Ten writers for children. All with something to say.

10/31/11

When the stars align...

Writing is very enabling for a procastinator like myself.
I need to write today, but...it's cloudy.
I need to write today, but...there's a Battlestar Galactica marathon on SyFy.
I need to write today, but...we need dog food.
Basically, anything can be a reason to not write. So what conditions are right for me to get something done?
Luckily, I don't have to wait for the stars to align.
Tomorrow is the first day of 2011 National Novel Writing Month, which I plan to participate in. So for the next 30 days, I'm going to have to make sure the conditions are right.
It helps to have an idea, and I do have one that I'll start writing on tomorrow.
It helps to have my laptop sitting in a productive place, other than the couch in front of the tv.
It helps to have a hot drink at hand.
It helps to have quiet, so I will walk the dogs early so they will be more inclined to nap the whole day.
It helps to have convenient food so I don't take too much of a break. I plan on making a big pot of chili later today.
These may all sound a little silly, but for a procastinator like myself, eliminating all the things that keep me from writing is exactly how I end up getting something done...
Anyone else doing NaNoWriMo this year?

7 comments:

Christy said...

I think we ALL can relate to this, Stephanie. Don't forget to organize your sock drawer tonight, so that won't hold you back in Nov. Good luck. Looking forward to another novel!

Stephanie said...

Thanks, Christy. And my sock drawer has never been organized in my entire life ;)

Lauren said...

Hey, I am doing NaNoWriMo for the first time this year, with a mixture of excitement and dread. I love the chili idea-- I do spend too much time in the kitchen as procrastination! None of your list sounds silly. I agree with Christy, we have all got our list of "must dos" when things are difficult in the studio. Looking forward to your next novel indeed!

Stephanie said...

Lauren, good for you! Friend me on there, I'm Stephanie Bodeen. ( I've tried for five years to change that to a less obvious name, but they won't let me...)

Mark said...

Stephanie, I can empathize with your list of things that "must" get done instead of writing!! Good luck on the coming month. I didn't want to wait till November so I started a project last month--my own little October NaNoWriMo!!

Edie Hemingway said...

Stephanie,
I fall into these same habits of procrastination. Here's hoping the stars align for you in this NaNoWriMo month!

David LaRochelle said...

Good for you for doing NaNoWriMo when I know how busy your life is, Stephanie. And good for you, Mark, for getting a jump on everyone else with an October NaNoWriMo!