Why Writers Procrastinate

There are lots of reasons why writers procrastinate about writing. Here are some that plague me from time to time:

The sun is shining and I’d rather be outdoors.
I’ve got company arriving and I need to cook.
I misplaced my imagination and I need to find inspiration.

Now, let me tell you my personal solutions. Numbers one and two above are easy fixes. If it’s a beautiful day and you want to be outdoors, then go. But, take a notepad with you. Sometimes just being in a change of scenery is enough to make you want to write. Be observant and you might even stumble upon an idea for a new story.

When company is calling and I need to prepare, I think of how that time spent in the kitchen can translate to my writing. If anyone follows my blog you’ll notice that I often post recipes and photos of my dishes. I love to cook. There’s no reason to halt one hobby in place of another. If I’m going to entertain a friend for afternoon tea and make lemon bars (bites of heavenly sunshine), you’ll probably find one of my characters is either going to make them as well or find a local bakery to sample them.

Now we come to the tough one…misplaced imagination. You’ve looked under the bed, behind the closed door and still that stubborn piece of inspiration remains hidden in the recesses of your mind. Where is it? Read this article and repeat. Go outdoors. Make a batch of cookies. Think of your story as you do it. Most importantly, trust as you procrastinate that something will evolve.

There’s really no such thing as procrastination if you keep your mind open to the possibilities as you do whatever activity is driving you. Now you know that I go outdoors or cook when the writing muse is on vacation. What do you do?