I bet I got you at “procrastinate”, didn’t I?
All of us procrastinate – some more than others. I do think you’ll agree that procrastination seems to be most tempting when there’s a deadline looming, yes?
Use Writing Procrastination to Your Advantage
Every writer has complained about procrastination at some point. I could be wrong, but even the most prolific writers have had to deal with the urge to put things off. If you think about it, there’s nothing wrong with that as long as you don’t make it a habit.
Additionally, there are ways to procrastinate productively. You can read about that in an article I wrote last year.
Believing that procrastination won’t go away – it will keep coming back – I think that it can be beaten if you prepare yourself for it. So, how do you beat writing procrastination?
4 Best Tips to Kill Procrastination
“I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” – Douglas Adams
Every writer knows this quote and has probably said/written it more than once. In reality, however, that whooshing noise is not so pleasant. It’s the stuff writers’ nightmares are made of. Especially when a client is inflexible when it comes to deadlines.
One observation about writers that I have heard so many times is that we like to procrastinate. It is such a sweeping statement and can be taken the wrong way.
However, I have to admit that with all the distractions surrounding us, there are times when we do procrastinate – perhaps more than we want to. [Read more…]
10 Procrastination-Killing Quotes by Writers, for Writers
Editor’s note; This post was written by Jennifer Parris, career writer at FlexJobs, the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible job listings. FlexJobs lists thousands of pre-screened, legitimate, and professional-level work-from-home jobs and other types of flexibility like part-time positions, freelancing, and flexible schedules. Jennifer provides career and job search advice through the FlexJobs Blog and social media. Learn more at www.FlexJobs.com.
You promised your editor that you would have your article in by the end of the week. But despite having a looming deadline, you’ve kept yourself busy clicking and commenting on your Facebook friends’ photos, playing with your pug, and visiting the fridge every half hour on the hour. In short, you’ve done everything except write.
Procrastination hits even the best of writers. If you find yourself in a writing funk, get some inspiration from these 10 prolific writers, all of whom have battled—and won—the war against procrastination!
Procrastination Quotes by Writers
- “You can’t think yourself out of a writing block; you have to write yourself out of a thinking block.” –John Rogers
- “I’ve often said that there’s no such thing as writer’s block; the problem is idea block. When I find myself frozen–whether I’m working on a brief passage in a novel or brainstorming about an entire book–it’s usually because I’m trying to shoehorn an idea into the passage or story where it has no place.” –Jeffery Deaver
- “I think writer’s block is simply the dread that you are going to write something horrible. But as a writer, I believe that if you sit down at the keys long enough, sooner or later something will come out.” –Roy Blount, Jr.
- “Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.” –Barbara Kingsolver
- “It begins with a character, usually, and once he stands up on his feet and begins to move, all I can do is trot along behind him with a paper and pencil trying to keep up long enough to put down what he says and does.” –William Faulkner
- “Write freely and as rapidly as possible and throw the whole thing on paper. Never correct or rewrite until the whole thing is down. Rewrite in process is usually found to be an excuse for not going on. It also interferes with flow and rhythm which can only come from a kind of unconscious association with the material.” –John Steinbeck
- “Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say ‘infinitely’ when you mean ‘very;’ otherwise you’ll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” –C.S. Lewis
- “Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.” –Anne Lamott
- “Don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to work.” –Pearl S. Buck
- “There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” –Ernest Hemingway
Sometimes it takes a little extra effort to put pen to paper. But as long as you try to minimize the distractions, the words will eventually flow, producing a great piece that you’ll be proud of.
Are You a Precrastinator or Procrastinator?
Pre-what?
That’s what first came to mind when I read the word “precrastinator”, but my brain quickly took it in, knowing full well how procrastinating is a big issue for many freelance writers. There have been quite a lot of studies focusing on procrastination – why it happens, what it does to productivity, and even how it affects the health of individuals because of stress.
Blog posts and online how-tos dealing with procrastination can easily be found, but it is not common to come across something dealing with the opposite: being a precrastinator.
What exactly is a precrastinator?
