Ah, the things a writer will do to avoid the work of writing :) Okay, I haven’t resorted to hanging on surfaces by my fingertips like the gal in the photo above (yet!), but I’ve managed to get sidetracked with nearly everything else.
When it’s time to get down to some serious work, I can be up and down and out of my chair more than a kindergartner on a sugar high. And I’m not the only one. From what I can tell, it’s a condition common to all writers.
For me, getting started on a new project is the hardest part, though last week I even had trouble focusing while in the middle of one. The blank computer screen (or piece of paper) looms pretty large. So until I can get going on a piece, you might catch me flitting around, taking care of any number of tasks that suddenly have taken on a new sense of importance. On the other hand, you might just find me looking for a snack :)
You may be wondering why writers have difficulty staying on task. The answer is simple — writing is hard. The finished product is rewarding, yes, but getting there can be agonizing. Searching for just the right word, laboring over a paragraph just to end up cutting it because it distracts rather than builds, working alone day after day, not giving up… All of this and more makes writing a challenging job — and one that takes a lot of self-discipline as well as remembering why we’re doing it in the first place.
Do you have a challenge that’s looming large? Are you having difficulty staying on task with something in particular? Remember, the finished product will be rewarding. Even –and especially — if you have to agonize to get there. Keep to it, friend…and so will I.
“Run in such a way as to get the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24b
Flickr photo by sweet mandy kay, Creative Commons License
**Don’t forget — the deadline for the “Cuddle-Up” Valentine’s Day Giveaway is noon Sunday!
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