write on the days you think you are supposed to be writing. You can’t write just whatever for this one to work. Writing just a sentence or two of a post or editing an old post or making some notes for a future post is fine, but journaling about something totally unrelated to your blog will not help you overcome blogger angst.

Publish it anyway. Don’t let excuses stop you. It doesn’t matter if you can’t find a suitable photo to illustrate what you’ve written, or if you aren’t quite satisfied with it. Sometimes, you have to just let it go and publish it anyway to avoid being stuck forever. If most of your posts have all of the elements that are important to you, that’s what’s important. You may even find that a not-quite-finished thought resonates with your readers, or that a good photo is extraneous to what you are doing.

How do you overcome blogger angst? What makes it worse? Please share, because, to be honest, I’m still feeling a little angst-ey.

 

 

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This morning, as my oatmeal cooked, I decided what the topic of this post would be. Then I ate my oatmeal, checked my RSS feed, left comments on 5 or 10 blogs, considered setting up a new folder for local blogs I’ve started following, fed my birds, had a cup of coffee, stared at the screen a minute, recorded the oatmeal in my daily nutrition tracker…

I’ve written about procrastination before. Clearly, it is something that I deal with regularly. Sometimes, it’s okay – even helpful – to put things off. Other times, we do it out of fear, or laziness, or simply because we dread doing whatever the task is.  In the case of writing this post, I was probably putting it off because the idea wasn’t a very good one, or at least it wasn’t a full idea. It was something that should go into the idea file.

Procrastination, though, is a topic I could write about for days on end due to my long experience with it. Right now, for instance, I am not only putting off writing this post, but something else as well:

Several years ago, I had a job as a telemarketer. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds – we were only calling licensed insurance agents, and we weren’t actually selling anything. We told them about products or job offers, and set up times for someone else to call and give them more details. But I made hundreds of calls a day – 300 calls a day wasn’t unusual. And mostly, people didn’t answer. Very few people returned calls when we left messages, so we rarely left them. It was mostly dialing and listening to ringing. Somedays it was a struggle to stay awake.

For a few months, I shared an office with just one other person. She tended toward depression, so sometimes I would tell her stories to distract her from sad thoughts, while we listened to the phones ring. Eventually I was moved into a room with 8 or 10 other people in it, and without the entertainment of telling stories, I had to work to stay awake again. So I started writing a story. I wrote on scraps of paper that I kept under my keyboard, in tiny handwriting. I decided I kind of liked the story, and dug all those scraps out of my bag took them home, and typed them up.

Then I got fired from the telemarketer job. (It was a crazy place. LOTS of people got fired from there.) And I stopped working on the story.

I kept thinking that I “should” work on it some more. It liked it more than any other fiction I’d ever written. I let a couple of kids read it (it is a kids’ story) and they liked it. One of them even occasionally asks me if I’ve written anymore of it yet. But it just sat there, in a file on my desktop. After a year or two, it seemed to be taunting me, so I moved it off of the desktop, where I couldn’t  see it anymore. But it still crossed my mind regularly.

A few months ago, I decided to read it and see if I still liked it. I did. It’s fairly unusual for me to read something I wrote a few years earlier and still like it. So, I put the dang thing back where I see it. I even printed it out and put it in my backpack so that I can work on it when I find myself in a waiting room or at lunch alone.

Almost immediately, within a week of re-reading it, I had about 12 new ideas for other stories I wanted to write.

(My organizer friend is going to tell me I should have written them down, filed them away and come back to them when I finished the kids’ story. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know what I should do.)

I did write them all down, and file them all away. Then I started writing one of them. Now, I have two unfinished projects that I really love chattering in my head, bugging me to work on them. “Write us!” they say every night while I’m trying to raise my high score on Bejeweled Blitz. So far, I have successfully ignored them.

In this case, I don’t think I can say that either of these stories just needs time to “ferment” in my head. One of them has been doing that for about five years now, and the other o

ne just pours out when I work  on it. The words don’t get to the page fast enough to suit my brain. So, yeah, the need to let my unconsciousness work its creative magic cannot be my excuse.

Because I firmly believe that we all have plenty of time to do the things we want to do, I cannot say that I’m too busy to work on these projects. Because I (and you!) can find time to work on the things we love. Bejeweled Blitz, anyone? My high score is over 300,000 in one minute…

That leaves fear. What will I do with these things once I feel they are “finished”? What if they are not particularly good? What if I take all the risks to my ego and send them to agents, or publishers, orwhoever (I really don’t even know who I would send them to) and get – gasp! – rejected? Would that make me feel sad? I don’t like to feel sad. Maybe I should just go ahead and delete those stories and forget about writing them. It’s too scary.

