"Writers Write! That's what writers do. Period."
If you are planning on writing, or thinking about it an awful lot, or researching your "Big Story," or preparing the groundwork, reading up on the topic to better educate yourself, interviewing friends and family or those in the know, for information, then you are "NOT" a writer. You are a planner, thinker, researcher, preparer, reader, interviewer, but you are "NOT" a writer.
Writers Write! That's what writers do. Period."
No one wants to hear your meager excuses, the long, drawn-out and pathetic stories, or all your reasons that it makes perfect sense to start writing next week, or tomorrow. I just want to motivate you to pick up a pen and paper or sit down at the computer right now and start right now, because, that's all you ever really have is "Right Now!" If you really want to be a writer, there is only one rule!
"Writers Write! That's what writers do. Period."
My Cousin Carl just went out and bought another book on curing his horrible procrastination problem. Seems the first two didn't work for him at all, at least, not as much as he would have expected them to, having dedicated the time, effort and energy to reading through not only the introductions, but well into chapter 2 of both of the previously failing methods on "STOPPING" stopping! No point in finishing those up, since they've already proven to be going nowhere, or so he now supposes.
You know, to be perfectly honest with you, he didn't exactly "JUST" buy this new book. Truthfully, he bought it a few months ago, well ……. o.k., 16 months ago to be exact, but still, the point is, he's finally made up his mind to seriously sit down and commit himself to planning out a reasonable and achievable schedule to read this book all the way through, without skipping any chapters or giving up on the project entirely, ……….by Easter.
Not this Easter of course, I mean let's be realistic, he has a lot of work to do and places to go, but procrastination is a serious plague that is severely destroying the production and happiness of literally millions of men, women and children around the world annually, so he is determined to take a very firm stand here, and commit himself to having this book completely finished by Easter of 2008, no matter what, because he's been wanting to write an article about procrastination for about the last seven years, or so!
It all sounds so silly doesn't it?
But you catch my drift; you've seen it all around you on a daily basis. You've heard it in the pale broken voices of your dearest friends and loved ones. You've read it in their emails and letters, and every morning you've looked it directly in the eye in your bathroom mirror. Procrastination SUCKS!
It was one of the very biggest surprises that I experienced when I first got really serious about the internet. Suddenly, there were all these amazing, brand new, exciting and wonderful people coming into my life from every corner of that electronic neighborhood we commonly refer to as the World Wide Web.
Really cool and awe inspiring personalities, who were talented, clever, and insightful. Hundreds of creative entities, everywhere I turned. But also, with time, as I really got to know their hearts and souls, I would inevitably find the same symptoms in almost every single person I got to know.
Ken is a writer who literally has the ability to observe life from the most amazingly deep perspective, and then after taking it all in, express it back out onto a page with such subtle beauty and honest truth, that it is enough to bring tears to my eyes on a consistent basis.
If things continue on as they have for the past 45 years, you will probably never have the precious gift of reading this soul searching literary genius, because he is still getting everything ready to be "Just Right" before he releases his work to the public.
Sarah is an artist. She can take the history of 12th century France and paint it all onto a wooden apple, and you can hold that apple in your hands and relive ancient ages past in your mind, just by carefully looking as you turn the object slowly in your clutches.
She can re-create the colorful, effervescent and audaciously reflective light shows dramatically dispersed amid the cosmic ebb and flow of the "Zoltarian Andromeda" and carefully place it onto a canvas the size of a Volkswagen Beetle windshield.
But the odds are good that you have never actually seen her “Works of Wonder”, unless you just happen to be in the very room as she finishes one of her paintings, only to immediately find it's many unacceptable flaws and faults, and trash the work instantly upon completion, if not sooner.
Jenny is writing a Vegetarian cookbook. Has been since 1977, and probably still will be in 2017.
Bob creates comic books. He draws them and writes all the content. He is brilliant! They are adventuresome, funny, comical and interesting! I have read 3/4 of over 100 of them since 1980, when I first met Bob. Not one of them is finished yet. I would venture to guess there are nearly 500 of them, in various states of partial completion.
It's really compelling and exciting stuff, much deeper than the average comic book we grew up with as kids. Very in depth and extremely unique! Unfortunately, just as you get fully sucked into the story-line, the sails break off the mast, the ship starts taking on water, and the journey just all of a sudden fizzles out and dribbles down the drain, going no where.
My guess is, His son, Tim, who is equally talented, and had some serious drive behind him and a fire underneath his butt, will eventually inherit these half finished treasures, and within a year's time will probably be a very wealthy and famous young man.
And please don't ever ask me about my music. Yeah, sure, I've had a few of the songs, which I've written and sang, played on the radio around the country. Oh Yes, and there have been some recording companies interested in picking up my C.D. and distributing it, once it's finished, ……….. once it's finished! …………. Hmmmmm.
Each individual I meet, with rarely an exception, has commonly been stricken by that very same debilitating disease, Procrastination!
It's everywhere, like a plague! Please don't think I'm being judgmental, because, believe me, I am not immune to it's deceitful and cleverly crafted wiles anymore than the rest of us. Yes, I am often equally guilty as charged myself. The only possible difference now, is that I am fighting back, finally!
Yes, I've decided to take the time to become consciously and intently aware of this awful and life crushing curse and it's detrimental effects on all our lives, and put up a valiant battle to defeat the enemy, at least, on occasion!
So now, you might say I'm officially no longer a mere VICTIM of Procrastination, but you can refer to my current plight or pilgrimage as being more along the lines of an Advocate of "Aniti-Crastination!" For me it is now a cause, a movement, a revolution!
And what does that battle entail? Well, it's rather simple when you actually get down to the "Nitty Gritty" (I suppose, when you think it all through, most things in life really are!)
It goes like this:
If you are a Runner, then run! If you are a Cook, then cook. If you are a writer, hey, can you already guess what the answer to the problem is going to be? That's right!
"Writers Write! That's what writers do. Period."
So What Are We Waiting For? I ask us!
Larry L. Nichols
When Only the Right Words will do,
www.WriteForMe.com
It’s Right for You- Right Now!
Lnichols@WriteForMe.com
