So, I'm having one of those writing stretches where writing feels similar to pulling teeth. I sit down at the keyboard and immediately am hit by a paralyzing fear of writing the wrong thing. I know that this is a first draft. I know that I can revise anything I write. But I still have the irrational belief that if I write something horrible down, I'll be stuck with it.
I'm not a doctor, but I have two diagnosis for this problem.
1. I shared the piece too early. I really do know better. I have several critique groups I joined in hopes of finding a writing community. Though my piece isn't really ready for public viewing, I shared the first chapter with my dear critique partners. I've gotten great feedback, but I think this threw off my devil-may-care attitude towards writing the first draft. Now, the damn thing counts for something, because I have people who are willing to see it. Ahhhhh! Cue internal editor freak-out.
2. I went balls-to-the-wall to finish Nanowrimo last month. I wrote 21,000 words in three days. It was awesome to learn that I can actually produce that much in a short time, and much of it was actually decent writing. However, it threw off my slow-but-steady groove. Now, I sit at the computer thinking about how I really should write 8,000 words today, when I really just need to focus on my previous 2,000words/day minimum. When things go hay-wire, I go back to basics.
The upside? This procrastination has led me to a great find: Sara Cotner's organization system. This woman is an organizer extraordinaire, and she has shared her tools with the web. For her templates, go here. I follow her blog and am impressed with how effortlessly she seems to juggle her busy life. I now have all of my writing goals listed on her handy-dandy weekly planner, so I now have no excuses. My favorite part? How she incorporates post-it notes into the planner. Brilliant!
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