A precrastinator is the opposite of a procrastinator, in that he or she takes on more work and completing tasks sooner than the deadline.
Forget the popular quote from Douglas Adams: I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by!
What to do if you miss a deadline
So which are you?
Given the characteristics of a procrastinator and a precrastinator, which one do you think you are? I’d say that I am sometimes a procrastinator, and other times, I am a precrastinator. It’s just the way things are; not everything is black and white. There are good days, and there are bad days.
Being a precrastinator is good, right?
If you are a precrastinator, you should have a smug look on your face right now, shouldn’t you? After all, completing your work before the deadline is something to be proud about. It oozes professionalism and efficiency. It helps your bottom line.
But, is it a good thing, really?
Penn State’s David Rosenbaum, together with his colleagues Lanyun Gong and Cory Adam Potts, conducted a study on this particular topic. Here’s what they did:
They set up a series of experiments not unlike my morning ritual—simpler actually. In the study, volunteers were asked to walk down an alley, pick up a bucket along the way, and deposit it at the end. They had a choice of picking up a bucket that was close to them, and therefore had to be carried further, or a bucket that was a bit further away from the start and thus required less carrying. The buckets were of equal weight, and the volunteers were instructed to do whatever seemed easier.
As it turned out, what “seemed easier” was to pick up the load closest to them instead of the bucket that required less carrying, resulting in more work. This, the researchers labeled precrastination.
Counterintuively, the researchers say that precrastinators are not necessarily better off than procrastinators.
Precrastinating may feel better than procrastinating, as you avoid that nagging knowledge that you should be doing something else, but rushing to complete a task may result in decreased performance. “If you want to start and finish something as fast as possible–before you have the full instruction on how to complete the task–it could potentially be a problem,” says Potts.
Additionally, there may be benefits to being a procrastinator.
“Oftentimes, you’re able to remember things better or things occur to you that wouldn’t have occurred to you [in the moment], says Potts. “If you’re a procrastinator, you have that time to incubate, whereas if you’re a precrastinator you don’t.” Rushing to complete the task could mean you’re losing out on ideas that would have occurred to you later if you’d taken the time to mentally percolate on the task.
So there’s good news for procrastinators, although I do think that being a precrastinator is also beneficial depending on the context. It’s all in the context, don’t you think?
What are your thoughts on this? I’d love to read them in the comments below.
10 Habits of Successful Freelance Writers
For most of the Freelance Writing Jobs community, it’s not enough to be a freelance writer. You want to be a successful freelance writer. However, freelance writing success isn’t found on a job board or even a blog. You can find your success by cultivating good habits and working hard to get ahead.
The most successful freelance writers know what it takes to be the very best:
1. Focus
The ability to complete projects without succumbing to distractions is important. When you’re constantly stepping way from your work space to check on kids, see what’s to eat or watch the news, you’re not getting much done. It will take more effort to finish a piece if you have to break your focus every ten minutes. The most successful freelance writers find times to work undisturbed. This might mean finding times to work when no one is home, or working at a place such as the library where there aren’t as many distractions. Focus enables writers to stay on task, work without as many mistakes, and finish each project sooner than if they had to stop every 30 minutes to handle home matters.
2. Drive
What motivates you to stay on task and continue to find work? Successful freelance writers don’t stop at one project or client and they have more than one gig. They’re driven to land new clients and achieve higher rates of success and pay. If you’re driven you won’t stop at anything to achieve your goals. You won’t settle for only low paying gigs, but will instead use all your experiences as stepping stones to take it to the next level. Drive is what keeps us going. It gets us out of bed and through our day. We don’t procrastinate because we’re driven. We’ll stop at nothing to get what we want.
3. Confidence
Successful freelance writers are confident. They don’t hope and they don’t wish … they know they can get the job done. Their confidence shows through in every query letter, every job application and every writing project. Their confidence doesn’t keep them from applying for or accepting jobs, nor does it keep them from raising their rates and landing lucrative projects.
