Monday, May 13, 2013

New Creative Procrastinating Techniques

At least once a year I think every blogger writes a post about procrastinating. Spending time on facebook, twitter and Pinterest seem too run of the mill. EVERYBODY does that. Checking out the latest stats on my books on Amazon is good for a few minutes here and there. Let me share some new, better ways to waste time when I should be working on that new WIP.

My most recent favorite is playing with the feather quill and ink set my daughter bought me last year. Usually I just let it sit on my desk and admire it now and then. But lately, I've been practicing writing with it when I get stuck on a particular scene. The pages in my planner has blotches and patches of ink all over. It has taught me a great appreciation for those early scribblers who had to write with such instruments. It must have taken a lot of practice in a time when ink and paper would have been very expensive. I can easily waste half an hour writing my signature over and over and then cleaning my pen. I'm going to have to buy more ink soon.

My daughter shared some of her favorite procrastination practices she's learned at college. Some are obvious like walking down the hall to visit her friends. I suspected this one, but she admits to texting me or calling me when she wants to put off starting her school work. What are moms for? But this one is a new one if you want to try it. I sent her an Easter package and included a tiny lego package that held on Dr. Who figure. She opened it to find an Ood. So her new favorite procrastination is to play with her Ood.

So any creative ways to procrastinate plaguing you? Ever write with a quill? Dr. Who fan? Do you wish you had an Ood too?

20 comments:

Paula RC said...

At the moment, mine is checking my emails to see if any agents have got back to me after sending out my submission. One always wants to believe they won't believe their luck when at last their dreams are met by reading 'your submission':-)

Oh and my other one is to wander around the garden pulling out the odd weed, and watering the plants in the greenhouse.

Joss said...

At the moment I have few preferred forms of procrastination. Minecraft and browsing youtube and google images for building ideas for minecraft, is a big one. But also looking for apps that will, of all things, help me get more organised or stop me procrastinating, has become a fun one. Which I guess also includes figuring out all the functions and features of windows 8.
I actually decided yesterday to take a stance against procrastination and so far I'm doing quite well. Fingers crossed I can keep it up. :)

Maria Zannini said...

Hubby and I are big Dr. Who fans. As a matter of fact, we'll be attending a Dr. Who convention in November.

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Sometimes I find myself staring at my dancing solar flower or toying with my turtle flash drive. Or getting up and going to make more coffee. Or checking on the tortoises - who look up at me with an air of disgust as if they know exactly what I'm doing...procrastinating. :)

Stina said...

Usually I'm too buy procrastinating to blog about it.

In university, I would walk to the student residences across campus just so I could buy chocolate covered coffee beans and not study.

Unknown said...

It's so funny you have a quill! I thought I was being nostalgic having an old Remington typewriter! Oh you are a kindred spirit!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I play with my cats. Sometimes they leave me no choice though.

Unknown said...

You know, I actually think writing with your quill is a very creative way to "procrastinate". I think there is something about writing longhand and about the creative process of using your right brain that may actually stimulate the creativity, and ultimately, your writing.

M.J. Fifield said...

I don't have an Ood, or a quill and ink set (though I'm wondering why), but I do have a super pose-able Aragorn action figure (that's what the package called him) that's fun to play with. He really is super pose-able.

Anonymous said...

I don't have any favorite ways to procrastinate, but yesterday I wasted all afternoon reading cracked.com articles. I read until I ran out of things to read. It was bad. LOL

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Computer games suck away my time faster than anything.

LD Masterson said...

Checking e-mail, deciding the dog needs to go out - even if she's sound asleep, getting a snack (a bad move on two fronts), computer games... the list goes on and on.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Paula, I hope you hear soon. I do that too when I'm waiting to hear.
Joss, good luck with your vow.
Maria, don't tell my daughter or I'll be buying tickets.
Madeline, LOL, I used to have one of those flowers.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Stina, I love chocolate covered coffee beans.
Melanie, my older sister used to have one of those old Remingtons
L. Diane, my daughter does the play with the cat thing.
MJ, playing with Aragon fits right in with 'Ood' lego play.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Julie, I'm going to use that excuse next time. Probably tomorrow.
Patricia, I have no help for you.
Alex, at least I'm not addicted to the games. My oldest son has conquered this world and every other world know in the computer universe.
LD, waking to dog is much worse than playing with an Ood.

Lynn Proctor said...

i don't think i procrastinate much---i love the quill thing--i wish you could do my daughter's wedding invitations for us ;)

Tonja said...

I am not a Dr. Who fan. I never do anything fun to procrastinate - only laundry and dishes and driving children where they need to go. I need something fun. I'm thinking about slipping out to see a movie all by myself....

mshatch said...

My favorite procrastination technique is to search the real estate section for houses I can't afford in places like La Jolla and Sarasota. It's fun to dream...

The Happy Whisk said...

We are big Doctor Who fans.

Barbara White Daille said...

Sounds like you've found a good new (old??) way to work around writer's block.

E-mail and blogs are high on the list of things I should put off till the writing is done.