When You’re Procrastinating Because You Really Don’t Want To
Does writing seem like play to you? If not are you really supposed to be writing?
The other day I had a PM chat with a friend on Facebook and we discussed the fact that she was “procrastinating writing her book.” She had an idea, but couldn’t seem to get beyond a few short pages. I thought that perhaps what she needed was some encouragement so I offered to go with her to a writer’s club meeting to get inspiration. A day later this is the response that I got.
“Hi Donna! After much thinking on what you said, and some soul searching, I realize that I really don’t have a desire to write. I realize that it was more someone’s dream for me than my own dream. I want to thank you for trying to encourage me and being willing to go above and beyond to help me, but honestly, I just don’t want to write. So thank you so much for your kindness! I appreciate it very much!”
I had no problem with that response because first of all I realize that not everyone is like me. Not everyone is meant to be a writer! Second, I was just glad that she realized that this was not something that she wanted to spend her time doing. Third, I was glad that not only could she admit that to herself, but she had the heart to tell me that she didn’t want to go down the path that I have chosen to go down. Some of us are meant to be writers and others are meant to be readers. If you are meant to be a reader, then don’t worry about not writing that book. It’s not something that you need to be doing anyway. Get rid of the guilt and cross it off your bucket list. Life is too short to feel guilty about you not writing. Enjoy the grand kids,Spoil them rotten. I give you my permission.
Writing, because it is a creative process should seem like play. when we were children, we played at doing the things that we thought we would like to do when we were adults. Somewhere between Kindergarten and the twelfth grade, we suddenly started doing what we did not because we thought it would be fun, but because other people told us that it was something that we “should do”. If you’ve been told, you should write a book and don’t want to do it, perhaps you would be better off either declining or find some other way to get your message across other than by doing it all yourself.
Options to Writing Your Own Book
I can almost hear others saying but I have a story, but I don’t want to write It. Do I have any other options?”
You have other options than writing your book yourself. You could hire a ghost writer. You sit down and tell the writer what you want written and they write it. Your name goes on it and you pay them for writing it. This option is a little costly, but if you’re writing the right book, it might be worth it. (Need a ghost writer? I could help you there. My rates are reasonable.)
Another option is to write a summary of the book and send it off to another country like the Philippines to flesh out your book. Pay that person a smaller fee, but that person does most of the work and you collect more of the profits. I think this might be a good option for someone who has a lot of ideas for nonfiction books, but doesn’t want to take the time to do the actual writing. Include in the summary some unique ideas that you have to offer, because this person will take a lot of his or her information from existing materials on the internet. You’ll also have to hire a good editor and an excellent fact checker to make certain this person has credible information.
A third option for getting a book written when you don’t want to write a book, is to speak it instead of write it. Again, you write out a summary of what you want the book to be about. You, then, can use a software program like Dictation Naturally Speaking where you speak into a computer program and the program writes down what you say. You then hire an editor to edit the material. In lieu of using a software program, you could simply speak into a recorder and hire a transcriber to type the completed manuscript. There are people who by using this method can “write” the first draft of a book in a day. There was one online program that I heard of where a person can do this every day of the month to produce as many as 30 books in a month. (Again, if you’re looking for a transcriber, I can do that too.)
Doing What Seems Right for Me
None of the above options appeal to me personally. To me, that sounds too much like factory work and less like real writing. I have a Dictation Naturally Speaking program on my computer, but I type as fast as I can think to speak what I want to say. The summary option seems more like working in a factory setting where I put out the ideas and someone else does what I consider the “fun part”. I would rather be the ghost writer than have a ghost writer.
The truth is, I love writing. I would do it even if I never was paid a dime to do it. I love getting up in the morning and putting my thoughts on paper. I know it’s not for everyone. Some people, like my friend, are meant to be readers, not writers and I am glad. I am also glad that she has rid herself of the guilt of procrastination by removing “writing a book” from her bucket list. Sometimes it just isn’t meant to be. There are so many other ways to be spending your time than stressing over the book not written.
Donna Brown is pastor at Faith in God Church 1 1/2 miles south of Brandsville, Missouri on Hwy 63. Sunday services are at 10 am and Wednesday night Bible Study at 6:30 pm. As Author Cygnet Brown, she has published a nonfiction book: Simply Vegetable Gardening: Simple Organic Gardening Tips for the Beginning Gardener
She is also the author of historical fiction series The Locket Saga. which includes When God Turned His Head and Soldiers Don’t Cry, the Locket Saga Continues, and, A Coward’s Solace, Book III of the Locket Saga. The next book Book IV of the Locket Saga: Sailing Under the Black Flag will be out in the near future.
.For more information about Cygnet Brown and her books, check out her website at http://www.cygnetbrow.com .
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