Make Procrastination Work for You
By Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz
Copyright © 2008 by Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz, All Rights Reserved
Are you a procrastinator? Many writers are. I know I am. While it
behooves me to sit down and write, I often think of other things I
should be doing. Although my intentions are good, many times those other
"things" end up taking precedence. Fortunately, there are ways to make
procrastination work for you.
1) Watching TV is a big culprit. How can this be put to good use? If
you're watching the news, look for interesting stories that could be
turned into fiction or non-fiction. Is there a major crime investigation
going on? Here you'll find good fodder for a mystery novel or short
story. You may want to follow up by going to court and watching the
trial after a suspect is charged. What about a missing child? Did the
child run away? Is there a family abduction? You could use a story such
as this to create a young adult adventure novel. Maybe you're a sitcom
junkie. Here, too, you can look for story ideas. Can you imagine a
different outcome, change the characters, and make an entirely new
story? How would you change the plot? Why is this series so successful?
Who are the characters? What do they do? Try to recreate this in your
own work.
2) Reading the newspaper or magazines. This form of procrastinating is
similar to watching TV. Here, too, you can look for interesting angles
to turn into factual articles or fiction. Look for articles with human
interest. Can you use any of these situations in your stories? People
want to read about characters like themselves. What better place to find
these characters than in your local newspaper? Just be sure to
fictionalize your characters and change the situation to protect both
yourself and the person you read about. Small town newspapers oftentimes
have lead stories which don't make it to the big city papers. With some
research, these be turned into paying articles for you.
3) Housekeeping. Surely this is a chore most of us detest, yet when
faced with a blank screen, we suddenly decide to do some spring
cleaning. Surprisingly, you can use the time with your vacuum to plan a
new story, practice dialog, or create characters. If you have a special
technique for getting out stains, write it down and find a place to
submit it. Have you found a way to clean your bathroom without using
chemicals harmful to the environment? Lately, lists have appeared on
various sites, showing the ways Bounce© can be used to chase away
insects, remove odors from books, and eliminate odors from cat litter.
Someone thought of these ideas and submitted them, and most likely got
paid. Do you have tips to share? Think about what you may do differently
from others. Do you have time-saving techniques? Do you have ways to cut
costs on household cleaning supplies? These tips are worth money.
4) Gardening and yard work. Depending on where you live this can be
either a year-round or a seasonal distraction. It's especially difficult
to be stuck in front of your computer or typewriter if the sun is
shining and your yard chores are calling to you. You can arrange your
time so you do both, and you can use your time outdoors to think of
article ideas. While you're in your garden, what do you think about?
Have you found certain plants which thrive in your gardening zone? Do
you have a unique way to stop slugs, deer, or rabbits from destroying
your crops or landscape plants? Maybe you've developed a special
technique for composting? Think about these things as you
"procrastinate" in the sunshine, then when you come in, jot down your
ideas and later develop them into paying articles.
5) Playing with your children. For writing parents, spending time with
our children is always a juggling act. We know we should be writing, but
we also have a responsibility to the little people we've brought into
the world. Spending time with them, however, can also be a time to
generate new ideas for your articles. Have you a method of getting your
children to sleep without hassles? Do you have a family-tested project
you do with your children during holiday seasons? Perhaps you can share
a natural way to color Easter eggs, or a way to craft a Menorah using a
felt board. Have you found children's books you can review? Even taking
your child to the playground can give you ideas. Listen to the way
children interact. Makes notes of speech patterns and unique words and
phrases different age groups use.
6) Spending time with your animals. For some of us our animals are like
our children. For others, animals may be a source of food. Whichever it
is for you, you can use the time you spend with the animals finding
article ideas. Do you have a pet with allergies? Have you developed a
recipe for kibble that you can share? How do you bathe your dog? Do you
use a technique which you could share with others? How about walking
your dog? Can you sit at a dog park and people or animal watch? Have you
created a pattern for a dog sweater or a cat toy? If you raise chickens
for eggs or eating, what have you learned that you can share with
others? Have you built a hen house? What special things did you need to
do to ensure the health and survival of the chickens? Do you ride
horses? What riding techniques can you share? What tips for care would a
young person need to know?
7) Reading. While this may seem like procrastinating, reading can be
work-related. Read novels in the genre you plan to write. See how
published authors create characters, plot, and dialog. How did the
author begin and end each chapter? What type of hook was used? If you're
reading a mystery, can you spot the clues? Would you use the same
techniques or something different? Do you want to branch out into a
different genre? Maybe you're interested in writing non-fiction. Check
out other books written about the subject and read them. Do you have
something new to say or a unique way to present the information? Reading
can be a way to do research for your next novel or how-to book.
8) Organizing. Let's face it, many of us will rearrange our desks before
we sit down to write. While this can be a form of procrastination, let
that time work for you. Have you rearranged your reference books? Which
ones do you have? Which ones do you find you use the most? Let other
writers know. Maybe you could review one or more of these so others will
be able to choose which book to purchase. How did you organize your
desk? Is it more helpful for you to have your books handy or to have a
clear space for spreading out note cards or tools? Perhaps it's your
house you choose to organize instead of working on your next draft.
There's an article there as well. Do you find some organizing systems
work better or are better quality for less money? Do you have a special
technique for sorting items in your closet? Or can you offer suggestions
to others on how to down-size your collections? As people age, they are
sometimes forced to move to smaller apartments. Having some tips
available for getting rid of clutter would be very useful. Share your
organizing techniques.
9) Cooking meals. You can't tell the family to have macaroni and cheese
or hamburgers every night. You do need to feed them, and five minute
meals can get old really fast. If you like to cook, consider being a
food writer. Use your time in the kitchen to create new recipes. Maybe
you've got an idea for heart-healthy meals. Or, perhaps, you've found a
way to make a cheaper cut of meat tastier. Or, since you've been serving
those five-minute meals for so long, you have a plethora of simple
recipes to share. What kind of kid-friendly recipes or ways to cook with
your child have you created? Do you have family-tested ideas for
birthday party treats? Jot down your ideas and turn them into
publishable articles.
10) Traveling. Everyone loves to travel. How do you, as a writer,
travel? Make sure you bring a camera, lots of batteries, either a laptop
or lots of notebooks, pens, and pencils. Keep track of where you stay,
how much it costs, what kind of service you received. Check out other
motels/hotels in the area. Would these have been a better choice? Why?
Collect brochures of places you visit. Ask for take-out menus when you
dine. Collect business cards. Always keep a journal of where you go,
what you see, the people you meet. Record conversations, aromas, good
times and bad. What did you bring that helped your trip? What did you
forget that you absolutely needed, but couldn't find? Other travelers
can benefit from what you learn. Share the information.
While you may think you're procrastinating, make that procrastination
work for you. If you need to, keep a small notebook and pen in your
pocket to jot down ideas. If a tape recorder works better, find a small
battery-operated unit to carry with you. No matter where you go, no
matter what you do, you can turn time away from your computer into cash
in your pocket.
Biography:
Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published over 77 articles, 51
stories, two e-books, and a chapbook, and her stories have been
included in two anthologies. Her fiction has appeared in
numerous genre publications and her non‑fiction work has
appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult
print magazines and online publications.
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