Photo by Eric Han
Procrastination is a tricky thing. We all need to take breaks from the actual fingertips-to-keyboard part of the writing and editing processes, but too often those breaks turn into a wasted evening, day, or weekend. Not only do those hours or days represent lost time, but the longer we're away from our manuscripts, the more work we have to do to get back into them. One effective method of avoiding this productivity slump is to make sure our down-time includes activities that will ultimately lead us back to our writing. With that in mind, here are some suggestions on what to do when you need to close your Word document for a bit (but only a bit).
1. Take a walk/exercise in front of your work space/clean
Despite both the ubiquitous nature of this advice and the fact that it's mostly relevant to those who work from home, a list of productive procrastination activities would be incomplete without a reminder to occasionally get out of your seat and move. Walking (or running, if that's more your speed) truly does help clear the mind. If you go with a buddy, it can also be a good opportunity to talk through any roadblocks in your manuscript, while naturally limiting the conversation to a concise amount of time. However, if the weather's bad, you live in a place where walking isn't safe, or you just don't trust yourself to get back to work when you return home, simply exercising for 5–15 minutes in the same room as your computer could be the better option. Doing chores that require little active thought, such as decluttering your work space or cleaning dishes, can similarly help quiet your brain and leave you feeling better and ready to get back to work when you're done.
2. Find online media that motivates you
As much as spaces like YouTube can lead to massive amounts of wasted time, they can also serve as useful reservoirs of information and community. Personally, I find YouTuber and self-published writer Jenna Moreci's funny, opinionated, no-excuses brand of tough love to be a good balance of I-needed-that laughter and time-to-get-back-to-work guilt. On the other hand, channels like Just Write, ScreenPrism, Pop Culture Detective, and Lessons from the Screenplay, which offer thoughtful critiques on books, film, or TV, can push you to think about your own work in more analytical ways and give you a better sense for how your story or approach fits into the broader fiction landscape. Thinking deeply about what makes a narrative good (or bad) can be a great motivator for getting back to your own stellar ideas. Although more niche, I also like the channel Alt Shift X for its deep dives into some of the more obscure aspects and theories of Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire. Seeing work being treated with that degree of thought, respect, and excitement is pretty fantastic inspiration for anyone writing science fiction, fantasy, or anything else with highly complex world building and plot.
3. Do research that relates back to your book
Whether you need to know how long a particular poison takes to work, when corsets came into fashion, or how to properly use a semi-colon, almost every project requires research. Do some Googling, pull a book off your shelf, look up possible sources at your local library, or check Amazon.com. Even if you don't want to buy from Amazon, they may list books that your library doesn't have but could request for you from another source. Depending on the topic, Pinterest and YouTube are also useful places to start—as long as you can resist falling down their respective rabbit holes.
4. Take an online class about writing, marketing, or other skills that can feed your career
Full disclosure, this inclusion is based largely on my own experiences over the last month in using SkillShare, a subscription-based online learning platform. Their classes are broken down into short segments that can be done all at once or parsed out over time, and I've been surprised by how effective they've been in delivering useful information and getting me excited to work on the non-writing/editing aspects of my career (like branding and marketing) that, prior to this month, I knew nothing about and was not looking forward to figuring out. However, there are a ton of online learning tools out there, and many of them are free. Regardless of the platform you use, taking online classes that relate to your current and future career is a great way to both better yourself and reinvigorate your dedication to your work.
5. Read
This one might seem like the most obvious suggestion on the list. After all, why become a writer if you don't want to read? However, I will confess that the more writing and editing I have on my plate, the less likely I am to pick up a published book. Wherever you stand on the enthusiasm spectrum, reading—especially reading critically—is still an important activity for every writer. Focusing on your genre will give you a clearer picture of how your work might fall in the marketplace, but reading outside of your genre may actually be better for your creativity.
6. Send a quick update to a writing buddy or cabin
Unless you're working in a professional writers' room, chances are good that you're doing most of your writing on your own. But as solitary an activity as writing can be, many people still benefit from some form of community, even if that community is spread far and wide. Sending quick updates to a writing buddy or, during Camp NaNoWriMo, to your writing cabin, can give you a sense of structure and accountability that usually leads to greater overall productivity.
Of course, the best way to be productive is to actually be productive. So before you close your document and try one of the above suggestions, ask yourself whether you need the break or whether you're just trying to avoid facing your story. Be honest with yourself about your ability to stop whatever activity you choose and actually get back to work. And, of course, if you find activities that work for you, please share!