To continue our discussion of the art of self-sabotage or procrastination, first we have to admit that we, as writers, sometimes want the aura of being a “writer” without any of the suffering that the title entails, all the hard work and self-doubt and isolation of being a writer.
In his great book The War of Art, author Steven Pressfield discusses the process of doing one’s work every day, and little by little, following a routine, achieving success that the discipline of writing every day brings.
My own take on this is the “to-do” list: a prioritized list of things I need to finish in the order I should finish them in order to finish my novel, Shadow Gardens.
As a mother of three, I have tons of to-do lists, and I even have a giant Post-It (it covers the side of the fridge) that lists the schedule of day’s events and all of the “big picture” items that need to be done to keep everyone on track. The writing scrawled on the wall is in red ink and there is great satisfaction when something gets crossed off.
Enter the “skinny list:” a 4×6 sized sheet of neon green paper that I can transport anywhere I write. I utilize some of the finer points on my skinny list, writing down specific scenes and points that are important to me – what I need to include in the novel. I have no more than ten items on the list at each time. This way I can cross off scenes and plot points as they are completed and then add new scenes – and new sheets of sticky-backed paper.
What ten things “must” you include in your work-in-progress? Make a list and make some time for yourself to write every day.