More Advanced Procrastination Techniques.

 Once upon a time I was very focused on my writing--to the exclusion of pretty much everything else. Recently, that hasn't been the case. I have become a master procrastinator, however, and one of my favorite techniques is creating covers. The idea was that once I had a cover I'd be more motivated to finish the book. And, since I'd eventually need a cover anyway, I was not slacking off: I was being proactive. That didn't work out as planned either. 

An even less successful writing technique has been to sign up for NaNoWriMo. I've generally been very good at meeting deadlines--ask any of my editors! But NaNo? Not so much. Every day I fall further behind. And with more and more ground to make up, what little motivation I had to start with is usually gone by the middle of the month. Plus there's the guilt at not writing, which only paralyzes me more. 

So, November is not a good month for me. But the covers are looking good. 

Here are two (of many--you don't even want to know) versions of All Through The Night--which may or may not be released in time for Christmas. I'm currently leaning toward the blue version. But we'll see!

I am hopeful that I'll eventually find my way back to a better, more productive writing schedule/strategy. Today I'm investigating my "Why" ie, why do I write, what am I hoping to accomplish, what is my goal. The following TED Talk is what led me to this line of thinking:

What struck me on watching this talk was that I DID have a "why"  once. And it did stop being a real factor in my life at about the same time that my ability to self-motivate myself evaporated. Since then, I really have been all about the "what," and the "how," rather than the "why."

Here's hoping I can change that, and that it will make a difference. I'll keep you posted!