All of those questions, all of that fear is bullshit. It’s ridiculous and silly and unworthy. If a friend told me they felt that way, I’d tell them to quit being stupid and write the stories, stop borrowing tomorrow’s troubles, and figure out what to do with them when they are finished. Start spending an afternoon a week working on them. Or a half hour a day. Whatever, just write, and stop worrying.

Why is it so hard to take your own advice?

Do you have a project you love so much you are afraid to work on it? Do you just buckle down and get it done, or do you give yourself mind-candy to numb your brain and silence your creativity?

 

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Do you participate in writing challenges? I’ve never taken part in NaNoWriMo or anything like it, or even entered any kind of writing contest. I pay attention to them and am usually intrigued, but still stay sidelined. It could have to do with fear, which is strange. I’m not the least bit afraid to write to write samples for clients, and I never worry when I submit

work for review.

 

I hate the idea that I might not be doing something because of fear. That’s just silly, especially with the “something” would probably be fun. So, I’m going to give myself a small personal challenge: set aside a minimum of a half hour every day to work on personal projects. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s more than I’m doing now.

 

Making time in your schedule to do the things that are important seems like a simple thing. A couple of years ago, I decided to begin dedicating time each week to fitness. It took a while to make the habit stick, even though it was something I wanted to do and really enjoyed. I’ve always made time in my life to read, and to spend time just hanging out with my family (as opposed to running here and there to scheduled events).

 

The thing is, when you decide you will spend an hour exercising, an hour writing, an hour doing household chores, a half hour reading, and then add those activities to your normal work schedule, and then make time for any family obligations, you might start to run out of hours. This is probably where most of us start whining about not having enough time. But, as I have said before, there is plenty of time to do the things that are important to you.

 

I’ll be flexible in my personal writing challenge – the post will count as today’s “personal project time.” But I will make writing my own stuff a priority. I may not be ready for the big NaNoWriMo push, but there are two or three other challenges that look interesting.

 

Do you participate in challenges? If you write for a living, do you work on personal projects also? Where do you fit that writing into your schedule?

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Lately, my family has been doing quite a bit of traveling by car.We have pretty much covered the southeast from Florida to Kentucky. Since I hate to drive and my husband loves it, all this travel has given me lots of time to read. My kids got me an iPad for Christmas (yes, they are fabulous, wonderful children) and I’ve been doing almost all of my reading on it. 

 

I devour books, at a rate of about 2 a week. If I were downloading the NY Times Bestseller List, I would be spending a ridiculous amount of money. As my budget does not have an unlimited amount set aside for books, I try to stick with the less expensive, or most often, free books that are available through iBooks or Amazon’s Kindle Store. Reading all these freebies has some pros, and of course, some cons.

 

The Pros

Did I mention that there are FREE books available? Lots of them. The writers give them away for all kinds of different reasons. Elizabeth Mock, one of my earliest “finds” is writing a trilogy, so at some point made the first book free. I downloaded it, loved it and will certainly be purchasing the second volume when it is finished. So, marketing is one big reason.

 

I also recently read a couple of books by A. Sparrow, who says that his/her (the writer does not indicate gender) books are free so that they can be shared. From A. Sparrow’s Goodreads profile: “I write because I must. I have no commercial ambitions.” So, simply sharing stories is another reason writers choose to give away their work. Pedagogy, bringing attention to older works and all sorts of other reasons give writers motivation to share their work freely.

 

Writing reviews helps aspiring and struggling writers. If, as in the cases of DW St. John, Carlos Aleman, Justin Kemppainen, I really enjoy a story and can write a raving review, then I am helping these writers let the world know about their work. I may not have a huge reach, but I’m active on Goodreads and I have lots of friends who like to read so maybe a couple of people will read their work because of my good reviews. That’s a nice feeling.

 

One thing that writers struggle with is marketing. Many of them have other jobs besides writing and limited time to spend promoting their work. Also, marketing can be expensive, so a good review is both a nice ego booster and an inexpensive, powerful marketing tool. It’s the least I can do – if the story is any good.

 

When books are free I read all sorts of things I might not otherwise read. I like stories. All kinds of stories. Gory horror is not appealing, and moralistic tales annoy me, but otherwise it would be tough to name a genre I don’t like. From mysteries to science fiction to kid lit, I like just about any kind of fiction if it’s well written.

 

Even with an openness to reading all kinds of stuff, I’m finding things that I wouldn’t otherwise find. It’s fun to choose something because it’s vaguely interesting then realize you love it. It’s even more fun to have so much variety in your library that you can read a mafia story one day, a romance the next and an urban fantasy after that.

 

Reading a free ebook feels almost like a writers’ workshop. Or, at least it does in my head. When I’m reading a free book, my expectations are almost automatically lowered. I know that the writer probably didn’t hire a professional editor or proofreader if they are giving their work away, so I expect mistakes, typos and even ragged plot lines. I notice those things and make all sorts of suggestions and notes in my mind as I am reading. Because I have always like writers’ workshops and peer reviews reading work that feels a little unfinished is appealing to me.

