“I’ll Write This Tomorrow”
Erica Crouch
I was supposed to write this blog post a few days ago. But
some of my favorite summer shows are starting their new season, and it’s really
nice outside, and I have about twenty books I’ve been wanting to read and OH I
can’t stop listening to the Mumford & Sons album. I have emails to do, my
room is really quite filthy, and I honestly can’t remember the last time I did
laundry. But no, I should just sit down and write this before something else
comes up.
But I’m hungry. Well, there’s no food in the house... I
guess I’ll have to go grocery shopping. And didn’t I need to pick up a new pair
of shoes for that wedding? Have I finished filling out my financial aid form
for the next semester of college? Did my advisor ever get back to me? I should
check on that... And maybe take my dog for a walk.
Procrastination is a petulant child. It will kick and scream
and tear you away from the things you need to get done until you satisfy its
infinite want and
pointless need. It
stomps its foot and flings itself on the floor of that Target aisle and ball
it’s eyes out, making every person who passes you think you don’t have control.
Because, well, you don’t. The procrastination rules you.
This is especially true when it comes to writing. Do you
know how hard it is to actually start writing? I mean, sure, writing the middle
parts of the books, or coming up with the actual idea for the book, or ending a
story, is incredibly tough. But there is no obstacle quite so cumbersome to
overcome than procrastination.
When you’re staring at that wide, blank Word, Scrivener, or
Pages document, the cursor blinking obscenities at you, it’s terrifying. How
the heck am I going to write 80,000+ words? I have zero. Well, two if we count
my name. So how do you push past that fear -- that obnoxious voice of
procrastination distracting you from your writing -- to actually get something
done?
I’ll give you the same advice my high school drama teacher
gave us when tasked with memorizing monologues: RIP IT APART. You won’t
accomplish anything if you look at the big picture. That mountain is too high
to climb, that river is much to wide (and deep) to swim across. That five-page
dramatic monologue will never be memorized and your twenty-page sociology report
will never be written. Until
you rip it apart.
Separate it into manageable, bite-sized chunks. It’s a trick
I learned late in high school when I had to write a huge English paper. I start
out slow: Date the document, write your name, center the title and double space
the paragraphs. Outline your talking points, collect your quotes, and then fill
in the blanks.
The same is nearly true with writing. I’ve never been a fan
of outlines -- academic or otherwise. I don’t know why but they bothered me on a
very basic level. I hated having to plan things out, but when a research paper
in tenth grade forced me into writing a three-page outline, I found my paper
much easier to write when the time came!
Plot outlines, character motives, major scene ideas are all
things that can inspire you to want to write.
I mean, just look at that great twist ending you’ve planned for the conclusion
of your book! Don’t you want to write that right now?! Well, you gotta get
there!
Start slow. Don’t force yourself to write 5,000 words a day
if you can only manage 1,000. Don’t tie yourself down to a chair for six hours
of writing if your brain is only clear and creative for two. Writing is not a
9-5 job. It’s a middle of the night, early in the morning, random intervals in
public type of job. When you are ready to write -- WRITE!
Making yourself comfortable will also help you not
procrastinate. Get the necessary “extra non-writing” stuff out of the way.
Okay, so yes, I have to do laundry, but I probably don’t need to watch the entire
season of House of Cards today. So, do the laundry, tidy up, and get down to
business.
For me, it also helps to sit at an actual desk to put my
mind in “productive mode.” It’s tempting to just sit on the couch and write
while I’m watching some television. But I’ve noticed when I sit at a desk, I
get much more done. But find what works for you. Whether it’s at a desk in a
quiet room, a table in a busy cafe, or even in a dark cave with no wifi to
tempt you into refreshing your social media pages over and over again, find
your “productive mode” space.
It’s incredibly easy to procrastinate, but really, you’re
just delaying the inevitable. And hey, you like to write, remember? It’s not a
chore. It’s fun -- difficult, but fun. So don’t write this tomorrow, write it
today. Write it right now!
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Penemuel (Pen) fell from grace over a millennium ago, yet there are still times she questions her decision to follow her twin brother, Azael, to Hell. Now that the archangel Michael has returned, threatening Lucifer’s vie for the throne, she begins questioning everything she has always believed.
As Hell prepares for war - spreading a demonic virus and pilfering innocent souls to build an army - the lines separating the worlds blur. Fates erase and the future is left unwritten. Azael is determined that he and his sister will continue to serve as demons together, but for the first time in her life, Pen is not ruled by destiny. She has the freedom of choice.
With choice comes sacrifice, and Pen must decide which side she’s willing to risk everything fighting for: the light, or the dark.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Erica Crouch is a twenty-year-old living on the outskirts of Baltimore, Maryland. She is currently working towards a degree in English and Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction at Southern New Hampshire University. She spends all of her time writing and reading an overwhelming stack of books. Ignite is her debut novel and she is currently writing its sequel - in addition to two other series!
Ignite on GoodreadsAmazon – Kobo – Barnes & Noble - Her Website
Ignite on GoodreadsAmazon – Kobo – Barnes & Noble - Her Website
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