For those of you waiting for your Muse, are too busy with other stuff or are putting your playwriting off till another day, allow me to offer the following quote that I stumbled upon today:
Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable are the kind who do nothing. ~William Feather
I used to have a terrible problem with procrastination when it came to writing. I loved writing and wanted nothing more than to write regularly. But there were so many distractions at home that every time I sat down to write something would pull me out of my chair and I would let another day go by without writing anything. This is why it took 15 YEARS for me to finish writing 2 plays. I didn't have any self discipline when it came to writing and I was always in the throes of procrastination.
Now I have a system. I got to a bookstore as often as possible and sit in their cafe for at least 4 hours each session and write. I go there 3-4 times a week. Sometimes I'm there 5 times a week, and sometimes I'm there for 8 hours instead of 4. For some reason writing in the cafe in the bookstore helps me focus. I think going there to write makes me feel like writing is a job, not just a hobby that will never lead to anything. Writing is my job. I am taking it a lot more seriously now that I have a table in that cafe waiting for me each day.
I don't wait for inspiration when I get to the bookstore. I write. If I don't have a particular play I'm working on I go and do playwriting exercises. When I do have a play to finish, I do a writing exercise to warm up, and then work on my play.
I look forward to my writing time at the bookstore. I don't have to worry about my husband, the household chores, the pets, or answering the phone when I am at the bookstore. I keep my iPhone in airplane mode at the bookstore so no one can disturb my work. Procrastination is not a problem at the bookstore. If only I'd thought of this system years ago, think of the body of work I could have had finished. No matter, I'm working to that end now.
Does writing in a blog every day count as writing every day? I mean, obviously it is writing, but if you're set on working on a new play (as I am) and you find yourself blogging instead, does that blogging still count as daily writing? I suppose blogging is better than not writing anything at all.
I'm away from my bookstore cafe this week, due to not feeling well. I have been online and on my blog, but I have not worked on my new play. I'm not sure yet what to do with Act II of the new play. I have an outline, but I'm not sure I like it. Perhaps I'm just letting the play simmer in my head a bit this week, and when I go back to it I'll be able to look at it with a fresh set of eyes and a better outlook on the project. One can only hope...
I specialise in it, couldn't even write a letter to me granny right now if you paid me, good for nothing that's me, not a word out of me for gods know when, you are lucky you got this much
Does writing in a blog every day count as writing every day? I mean, obviously it is writing, but if you're set on working on a new play (as I am) and you find yourself blogging instead, does that blogging still count as daily writing? I suppose blogging is better than not writing anything at all.
I'm away from my bookstore cafe this week, due to not feeling well. I have been online and on my blog, but I have not worked on my new play. I'm not sure yet what to do with Act II of the new play. I have an outline, but I'm not sure I like it. Perhaps I'm just letting the play simmer in my head a bit this week, and when I go back to it I'll be able to look at it with a fresh set of eyes and a better outlook on the project. One can only hope...
I saw this and I found it interesting. Does writing in a blog count as a part of one’s goal to "write every day"? It's a good question, and I think it might be interesting to note the difference between writing, and creative writing. Of course blogging counts as writing, you said it yourself that it is obviously writing. But would you call it creative writing? And is your goal really to "write something creative" every day?
I am extremely new to creative writing in general, and I've found it relatively easy to write every day, but not to creatively write every day. Now I don't think that's to say that blogging isn't useful and I certainly agree that blogging is better than not writing at all, but I do feel like there's a difference in mentality when you write a blog vs when you write a story, or a play. What do you think?
As for your play, I'm sure that when you do come back to it you'll have a fresh perspective. Sometimes you need to find that new perspective, the obvious challenge is not to let that sensation go on for too long.
As I said I'm new at creative writing in general, and I feel like if I don't keep on top of my writing, I'm in danger of letting an idea sit rather than working on it. In point of fact reading this post reminded me of a play I'm working on with some friends that I've not touched in weeks.
I actually like the procrastination. I procrastinate so my brain can work, so I can think. Procrastination to me is the beginnings of the writing process.
"How 'bout not equating death with stopping?"
Alanis
ok not bang on the money but a good quote.
I think that would be the opposite of procrastinating actually to fit that quote.
It would be like someone who writes 18 hours a day with almost no time to feed the cat.
In the land of busy worker bees - the procrastinator is king!
Last edited on Sun Mar 2nd, 2014 10:51 pm by ServiceSpirit