4. Communication
Successful freelancers know the importance of keeping the channels of communication open with their clients. They ask lots of questions and encourage questions from those they work for. They regularly inform their clients of a project’s progress and don’t let questions go unanswered for days. They know the onus is on them and if they don’t hear back from a client in a reasonable amount of time, they will make contact again. In short, successful freelancers don’t leave anything up to chance.
5.Perseverance
Perseverance goes hand in hand with the second item on our list, drive. Successful freelancers are where they are today because they don’t give up. Even when the going gets tough they continue. They don’t let rejection or famine stop them from their goals. They’re not spooked by the competition. They’re successful freelancers because they’re not quitters.
6. Goals
For successful freelancers it’s not enough to write and earn a living. They have goals. There’s a clear picture in their minds about what they want to achieve and how they will get there. They know what they want to earn, the types of writing they want to do, and what they hope to achieve with their writing. Each day is a carefully planned step in achieving their goals.
7. Collaboration
Successful freelancers work well with others. They don’t see other freelancers as competitors but more as collaborators. They find others to work with on book, blog, and ebook projects and outsource work when there’s overflow. Successful freelancers know they can’t fly solo all the time.
8. Follow Up
Successful freelancers follow up. They follow up on queries and letters of interest, and they contact their clients after a project is completed to ensure satisfaction. Successful freelancers ask clients if there’s anything else that’s needed and to be kept on file for future projects. Successful writers know how to give value with their experience.
9. Accept Feedback
Successful freelancers ask for and appreciate feedback. They enjoy hearing when a job is done to a client’s satisfaction, but also, they want to know when clients aren’t satisfied. Both positive and negative feedback are given the same consideration and all are opportunities for improvement.
10. Promotion
Successful freelance writers don’t wait for business to come to them. They promote and market their work and their business. They network online and offline in hopes of building brand awareness and a client base. They share online and attend networking events. They know promotion is key to success.
What are your successful habits?
Freelance Writing Jobs You’re Not Feeling: 3 Tips for Getting Through the Clunkers
Five or six years ago, I wrote a bunch of articles for a construction website. I probably don’t need to tell you I know nothing about the construction. The client paid well and they gave me plenty of material for research, but the work was dull, dull, dull. I perservered though it was one of the most boring freelance writing jobs I took on, ever. Many freelance writers are at a point in their career when they can pick and choose projects. However, plenty can’t afford to be so choosy.
This post is for them.
What happens when you’re not feeling a job and it seems to take an eternity to get through? The obvious answer is to plod on through and continue to give it your all, but that’s not really helpful, is it? Besides, if you want clients to recommend you to other potential client, seek you out for more rosy opportunities, and even agree to a pay raise, you can’t turn in lackluster work.
1. Worst is First
When I have projects I’m not feeling, I usually put those first. Knowing I have other work to get to encourages me to get it down. Also, the promise of a more attractive task is a beacon of light during a rather dismal moment. I don’t know if this is the same for you, but I’m less likely to procrastinate if I know I have other projects looming. Plus, once the worst is over, I know it’s easy coasting for the rest of the day.
2. Keep Your Eye on the Prize
Why did you take this project in the first place? Is it because of a byline or a paycheck? Is it because it’s a good opportunity that will help to pave the way for other good opportunities? Reminding yourself of the reasons behind the gig can serve as a motivator.
3. Plan a Reward
Reward yourself for completing an unattractive task. Enjoy a few chapters of a good book or sit out on the back deck and savor a cup of premium coffee. Buy a new song from iTunes or watch some guilt free TV. Rewarding yourself beyond the monetary compensation will help you get to the end.
Just because you’re not feeling a freelance writing job, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t get your best effort
We all take on freelance writing jobs we don’t dig, but again, that’s not our clients’ fault. Every gig we take on deserves our absolute best effort. Maybe if you find the topic boring, others will too. Think about ways you can spice it up and make it more interesting. Go beyond the usual Google search and see what kind of interesting facts or anecdotes to add in. Find a fun story or interview a person of interest. You have the power to make a dull topic something fun or discussion-worthy. The question is, are you up to the task?
How do you take a topic you’re not into and make it your own? What are your tips for getting through the dull gigs? I’d love to learn your thoughts in the comments.
