I wrote a post a little while back detailing the very specific reasons I struggled to find time to sit down and write. This post will be more general.
So you’re a writer, right? But you often find yourself scrambling to find something else to do other than write. Why? Because we’re a weird bunch and writing is so much more difficult than non-writers realize. But I’ll save what I think about the lack of respect writers get for another day. But back to the here and now. Let’s talk about some of the things we throw ourselves into to get out of writing.
Reading
This is probably the easiest and most obvious on the list. I mean, we’re all readers too. And we were all reading long before we’d ever put down a single word of our own writing on paper. Maybe you just picked up your favorite author’s newest release and it’s just too good to step away from. That’s not so bad, unless you’re forcing yourself to read because you’re trying your absolute best not to get any writing done. Still, I think this is one of the few valid reasons we can come up with not to write.
Social Life
Hmm. I mean, I guess. It’s Friday night and your favorite person just texted you to go out and do this or that. You think about ignoring the text because you’re not really in the mood until you realize that if you don’t do something that your manuscript will be staring you in the face the whole time you’re home. Either get the death stare from your writing or go out and perhaps have an okay time. We’ll likely go for the social festivities more times than not. Except for me, I don’t ever go out. And I still don’t write as often as I’d like. Go figure.
School Work
I’ve come to realize that there are A LOT of college students who are also writers. I could probably name five or ten off the top of my head right now. But let’s be real, when do you EVER put school work over something else? You don’t. Remember I was a college kid too not very long ago. And guess what I did for every paper I wrote my last two years of school? I wrote them the night before. So don’t sit there and act like you’re all about getting your school work done early so you don’t have to worry about it come the due date, you’re not fooling anyone.
Employment
This is another of those valid reasons that many writers face. I honestly don’t know how people go to work for eight hours and then go home and get any kind of writing done. I work six hour days every Saturday and Sunday and I am dead in bed as soon as I walk in the door, You’ve seen the internet Vines or memes of the kids getting home from school and literally dropping their bodies onto their bed. Yeah, well that’s me after work. So all of you full-time workers who also manage to write, well I salute you. And I want your secrets.
TV/Social Media
I’m raising my hand for this one. Because I’m the worst when it comes to both of these things. You all may remember that I watch way too much TV. AND 24 just came back yesterday! OH MY GOODNESS THE FIRST EPISODE WAS SO GOOD. But anyway, if you’re a TV junkie like myself, then you’ve likely convinced yourself a time or ten that you’ll write after you watch the latest episode of your favorite show sitting there on your DVR awaiting playback. But then the episode is so good that you can’t possibly think of anything else for the next 24 hours after watching. It’s bad.
And then we have social media. Maybe some of my older readers aren’t as fond of this particular excuse as some of my younger readers. I have to admit that I am on WordPress or Twitter all day long. It’s horrible. I used to hate Twitter. But then I started talking to other writers and bloggers on there and now I like it okay. And WordPress, well it’s hard to have other bloggers coming back if they’re commenting and interacting on my posts and get no response from me. I mean, come on. I said I’m on Twitter all the time, and I am, but my blog is a thousand times more important to me. I don’t think y’all realize how much I love this thing. I’m naming my first born Pressly. See what I did there? Just kidding, that’d be a little looney.
Okay, so there you have a few of the things we do as writers in order to get out of writing. What do you think of my little list? Is there something you find yourself doing that is not listed? Tell me.
I am so glad reading counts as a valid reason! Yay!
Regarding the school work: Yep. You definitely just called me out. 🙂 Nice reminder, Sir.
Also, your child name rocks. Hahaha!
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Haha you’re welcome. Hahaha the child name is great.
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I get horribly distracted by being lazy. After running around all day, I feel burned out. Then I get lazy… and I don’t write. 🙂
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Distracted by being lazy? Hmm. That’s kinda funny.
