You’re a writer, you know what it’s like, you put so much time and effort into your manuscript that sometimes you just don’t want to go in there – You crave a break, you don’t want to find any more problems, any more issues, so you delay, you drag your feet, you throw just about every obstacle in your path to put off the inevitable moment that you have to go in. Soon you haven’t been in for days or even weeks and now it’s almost impossible.

Ever left looking at your work until the last moment of your free time, only to wish you had started earlier because you’re actually enjoying yourself once in there? Ever been frustrated by the time wasted not getting in there because in fact turned out to be fun?

Procrastination is bad at the best of times, but when things end up going beautifully and you might have missed out entirely, you feel like you’ve been cheated as well!

The trick is easy. Decide on some simple task within the manuscript. Even just checking what color eyes you gave a character. Yes, that simple. It’s got to be something really minor that won’t take too long because that’s the trick.

Then you know that it’s a two minute job, tops, and you’ll just go in there and do that. You’re not demanding anything of yourself, so those walls don’t go up. Better still, do it early to get it out of the way. You know also you’ll feel good for having just done this minor thing. What writer doesn’t want to end the day feeling as though they’d done something, especially when things are going slowly.

*

So, okay, you’re in and you’ll read a sentence or two at the point you’re checking. Right? Then you might find something grabs your imagination and then it’s okay to be there. A few minutes might turn into half an hour or even the rest of the day and you end up getting some serious work done, possibly for the first time in ages.

And if it doesn’t work? No problem, do again the next day. Try it in a different area. Something is going to draw you in. don’t force it. Play with it. Yes, it’s a trick, but, hey, it gives you an opening that will allow your creativity to take over. Not only that, but you’ve just dodged a period of procrastination that might have run into months.

Cheers! Happy writing!

😀

Allyson