I’m not procrastinating but…

November 9, 2009 at 3:25 am (Editing, Thoughts on Writing) (Editing, procrastinating, writing)

I finally had a day to edit.  Not just a few pages and tweaking a word here and there but actually had the time to go through in detail, consult my original story plans and character outlines and update the necessary bits and pieces, and really work my MS over.  Such time is a rarity and over the next few weeks is going to be even rarer.  Knowing this you would think that I could focus on what I was doing for more than twenty minutes at a time.

Nuh-uh.

Progress has definitely been made.  It isn’t that I didn’t do any editing or spend any time, however I just couldn’t stay focused.  First there were these really cute birds out in the trees, chirping because the sun came up (this was first thing in the morning mind you which is normally my best writing time but apparently editing doesn’t count).  Then I made a little progress and decided I had to have breakfast.  Come back, little more work, check email, blog, twitter, facebook, random scans of other blogs, check out what friends are doing, oh yeah, I was supposed to be doing something.

Then I realised I’d been sitting at the computer for too long and had to do something active.  I helped paint two rooms of my house.  They look good and I think after the second coat they will be really amazing.  The house was now full of paint fumes and my study is right next to one of the freshly painted rooms, so I might as well eat lunch before getting back to work.

Finally I sat at the computer and I read through two lines before checking twitter etc again.

Despite all of this, I’m not worried.  My editing will get done.  I just have to apply some basic discipline.  Set a goal for the day.  Don’t go to bed until the goal is met.  Want to watch that show on television?  Finish up to point x first.

That said, before I got back into editing, I spent some time finding just the right music to listen to, just to help me concentrate of course.