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really? 😛
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I’m very lazy when it comes to writing my blog. You know, actually typing and all. Hahahah. I read, obviously. Watch a gazillion TV shows. and I sometimes bake cupcakes and cakes. Or I sleep. Hahahaha. Oh. But you’re right. Sometimes college keeps us busy- A LOT busy- with all the deadlines, and projects and papers. Gah.
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And when it comes to my poem. Wait, I’m not supposed to pressure you. Just kidding! 🙂 I actually believe you with your college stuff. Other people I’d just laugh at. Haha
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Hahahaha. Awwww. Okay. 😀
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Reading is definitely at the top for me. I love TV, but most of the time lately I will pick up a book instead. (I’m trying to read 4 books a month anyways)
As far as social media goes, I use WordPress and Instagram but that’s it. I deleted my Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr because they were too distracting.
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I think reading would likely make the list for most writers. Twitter, eh. Facebook is just dumb.
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I think family is a good excuse too. The weekends are the only time I’m not working so I should be getting much more writing done than I do during the week, but as my husband is home I feel bad locking myself in my office and ignoring him. Those darn significant others, they are so demanding!
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Ahahaha I’d say I agree. But I don’t have no experience with that just yet.
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Employment is the big one for me. I spend anywhere from 40-50 hours a week in my classroom and at least another 10-15 lesson planning and grading. It’s ridiculous. I try to find little pockets of time here and there to write, but usually if I have any free time I read or sleep!
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That’s a TON of working. You deserve an award. I understand your need to sleep after all of that.
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Yup, but most the time it’s worth it. Sometimes I get to dabble in a little bit of creative writing in my lesson plans. My audience is primarily 8-years-old though so I’m trying to broaden my horizons a little.
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Hmm. I can’t remember how old I was when I learned to write something. Maybe….second grade? So seven, eight ish.
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That sounds about right. I like using storytelling to present content. There’s not really much room for creative writing in our curriculum (sadly) but I’ve tried to get them writing as much as possible – they’re very creative and not even the slightest bit self-conscious about what they write, which is kind of inspiring. They just write things because.
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I wish I could not be self conscious about my writing. I want to be eight again!
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SO glad I’m not the only one who experiences this. It’s funny how we convince ourselves to procrastinate (I’m a college student so I almost laughed out loud at how true that one was!) One of the things I have the most trouble getting past is the guilt of writing … that might sound weird, but I have some health stuff that gives me limited energy. So when there are other things I haven’t done yet, writing just feels like an indulgence … slowly learning to get past that 🙂
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Noooo. You shouldn’t feel guilty about writing! It’s wonderful.
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I agree! It’s just so wonderful that sometimes it feels practically indulgent when I should be doing something like, say, mopping the floor! But I’m getting past that, slowly!
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Hahaha you should definitely always choose writing over mopping. Always!
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“So you’re a writer, right? But you often find yourself scrambling to find something else to do other than write. ” <— YES. ALL of the time. I couldn't agree more.
"I honestly don’t know how people go to work for eight hours and then go home and get any kind of writing done." <—- I work 50 hour weeks and 10.5 hour days, i have NO clue how I ever wrote a book one. Honestly.
Great article 🙂
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You work how many hours a week!? Oh my. I’m sorry. I’ll dedicate my next break at work to you. Haha but I really have no idea how you could write after that. Like I get a smoothie everyday after the gym and one of the girls I talk to in there all the time just told me she gets there at six! And it’s four now. Crazy people.
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Yeah it’s absurd isn’t it? Haha thanks for the dedication. Crazy? Nah, you gotta do what you gotta do to survive.
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Yep. You need to sleep to survive. Not your insane schedule of work and writing. Haha
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One day. One day. Haha
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Once you become a NYT bestseller. 🙂
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Are you serious right now?? I would DIE!
Thank you for such an amazing compliment 🙂
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Well duhh. And don’t yell at me for not finishing your book yet. I know!
You’re welcome. 🙂
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Duh what? You say it like it’s an inevitable thing…
Of course I’m not yelling at you lol .. I know you’re probably busy, most adults are haha 🙂
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Okay. Let me be more confident in you than you are. That’s fine.
