Procrastination--The Writers' Bane

The Writer's Porch--Friday
Procrastination is a writer's bane. For whatever reason, writers love to find reasons not to write. The laundry calls, the phone rings, the cluttery closets coax to be straightened. So what's a writer to do?
For myself I like to create an atmosphere in which I like to write. I like to listen to music--anything from Daughtry to Susan Boyle. I wear things that make me feel like a writer. For example, I have the cutest bracelet made of typewriter keys. It reads "Bookworm." Recently, I was in a little boutique and found two note cards with old typewriters printed on them. I bought the cards. I intend to frame them and place them on the wall in front of my computer.

Author Anne Lamott recommends placing a 1 inch by 1 inch picture frame on your desk. Then study it with the idea you will write just what picture will fit in that frame. It could be a sentence, a paragraph or page, but the 1x1 frame is the beginning of the story. I picked up on this idea and I have a tiny frame on my desk. I think, "I can write what I can imagine inside of this frame."

Reading The Writers' Digest, how-to-write books, and author autobiographies spur me to write. However, I must be extremely careful that I don't allow my reading to interfere with my writing time. So, I have found if I read these at night, I am more inspired in the morning to write my one inch idea.

Candles, incense, funky things spur me to write--think beatnik or hippie. Here's the truth about writers, we walk to the beat of a different drummer. Most of us have artists' hearts. We tend to be introverts by nature. Many of us would be classed melancholy verses sanguine personalities.

Here's what I know for sure, writing is hard work. Procrastination comes naturally to writers. Find what works the best to keep your behind in the chair and your fingers on the keys.

Keep the Heart-Print Faith,

Susanne