Some tough love for procrastination

Last week, at the request of some participants, I started a Facebook group for the Zero Draft Thirty Challenge. The response has been great! I’m also finding subjects come up there which deserve an airing here on the blog. To wit, here is a FB post from Janna Gummo:

Oh boy… Im procrastinating something fierce right now. Tough love me please.

Here is my response:

Janna, I’m going to GUILT you right now, okay? This is the stick, not the carrot. And I’m will try an approach which hopefully will get you to start writing right now.

Think about your characters. Think about how they WANT you to tell THEIR story. They can only share it with one person: You.

When you’re not there, their voices go unheard. Their interrelationships, trials, hopes, and dreams exist only in a vacuum.

They are DEPENDENT on you for their existence to migrate from their world into ours.

They are waiting.. waiting… waiting…

For you.
Only you hear them.
Only you see them.

Every hour you keep them waiting, their hope flickers.
Every time you write, you give them hope.

So go to them. Sit with them. By raising their hope…

You will raise yours as well.

[Did that help?]

Janna’s response:

Im sad for my characters all of a sudden. Thank you again.

That was my intent, arouse some emotion. Because one of the very best ways to break through procrastination of the writer to get in touch with some feelings and stop thinking so damn much! How did things turn out for Janna?

Thank you ALL for the incredible support. I wrote. 5 pgs. Which isnt a lot but its something.

5 pages may not seem like much, but it’s better than zero pages. And hopefully Janna can keep reaching out to her characters and use the emotional connection she feels with them to fuel her desire to write.

What do you think? A helpful way to approach procrastination?

If you’d like to join the 250+ members of the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group, go here.