But I’m not. I just sleep a lot. And write a little. And watch TV. Give me til Sunday then you can yell at me all you like. Deal?
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Well it’s appreciated no doubt. I love watching tv but I have no time. 81% full on my TiVo
Okay, you have yourself a deal 🙂
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Did you at least watch The Following!? Lie if you didn’t. I won’t finish your book if you didn’t.
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I watch the Following on Netflix. I didn’t start watching it when it first came out. I don’t think we need to rehash how little free time I actually have.
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Alrighty then.
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We will discuss when I’m all caught up lol
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No we won’t. You’ll be done with season one when I’m watching season ten.
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It’s SO good to read this post and realise I’m not the only one who avoids writing sometimes! Once I get into my writing it’s fine, but like you say it is work. I thought there might be something wrong with me as a writer because I often have to force myself to write. I thought I must be the only writer in the world who tried to avoid writing so often! Thank you again for helping me to see that I’m not that unusual!
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You’re welcome! I agree, once you actually start it’s wonderful, but it’s starting that’s nearly impossible.
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So true! 🙂
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I will sit down to write and suddenly realize that I forgot to take my puppy out for a potty break. Or my puppy needs water and food. Or my puppy needs a bath. My puppy needs play time…puppies are great for procrastination!!
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Ahahaha my dog just sleeps. A lot. She’s lazy. Haha
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I have to agree with one of the above commenters. I work 10+ hours a day, four days in a row. And two of those evenings after work are filled with other commitments, so I’m usually gone from 6-7ish a.m. to 10-11ish p.m. on work nights. My “days off” are spent at my second or third jobs, or writing feverishly, or babysitting my friend’s twin boys (16 months old and a handful!).
Finding time to write is never easy, especially after a long day/week, when all I want to do is kick back and relax, dang it! And since writing takes so much brain work, it’s hard to sit and spend another day “at the office.”
But I had knee surgery a year and a half ago, so I was off work for three months. I spent most of that time writing, and it helped me get into the habit. When I went back to work, I continued writing daily, even if it’s only a few sentences, or a paragraph or two.
It’s like exercising every day – the creativity “muscle” can shrivel up if it’s not given a good workout on a regular basis. So, yeah, sometimes I don’t WANT to write, but I do it anyways.
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HOW!? I have no idea how you can write or query or revise or edit or anything other than sleep! You’re not human.
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Bah!! I’m all too human, trust me. I have a terrible tendency to open mouth, insert foot. It gets me in trouble more often than I’d care to admit.
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Haha I find that hard to believe. You could just make a joke and all’s forgiven. Everyone likes to laugh.
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Wow. I’ve really got you fooled, don’t I? You have WAY more confidence in my abilities than I do.
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Well, you’re still funny. I’m always laughing at my phone like a crazy person. 🙂
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Ditto. So thanks for that.
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I make you laugh? How come I can’t do this to people in person? I just get those really awkward stares. Then they walk away without looking back. It’s horrible.
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Aww…. that’s terrible! Well, some random person half a country away finds you funny.
And I get those same stares. So you’re in good company. Don’t let it get to you. I just laugh at myself and still enjoy the joke. I’m definitely my own best audience.
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You’re right. That’s something.
That makes it worse! When you laugh and laugh and get nothing. Then they really think you’re a little off in the head. Haha but I always do.
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Feh. What do they know? Most likely they’re off in the head in some other way.
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Agreed. Every person I’ve ever told a joke to who didn’t laugh is off in the head. Of course!
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Bahaha!! That’s the spirit!!!
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I’m sure you’re asleep by now, BUT I just finished playing with the post (that sounds dirty, haha) and it’ll be up at 9:40 tomorrow morning. Central time. Be excited!
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I AM excited! And yes, Mr. Night Owl, I was dead to the world when you messaged. Didn’t even hear my phone notification for WordPress. Must be all those short days I’m working…
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Whoops. Glad you didn’t wake up. I’d have felt bad.
