Way back, the acceptable delaying tactic was to sharpen pencils – finding spare pens (just in case you needed them) would fit into that bracket, too – Coffee had always been an option, also, one, two, three or however many you needed to put off the fateful moment when you sit and actually commence working – after that, of course, were the necessary trips to the bathroom.

Nowadays, computer technology and an Internet connection allow for all the delays you could ever want. Checking email, catching up with news blogs or playing (for “just ten minutes”) whatever computer game you are into at the moment, all have the potential to fill half your morning with no trouble at all.

Writers are notorious for dodging their keyboard duties. We always have, we always will – it’s part of the process. It must be, why else would we all do it? We love to weave ideas and, when the words are flowing, we love to catch those ideas on paper. Any other time, though, and we’d rather do just about anything than sit in that chair and ACTUALLY GET SOME WORK DONE.

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