I'm quite contrary. When I'm given seemingly perfect circumstances in which to do something, I am prone to dither and watch TV (especially now I've discovered TV Links and can watch TV on my laptop without annoying adverts). Then, when I'm in a meeting, on a train, talking on the phone, or doing something which really deserves my full attention I have an overwhelming urge to do what I should have been doing when I got the chance. This weekend was a perfect example. S was working a lot of the time, there wasn't anything urgent I needed to do so I planned to settle down with my laptop and do some serious work on my blog and write reams and reams. Hmm. After linking all the Novel Racer blogs I felt rather blogged out - there are many, many people! So I deserved a break for an episode of Bones. Then my flat got far too hot to do any thinking so I watched House. This carried on pretty much all weekend...
I did manage some research for a little while, typed up some notes I'd made on the train last week, and updated a couple of scenes, but it was hardly the workathon I had hoped for. On the train home from work last night, I had lots of ideas and was happily jotting them down to type up and flesh out when I got in. Then I realised I wouldn't have any time to do that because last night was Knitting Circle (my first time, so glad I went, lots of fun and an excuse to finish the scarf that's been sitting reproachfully in my understairs cupboard for at least 18 months...). S is working this evening, so really I'm going to be in the ideal situation to get done all the work I really wanted to do last night but couldn't, though I get the feeling that when I arrive home I'll be feeling strangely like, ooh, maybe some House, then Bones, then whatever random stuff I manage to find which is exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. Argh.
Wednesday 20 June 2007
Frustration vs procrastination
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8 comments:
Oh that rings a bell! I'm supposed to be writing at the moment but what am I doing?? Right, that's it! Inspired by your blog I'm going to drag myself off to do some work on Novel 2. Will let you know word count on Friday at the coffee break!
Here I am visiting blogs when I should be writing! Welcome to the novel racers!
Hmmm. I have some of the same difficulties. Right now I'm blogging and watching television instead of working on my novel. I try to remind myself that free, steaming video will still be there after I've met my word quota for the day, or at least tried to break off a chunk of novel.
Sometimes this even works.
Hi Ellie
Welcome to the novel racers. I'm so with you on the stationery fetish: my question is do you use all the books you buy or do you just possess them, caress them and love them?
JJx
I must admit that while I fully intend to use all notebooks and paper I buy, there are some that are so pretty that I can't quite imagine ever sullying their pristine sheets with scribblings that I might change my mind about... I remember buying one book and thinking 'Now I just need to learn calligraphy.'
You could be telling my story there! All of my best ideas come to me when I'm otherwise engaged, and then when I have time on my hands I flop around watching cack TV!
We are all procrastinators at heart, I think!
Kate K
PS: ditto on the stationery too ~ came back from honeymoon with 9 new notebooks. Husband had to restrain me from buying more! However they're all fairly workaday, as i have far too many gorgeous notebooks that I daren't use (i.e. a handmade, silk-covered one from Rome that cost £17!!! Imagine crossing something out in that!)
I have a tendency to start something in them, and it fizzles out and I don't feel I can start something different! My favourites are ones I bought in China last summer, which weren't as cheap as they should've been, but are beautiful. They open in concertina shapes rather than in individual pages. Yum.
JJx
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