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Nah. Don’t feel bad. My friends wake me up all the time with crises in the middle of the night.
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Well they sound evil.
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Haha!!! They’re not. Just need a little comforting.
I feel bad nobody has commented yet. I hope the length of the post hasn’t scared people away.
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Hm. I bet you don’t say that when your phone is ringing at three in the morning. Haha
No worries. It is like 600 words longer than my longest post, but I didn’t think there was anything that should be taken out. AND I still love it. So I’ll use your words against you, who cares what other people think. 🙂
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Heh. Nice. I’m just really bad at taking my own advice.
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Well duhh. Everyone is. If everyone took their own advice then there wouldn’t be people making mistake after mistake all the time. The world could even be a great place.
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Oooo!!! Deep.
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Haha I try.
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Okay seriously… I think I scared people away.
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Well I can only tell you that people are reading it and clicking the links in there, but they’re not commenting. So we’ll just agree that you gave them so much info that they don’t have any questions. Deal?
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Haha! Okay. I’ll try and accept that.
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Perfect. And it’s still one of the top two or three blog posts I’ve read. So you have that. 🙂
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Well that’s nice to hear! 🙂 thanks!
Btw, I am going to repost when I get home if you’re okay with that. Or I’ll just do a post about it with a link to your blog. Do you care which way?
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Nope. You wrote it. And I went ahead and replied to the two comments that are on there.
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Whoops!! Okay my phone is hiding all the comments for some reason. It’s not showing any of them. I don’t know why! I’ll hop on as soon as I get home and make up for lost time. Sorry about that!!!
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Haha no worries. It was only two. One responded to me and one didn’t.
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All so true! Between two jobs and a kid it is tough to find the time. I have used all of these excuses. Reading is the worst because it is so easy to rationalize…naturally to be a better writer, I feel like I need to read everything! Once I get sucked into a book you may not see me again until it is finished. I have finals to grade this week (my second job) but when my son spends more time with his dad in the summer my plan is to schedule time to work on the novel. Time with the TV off, the phone on silent… my plan is to start with one hour…make myself write something, anything. If I get into a groove and write more..fantastic. If not, well it is an hour more than I wrote the week before. 🙂
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I see nothing wrong with becoming a hermit and not moving while reading through a good book.
As for your summer plan, YEAH! Go you! 🙂
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This entire post is genius. Scratch that, you’re a genius. 🙂
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I was happy when I read the first sentence and then I read the second! You’re too kind! 🙂 seriously, that’s awfully nice of you to say.
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Haha. I try. I really do. Still, I speak the truth.
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🙂
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I’ve had a full time job for a year, and I’m always exhausted. It’s so frustrating! I’m glad it’s not just me who can’t find time to write though. That makes me feel way better. 🙂
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It makes you feel better that neither of us is writing!? Hmm. Haha
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Haha, sooooo not what I meant. 😛
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Hmm. Sure. Your comment suggests otherwise. Haha
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What a great post. I can literally find anything to do to avoid writing even though I have a million and one ideas swimming in the back of my head! I will watch stupid videos, I will go out with friends or my sister, I will read, I will watch television, I will read blogs on how to start writing (ironic), and I will rearrange my room or online shop, it is horrible. I am going to write a to-do list so I can set goals for myself so I can force myself to feel miserable if I don’t reach my goals. I think it is the only way I can work.
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Hmm. You should get off WordPress right now and write! Really.
But as far as the other stuff, sounds normal. Haha except rearranging your room. If you do that instead of writing then you have a serious problem. Haha. Writing goals don’t work for me, but if you think they will for you, then I say go for it.
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Reblogged this on aeftewearde and commented:
Preech!
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Completely agree! Making yourself sit down and write is key but also in a world full of distractions it’s hard to do!
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Yep. The entire world is out to get all writers. Haha
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[…] On this day in 2014 I published Things we do Rather Than Write. […]
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