The Heart of The Delay: Harnessing the Wisdom of
Procrastination, AKA Writer’s Block
I am sure that at in some era, at some desk, with some kind of
paper (and perhaps some very special ink), some writer has
breezed through a lengthy and challenging project from beginning
to end with no delays. No one in her household has suffered,
she’s felt pleased at each step of the process, and her
shoulders have never cried out for massage. I’m sure of this.
I am equally certain that for most people, writing projects have
at least some period of delay. Sometimes, it takes the form of
distraction, and a bit of discipline works just fine to bring us
back. Other times, our life’s work or inspiration of the moment
sits there, waiting for us to get back to it, and every
incomplete we’ve ever taken in school, every shaming message
we’ve ever heard, or self-doubt we’ve ever felt encrusts the
project like so many barnacles.
Worse still, “procrastination” and “writer’s block” pop up in
writer’s tracts like names of diseases that need “cures,” the
right sledgehammer, or perhaps simply to be ignored. While some
writers may find it helpful to have a name for what gets in the
way of what they’re trying to achieve, “writer’s block” or
“procrastination” can falsely universalize very different
phenomena. My obstacles, yours, and hers may be different
animals, different species or even perhaps silicon-based
non-organic entities. Framing them as negative blocks the
opportunity to learn something about ourselves or our writing.
For example, my reluctance to finish my novel may reflect a
correct hunch about a major flaw in the story structure I’m
loathe to face, while yours may stem from guilt about being the
first in your family to succeed at an intellectual task. Each of
us has an opportunity to notice and deal directly with the heart
of the delay, rather than its limbs which trip us. Dealing with
the heart of the delay could lead us down a more effective and
sustainable path than the one we’d forge by simply steamrolling
over the delay, or walking around it. I might need to bring in a
book doctor to raise the quality of my work, while you might
need to have a heart-to-heart with a family member, neutral
third party, or both about what it means for you to succeed as a
writer.
I humbly suggest the following: When next you find your mind
meandering anywhere but to your work, don’t beat yourself up.
Instead, give a listen to what’s guiding you astray. The answer
may surprise you—and give you some clues about how to proceed
with your project on the clearest path possible. Here are some
questions to help you determine what’s tripping you up, as well
as some responses to each.
1) Do you have in mind an ideal way of doing things, and then
get paralyzed when you start to do things in your own natural
quirky way? Here’s permission, then. Write out of order. If
ideas for the middle or end of your book come before the
beginning, go with it. You can always move things later.
Multitask—use one project to procrastinate from doing another.
If you’ve done your emotional homework and find that you still
procrastinate (and many great writers do), have other projects
in the pipeline so that when you find yourself drifting from the
one big project, you’ve got others to work on to fill your time
until you can get back to that one. If you’re stopped in your
tracks because you think you have to work in a certain way, get
back to the drawing board! Work on the pieces that compel you
when you feel like working on them.
2) Is it possible that you lose the big picture of what you’re
doing in the daily details? Connect your deepest desires and
visions to each moment of your work.
Distill your longings into a sentence or paragraph such as “I am
a published writer who gets great reviews and makes my entire
living through my writing,” and post this in a visible place.
Say it out loud to your mirror each time you begin your work. It
might seem hokey, but many writers find that it actually helps
to keep the big picture in mind.
3) Do you have a realistic image of the quality of your work?
Find out what if any kind of help you need, then get it.
A society of journalists was asked how many writers were in the
room. Nearly all the hands went up. Then the speaker asked how
many of the writers considered themselves “good writers.” Nearly
half the hands went down.
While even the best writers doubt their skill, others suffer
from overconfidence. Well, maybe overconfident writers don’t
experience suffering themselves, but their careers (and perhaps
their peers) can suffer for their lack of help getting their
writing to a publishable place. If you find yourself putting off
work because you don’t know if it’s any good, find out. Get a
professional in the field with obvious credentials to help you
make that determination, or do it yourself.
If you find out your work stands up content-wise, you may still
need an outside eye to tell you whether your writing is okay on
its own, or you need professional assistance to make it
publishable. An editor experienced in your type of manuscript
will be able to help you polish your prose to a high sheen.
Another option is ghostwriting, or hiring a professional writer
to pen some or all of your manuscript. Many of the most famous
authors hire ghostwriters to help them get their message across.
Sometimes they’re credited on the cover with an “and” or “with,”
but often they’re silent partners, hence the term “ghost.”
Having marketable ideas is one thing—finding the language to
best articulate them is another entirely. Don’t kill yourself
trying to develop a skill that takes years to hone when you’ve
got other more compelling plans, and when there are plenty of
people already prepped for that task. We live in a specialized
society expressly for not having to kill ourselves trying to
deliver garbage, make contact lenses, paint all the artwork on
our walls, and yes, craft and polish all our own prose.
