Procrastination - The Action of Delaying or Postponing

Finding the Time to Write

Oh yes, I’m the great procrastinator! Especially when it comes to writing. I’m forever thinking that I must get round to writing that novel. But time is so often usurped by life, by doing the dishes, by researching my next holiday or going for a run. I am of the opinion that the ley lines of life all need to be in alignment before I can begin. I believe I truly have to commit until the end or there is no point in beginning. But where do people, who work full-time, find the hours in the day to sit down and write?

A few years ago I had a change of career and undertook an online diploma course in Interior Design, and I loved it. I was up until all hours, researching, writing, colouring in - oh, I mean 'designing', even in my lunch hour at my previous job.

Last year I got married, and managed to plan a wedding abroad for myself and 40 guests. I had wedding plans, honeymoon plans, food, ferries, hotels, lyre player, arrival times etc all booked and organised. I had lists and spreadsheets on top of lists and spreadsheets, and still found the time to get up an hour earlier everyday to work-out and make sure I could fit into my dress! Now that that’s all over (and it all went swimmingly, thanks for asking), I should have those extra hours spare for writing?

Justification

Many writers, myself included, see writing as a hobby. As a 'it would be nice if...' scenario. We feel like we have to justify the time for ourselves, once all the chores have been completed and everyone else in the house was suitably content. Writing is a treat, almost a guilty pleasure that unless it's bringing in the money it's an extravagance we can ill afford.

Lockdown

So bring on 2020, my year to finally find the time to get that book published, yay! And what happens? Only a blooming world pandemic of Corona Virus, that’s what! For the first month, I worked from home which gave me about an hour at the beginning and end of each day where I no longer have to commute, perfect writing time. But no, instead I spend that time having a lie in or popping out for a run (not a bad thing) and then watching Corona updates on TV, getting a little bit worried that we were all going to die. Oh, we also painted the kitchen, the bathroom and anything else that stood still long enough to slap paint onto.

So now we’re in full lockdown, I’m furloughed at work so technically I can’t actually do any work for my company. Ta da! I’ve run out of excuses. Time to write that book. So I came up with a Pen Name (more about that in another post), set up my author website and my social media platforms under said alias and got cracking...

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