Writer’s Block or Procrastination?
January 19, 2007 by Anne Wayman
Filed under Jobs
I finally finished a chapter for a client that I’d been avoiding for at least a couple of weeks. It’s hard to understand why I set myself up this way, including rising losing the client. Sometimes I simply don’t understand myself.
I finally called a writer friend yesterday and in addition to a bit of bitching and whining, I book ended, promising her I’d spend at least a couple of hours on the chapter. That broke the ice and I was able to finish it this morning. It wasn’t even that hard.
I called her again this morning to celebrate getting through this and she suggested it might be writer’s block. I don’t really believe in writer’s block – seems more like procrastination, but I guess it doesn’t matter much since I got it done.
Fortunately I don’t trap myself this way very often. Maybe that’s why I don’t really understand what can also be described as self-sabotage. Whatever the cause, I’m glad I’ve got friends and at least a modicum of willingness to get things like this done.
You might want to read Writers Block – What To Do About It.
Write well and often,
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I think we sometimes self-block if we’re not particularly excited about the project or have some sort of resentment towards the client.
I sure do!
hmmm, no resentment, but I’m not as excited as I sometimes am…
For me it is procrastination. Mainly because I don’t know which direction to go. Movement is definitely one of the best things to help overcome that. Plus when I am at the gym my mind (search engine) seems to bring up the answer to a query that I gave it hours or days before.
Also the subject matter can be a contributing factor as well, especially when you are not the expert.
This is my first time to your web site and I am overjoyed to find such a wealth of information on freelance writing.
I deal with writer’s block vs. procrastination sometimes, too. And most of those times, I think I’m doing just what Devon said – self-blocking, lol.
I’m glad you posted this because I have the same problem. Sometimes, for whatever reason, I just put a project off until finally the client sends me an e-mail asking about the progress and I realize that I’d better get my butt moving. And the thing is, when I sit down and actually start to write, I’m fine.
And I thought it was only me.
Ugh, I’m a terrible procrastinator! Definitely self-blocking. Good to keep in mind…
kk
Hey, Anne,
I think we “think” we’re procrastinating, but what we are really doing is clearing our minds of all the other projects, outside stuff going on in our world, etc. so that we can focus on this one particular project that we’ve been putting off.
I notice that I tend to do this when the project is difficult. But I’ve also learned that this is just the way I work, so while my husband may be constantly asking me, “shouldn’t you be working on that book” (or whatever the project is)- I now answer him with, “No, not yet.”
thanks all, good food for thought here.