27 March 2009
by 
Procrastination and distraction are two of the greatest detriments for writing professionals. Often, they play hand to hand with each other, the latest distraction is simply another excuse to procrastinate. In Singleton’s latest book, Pep Talks, Warnings & Screeds George writes:
Pep Talk No. 29 – Do Yourself A Favor
Turn off your cell phone. Place it in a room far from where you write. Sit. Write.
This pep talk, while short, cuts right to the point. A writer needs to break away from distractions like cell phones and internet. Leave the laundry to soak, turn the television off.
To be a successful writer we need do one thing. Write.
The ability to write is a remarkable gift. With it we have a new world, a new state, a new sense of purpose any time we turn to the page. Breaking free of the constraints of a high-tech world can be challenging. Today there are a multitude of distractions. Things we could be doing, things we feel we ‘should’ be doing. Ultimately, being a writer is about choice.
I choose to write, right now.
I choose to write when I could be watching Army Wives on television. I choose to write when I could be having hot chocolate and marshmallows at the local cafe. I choose to write when I could be washing dishes or vacuuming the floor. I choose to let the answering machine handle my calls, ignore the postman as he passes, and trust my kids are safe in school while I write.
Right now, I choose to: Sit. Write.
Being a writer requires sacrifice. Every choice we make requires sacrificing the alternative. For everything I choose not to do right now there will be a consequence. The dishes will still need to be washed and that hot chocolate would really go down well but for this moment, I sacrifice an empty sink and a warm belly for the words on the page. We choose for a greater good, hoping that the sacrifices we make are worth the consequences and that the final result leads us towards a greater happiness.
What sacrifices have you made for your passions? What passions are you sacrificing?
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Rebecca, I am not making as many sacrifices as I should. Lately I’ve been a slave to the distraction that is my 6-week-old granddaughter.
I am so glad notification of your new post came today. As I had lunch with a friend earlier, I lamented how difficult it has been keeping my regular writing routine with the little cutey around, but that I am reclaiming my space, my time and my passion for a full onslaught of writing from April 1st.
Your motivational post is dead on and on time. Thank you. I’m going to hug and kiss and cuddle my granddaughter over the next few day, like it is going out of style and come Wednesday morning, I’ll sacrifice some of my grandmothe-time doting over her, sit my but down and write.
This is terribly basic advice… But, oh, SOOOOO important!
I’m going through a big kick-up-the-bum period right now and this post fits just perfectly!
This is all true, but we have to be very careful or we can sacrifice too much.
*smiles*
Michele
Michelle you touch on a crucial aspect of the writing life and life in general – balance.
I’m a huge believer in “get your butt in that chair and write. No excuses.”
Writing is my passion. It is also my business, not my hobby. I don’t write, I can’t eat or pay the bills. I don’t have the luxury of “writer’s block”.
I sit down and I do it.
No excuses.
And I do it because I want it badly enough. When someone whines at me about not having time or having writer’s block or not knowing what to write or whatever, I tell them the primary question is “how badly do you want this?”
Answer that, and you can build your career — or your hobby — from that.
@Cheryl: It’s hard to give up precious time with loved ones, particularly babies. They grow so quickly that choosing to make your time with your granddaughter a priority is important too. That is where balance becomes important, find the compromise between time with your granddaughter and time with your writing that works for you.
@Kit: It really is basic advice and we’ve probably all heard it before but every time I hear it I feel a greater sense of power. It can be easy to stray into old habits so sometimes we do just need that ‘kick’ to get back on track.
@Michele: Having a sense of balance is vital. Of course, some of the most famous writers in history put their writing above all else. They sacrificed their family, their health, sometimes even their lives for the words on a page. Thankfully, we don’t have to give up the best of ourselves to be successful as writers.
@Devon: Developing leverage is a huge factor when establishing a writing career. It’s not a job that comes easily. We need to WANT it more than a medical student wants to be a doctor, more than an Air Force recruit wants to be a jet fighter, etc.
Measuring success, developing accountability, and gaining experience as a writer is harder than other intense careers. How badly we want it can fluctuate too. It is important to keep reminding ourselves why we write.
This is a very good article, thank you! It’s the first time I come to your site, just found it in Facebook. I’ve been going around and there’s a lot of top quality material. But I tried to put it to my RSS Reader and just can’t. Perhaps it’s a only something going on with me… I’ll send you an email if it continues!
Army Wives gives us an idea of the life of the wive of the fighting soldier.;~.