 

The Cons

 

Reading a free ebook feels almost like a writers’ workshop. Yeah, I know it was just a pro, but it’s a con, too. Sometimes I just want to read for fun and if my brain is busy noticing problems or mistakes I can’t relax and really enjoy the story. If the story is really bad, I find myself tense and angry after reading for a little while – quite the opposite of what I’m going for when I open a book.

 

It is especially aggravating to read a book that is almost really good. It drives me crazy if I think someone just sent their first draft to Smashwords and I’m left to try and figure out what they are attempting to do with a story. Please, just give it to a few friends (and maybe even a respected enemy or two) before you send it out into the world as a finished product. Being just the teensiest bit compulsive, it’s almost impossible for me to NOT finish a book once I’ve started it. My family gets very annoyed when I complain incessantly about how bad a story is but continue reading it anyway.

 

“Good” becomes relative. If you read a whole lot of bad writing, then come across something that is slightly better than average, it might seem like it is GREAT. Just like if you haven’t eaten all day and suddenly realize you are ravenously hungry at 8 pm, a Saltine cracker might taste like the finest gourmet food available.

 

If I say a book is worthy of reading, I’d like to think that it’s not because the book I read just before should not have ever existed. Hopefully, if I say a book is worth reading, it’s because the story is intriguing, original or informative. It bugs me to think that my opinions are being formed by reading the stuff that, during another time, might have been on the bottom of the sludge pile.

 

My expectations are automatically lower. If a book is free, I figure there’s something wrong with it. This figuring happens at a subconscious level, but it’s there. I don’t expect the book to be edited or proofread. Is that what authors really want? For readers to think that the work is sub par before ever even reading a word?

 

Maybe the idea that nothing is ever really free comes into play. The price one pays for a free book is the aggravation of reading something that is not quite ready. For writers who give away carefully polished, edited and proofread books, the idea that there is a hidden “cost” might be unfair. So far, though, those have been few and far between.

 

Do you read free books? Does it bother you when they contain typos and errors? Would you rather pay a few dollars and expect an edited story or read what amounts to a rough draft for free? 

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I am working on several new projects, that are a little scary and a little exciting. These things have been in the back of my mind for a while. I haven’t really talked about them or thought about them in any kind of practical way until the last week. They are the sort of projects that are in danger of becoming dust-covered clutter in the closet of my mind. The kinds of things you can just put away until later.

 

We took a short (and wonderful) trip to the beach last week. We left on a Thursday night and came back home

Sunday. I took along my iPad and a notebook, thinking the time in the car would be perfect for doing some work. On the way there, I just read and napped. Then, on Friday and Saturday, I swam, ate, played in the sand, read a little more, swam some more, went for a very long walk and napped.

 

Doesn’t sound like much work got done, does it? On the way home, a work-related thought crossed my mind, so I got out my notebook – and ended up with pages and pages of notes. In fact, the skeleton of a plan for a couple of those projects turned up in all those notes. I got further in an hour or two in the car all sun kissed and beach-tired than I had in a month at home.

 

I’ve never been the kind of creative person who is dependent on some mysterious muse to grant me ideas. Writing is work, and like any work, it’s something you just have to sit down and do. If you need to wait until inspiration hits, you should give up any thoughts of making a living writing.  At the same time, in order write well, you do need what I think of as “mental space.” There has to be room in your mind for your thoughts to move around and connect in new and interesting patterns.

 

My guess is that any kind of work requires the same sort of mental dexterity. An unusual marketing scheme will attract attention. A creative combination of flavors will bring customers through the restaurant doors. An unusual grouping of plants can make a display in a retail establishment. Creativity is necessary in every business because you have to be original and give your customers a reason to come to you and not the guy across the street.

 

While a routine is good and fosters creativity in its own way, doing something completely different (and in this case unplanned) can cause those “lightning strike” moments of creativity. I was worried about coming home to a big mess and feeling exhausted and needing a week to recover from a three day vacation. Instead, I came home with a notebook of ideas to implement and a renewed dedication (to make more money so there can be more trips to the beach!).

 

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to predict what will work the best at any particular time. When I’m “stuck” on a garden-variety Tuesday, a hard run or other work out might get the mental wheels turning, but not always. Time outside usually helps, but again, not always. Like last weekend, a short trip can be the key, but other times only lead to exhaustion.

 

Do you have a need to foster creativity in your work? Is there an activity that seems to spur your mental processes, or a time of day that is more conducive to creativity for you? Have you ever been surprised that something did or didn’t help you think creatively? 

 

 

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