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Procrastination, frustration and determination
I know that procrastination is a writers best friend/worst enemy; it has kept me company during the nine months of my pregnancy. Now baby has arrived all beit it only within the last fortnight, I realise of silly I was to have wasted that time.
with a childrens picture book requiring re-edit, a young adult saga in progress,nonfiction parenting based book, as well as an adult fantasy project all in the "work in progress" box - I wonder if I have too much going on writing wise.
Not to mention the Creative Degree that I am doing - I'm looking at ways to organise my approach determined to get me and my family out of the rented nightmare we currently reside in.
This post is basically my first step toward that, as I see it the non fiction parental book is probably the first out of the stable. Research on the subject shows there is nothing covering this aspect on the market, and I need to hunt down some potential agents that might deal with the subject matter.
But I know very little of how to approach non-fiction. Structurally - is there are "recomended" way?
Can I write under a pen name?
Can anyone recomend books/articles on nonfiction writing?
Pitfalls I need to be aware of?
Should I just start writing and worry about the outcome when finished?
with a childrens picture book requiring re-edit, a young adult saga in progress,nonfiction parenting based book, as well as an adult fantasy project all in the "work in progress" box - I wonder if I have too much going on writing wise.
Not to mention the Creative Degree that I am doing - I'm looking at ways to organise my approach determined to get me and my family out of the rented nightmare we currently reside in.
This post is basically my first step toward that, as I see it the non fiction parental book is probably the first out of the stable. Research on the subject shows there is nothing covering this aspect on the market, and I need to hunt down some potential agents that might deal with the subject matter.
But I know very little of how to approach non-fiction. Structurally - is there are "recomended" way?
Can I write under a pen name?
Can anyone recomend books/articles on nonfiction writing?
Pitfalls I need to be aware of?
Should I just start writing and worry about the outcome when finished?
Comments
No one can have too much going on, really, it stimulates the braincells and also means if one thing isn't working well, you can switch to something else and not waste the writing time. That is the essential thing coming out of this post, SL, you are aware of lost time and you want to make it up. So, grab something out of that list and get going, but don't look for an agent until the book is done, polished, revised and re-polished. It isn't good to approach someone without the complete MS, it won't impress them!
Of course you can write under a pen name, many people do.
Pitfalls are simply sending out work that is less than perfect. It doesn't do you reputation any good.
Start writing - get the book done, set it aside, do something else, go back to it and see how much it can be improved. Then send it out.
BTW, congratulations on the new baby!
Dorothy's advice is good. Also, although you say there is nothing similar on the market, try to read as much as you can in that field, and that will also help you with ideas for structure. Look at the publishers of those books and visit their websites. You may be able to approach them directly without an agent, when you are ready.
And don't feel bad if progress is slow - you have a lot on your plate at the moment!
I think it would be better to write to appropriate publishers with a brilliant proposal, explaining the gap in the market, your qualifications to write it etc. The replies will give you an idea as to whether there is a market for it, and a better idea as to whether to go ahead and do it or not, or concentrate on something else.
Good advice given, but be prepared for set-backs when the new baby seems to take over and writing takes a back seat- or seems to.
Don't worry it will pass.
In previous articles I have written on time management skills, I have generally focused on ways to make better use of time available. Today, however, I shall be taking a look at the other side of the coin, at time mis-management and, in particular, that pariah to productivity, procrastination.
As Im sure you will know procrastination is the putting off of difficult or unpleasant tasks in favour of more appealing ones. It is a very common malaise in the workplace, and a costly one too. The old saying tells us that procrastination is the thief of time and, as we all know, time is money.
By way of experiment I did a little procrastinating myself this morning. A Futurama DVD my son had ordered has just arrived, and so, instead of starting to write this article at nine oclock prompt as planned, I decided to watch an episode of the hilarious sci-fi animation (all in the name of research, you understand) to get some hands-on experience of procrastination in action. The effects were clearly noticeable.
I couldnt really concentrate on the antics of Fry & co as I found it impossible to blank from my mind the fact that I had more urgent things to do. I kept looking at the clock to check on how much of the episode there was left to run. I felt uneasy, like I had a parrot on my shoulder constantly reminding me that I really should be getting on with more pressing matters. Overall a feeling akin to guilt prevented me from enjoying the show.
But all of those pangs I felt while watching Futurama are actually positive signs. For the first step towards overcoming the effects of procrastination, and in turn increasing your own productivity, is to recognise that it is there and to be aware that you are doing it. For, in keeping with my penchant to quote sayings, we cannot seek a cure until the patient recognises that he is sick. But this does raise the question, if we know that we are procrastinating, then why do we continue to do it?
Quite simply it comes down to aversion. Like a child who has been told that he can have a bar of chocolate after he has eaten the fish paste sandwich, he would much rather go straight to the chocolate and put off the sandwich until later. But where the child may have a strict parent to ensure that the more unpleasant task is carried out first, there is no such spur in the workplace. But procrastination can be conquered.
Will power
I quit smoking fifteen years ago and while the will power needed to knuckle down to an unpleasant task is not quite as great as that needed to keep those nicotine cravings at bay, strict discipline is still called for. Just as a moment of weakness can see a non-smoker submit to the evil weed and all of his efforts are gone in a puff of smoke, typing a non-urgent, frivolous email can be a tempting alternative to the monotony of data entry. Try to nurture a strict discipline and resist distractions.
Carrot and stick
You could try to cajole yourself into doing an unpleasant task by promising a reward on its completion, such as an after-work drink or a bar of chocolate (or even a fish paste sandwich if that is your wont). This is fine as long as you stick to it, but it is all too easy to abandon the unpleasant task and still claim the reward. So if the carrot doesnt work then a prod with the stick may do the trick. The consequences of not completing that task on time might well be enough to jolt you into action and, unlike the carrot, it is a reality you cannot ignore.
And finally. . .
I mentioned earlier that recognising that you are procrastinating is a good sign, but putting off an unpleasant task is not necessarily down to procrastination. It may be that you want to get one or two minor tasks out of the way first in order to concentrate fully on a larger one. Or it may be beneficial to cease working on an unpleasant task for a while so that you can return to it with fresh impetus. You need to differentiate between procrastination and what are simply good organisational skills.
And now that this article is complete I think I will reward myself with an episode of Futurama, without the guilt.
Think I may put off what I need to do, while I decide which is best, a prod with a stick or a carrot.
But which one is best ?
There's only one way to find out ... ... ;)
But which one is best ?
There's only one way to find out ... ... [/quote]
:D
Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiighttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
STAN: Is that painful?
Rolling pin falls on Stan's head....