4) Who is in your immediate environment? Take a look, give a
listen. Is what you observe conducive to writing?
On one end of the solitude-contact continuum is the person who
works best alone. On the other end is someone who needs a
partner to check in and collaborate with at each stage of the
process. What are your needs around other people’s involvement
in your work? For the solitary type, the solution could be
finding a “room of one’s own,” or at least a borrowed space with
peace and quiet enough to think and write.
At the other end it could be finding a buddy, coach or
collaborator to check in with regularly. In the middle, where
lots of people find themselves, are authors who attend local
writers groups or participate in online communities. Take the
time to notice and get to know your own needs, and to create the
space and/or support you need to move forward.
5) Is some healing in order? At the deepest level of your
awareness, what do you feel and believe about yourself and your
writing? On another plane entirely from practical concerns are
wounds of the soul that need healing. It’s difficult to allow
our excellence to shine when we truly believe we’re not worthy,
or that to succeed would betray some unspoken agreement about
staying small.
If everything within you wants to move forward into the world
with your writing, and something inside you is holding you back,
realize that only you can make the decision to find the
therapist, spiritual counselor, coach or practice to move you
through that place. Procrastination could be a signal to finally
heal an old wound.
6) Is this project the best expression of what you love and want
to put out into the world right now? Ascertain or revisit what
made you put your energy behind this project.
Whether it’s money, prestige, self-expression, career
advancement or something else, ask yourself if your original
reasons are congruent with your current needs. If not, give
yourself permission to do something else.
7) Are you afraid of the impact you’ll make on the world,
whether positive or negative? You should be—if you’ve never been
published before, you’re about to lose your anonymity.
Consider using a pen name, at least for the time you’re writing.
You can always change it back later. I did this for the very
first essay I ever published, because at the time, I felt shy
about writing about sex, and also wanted to protect those whom I
discussed in the essay.
guerilla tip: Most writers will not become all that famous, and
the feedback most of us receive is damned scant. So—consider
using your real name before going to press. If you go on to
build your career around related material, you’ll be grateful
you did.
8) Do You Need to Reassess your Pace? Maybe the goals you’ve set
aren’t realistic for you.
Procrastination can be an utterly human attempt to create a
sustainable work pace. If you expect eight hours of writing a
day from yourself six days a week, no wonder your body’s
rebelling. If your goals more clearly meet your known
capabilities, and you’re still having difficulty meeting them,
ask yourself honestly whether your timetable makes sense for you
today.
Your life may have changed since you last set the pace of your
writing treadmill. If so, change your expectations to ones
you’re more likely to achieve—then reward yourself when you do.
If you still have trouble, consider structural supports, like a
writing buddy, group, or some form of coaching.
9) Do you think your first drafts have to be perfect? Come on.
You’re slinging mud on a wall. Or, if you prefer, as one of my
clients put it, “I just put one word in front of the other.”
You’re going to go through so many revisions from the time you
put those first few words down to the time you’re polished, that
you might as well bulk up the page now. There will be plenty of
time for trimming later.
10) Do you hate the idea of rewriting yet one more time? Of
course you do. People in other fields get to be finished with
their tasks when they stop working, and enjoy the fruits of
their labors. But nooooo, not writers! There’s always another
draft in the wings.
Face it—endless rewriting sucks. You know and I know it needs
doing, but isn’t there a better way? The bad news is, the only
way around is through. The good news is, you can reward yourself
for each phase, and I encourage you to do so.
11) When was the last time you saw the sky? Get outside, for
crying out loud. Humans were never meant to spend all day
immersed in words.
Some days, your procrastination may be telling you to Get A
Life. If so, listen. Enjoy yourself. However talented you are
and however important your work, you aren’t your writing. At
least not entirely. Breaking up your day with physical
activities, or anything very different from writing will give
you a fresh perspective on your text. Plus, when this project is
all over, you’ll want to have had a bit of sunshine from time to
time, maybe a friendship or two.
Remember, not all bouts of delay are alike. Yours might carry a
message. Take the time to listen, heed and respond to that
message. Your writing—and your life—will be better for it.
You are welcome to reprint this article any time, anywhere with
no further permission, and no payment, provided the following is
included at the end or beginning:
Author Jill Nagle is founder and principal of GetPublished,
http://www.GetPublished.com, which provides coaching,
consulting, ghostwriting, classes and do-it-yourself products to
emerging and published authors. Her most recent book is How to
Find An Agent Who Can Sell Your Book for Top Dollar
http://www.FindTheRightAgent.com.
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