IWSG: Procrastina . . . where did I get that chip in my nail polish?

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Wednesday, August 06, 2014

IWSG: Procrastina . . . where did I get that chip in my nail polish?


My name is Nancy and I’m a procrastinator. My motto might as well be “If it wasn’t for the last minute nothing would ever get done-oh, look! A squirrel!” Blessed/cursed with ADD, I can cruise blissfully through the day wasting time (that’s why God invented Solitaire and Facebook!) unless my OCD turns on the laser pointer to get my attention. Working full time, my writing time is too precious to let seconds tick away on YouTube scrolling cat videos (one can never get enough cat videos!). So how do you channel that distractibility into productivity?


You could 1) eliminate the distractions, but if sitting cross-legged on the floor in a closet with your laptop on your knees under a bare 60 watt bulb doesn’t appeal to you, you could always address your demons by 2) taking a class like this one:




The best way I’ve found to manage my nomadic attention is the same way my d-i-l gets my six-year-old grandson to school – routine. By establishing a repeated pattern, even the most wandering mind can be trained to get things done. My morning looks like this: up at 5:00 a.m., feed cats, select flavor of the day for the Keurig, power up computer, check e-mail, FB, Goodreads, Twitter while caffeine does it’s magic, at 5:30 minimize Internet and bring up WIP, back to Chapter 17, break at 7:00 for breakfast and to make lunch, power through pages until 8:00 then shut down to get ready for work. Every weekday, like clockwork.

So why, I wondered, was it taking me a year and a half to get to the last pages of my current WIP when it usually took only a few months? Ahha! (light bulb moment!) Routine carried me on autopilot from day to day, but to reach completion, I needed a deadline. Working on my first self-pub project, I’d forgotten to give myself the time limit I was used to when under contract for the Big 6 (5). Release date: October 13. Amazing how fast those endless tinkering revisions got wrapped up! If not for the last minute . . .

Routine and deadlines (or goals) - the foundations that contain overflowing imagination - just like a Wonder bra and snug pair of Spanx - keeping it under control and ready to meet the public.

What about you? What frameworks do you use to keep yourself on track? What seems to always derail you? Remember, you could always take that class!

New from Nancy Gideon w/a Dana Ransom . . .




TOTALLY YOURS
Dana Ransom

When a popular self-improvement program gives Lisa Reynolds a smoking hot body, she wins an unexpected prize: a Caribbean cruise as the club’s corporate spokesmodel. Lisa, a hardworking insurance sales rep who prides herself on her brains, hesitantly accepts the siren call of being admired for her figure, too.

But suddenly this new glamour girl faces magnetic CEO Harlan Jameson, whose interest in her matches her attraction to him, except . . . the “real” Lisa isn’t this workout babe he created. And old self-doubts about being loved for herself resurface.

Harlan’s not what she thinks. A self-made success, lonely, and isolated by a busy schedule . . . he’s drawn to Lisa’s honesty and warmth. When he understands her fears, he sets out to prove there’s only one thing he wants her to change for him: her last name.



Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.

Follow along with my fellow writers!


7 comments

  1. I still haven't really come up with a way to keep myself on track. Deadlines never seem to work, or scheduling. I pretty much just go with the flow. If I feel inspired, I try to get as much done as I can.

    Sarah Foster
    August IWSG Co-host

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    1. Sometimes it's all we can do to just keep paddling!

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  2. The full time job gets in the way for me. I like to write in bed at night and use my lunch hour to catch up on Triberr. :)

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    1. Yep, we just have to work around it (and its regular pay check!).

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  3. I've finished only two books so far. One took me 15 years and three months. The other, four weeks. I think that your deadline route is really the way to go.

    Also, this: "Routine and deadlines (or goals) - the foundations that contain overflowing imagination - just like a Wonder bra and snug pair of Spanx - keeping it under control and ready to meet the public." That's the best turn of phrase I've seen all week! :)

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    Replies
    1. That's a remarkable learning curve! I have to give credit to good undergarments where it's due!

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  4. Great post, Nancy. I know I did a better job of staying on a schedule when I worked full time. Think I need a new Wonder bra and snugger pair of Spanx!!

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