Procrastination... Is Making Me Wait

Right now I am not writing.

Oh, it FEELS like I'm writing. I'm behind my computer. My fingers are clacking away on my Saitek Eclipse backlit keyboard. I've got my e-mail open in another window, which somehow in my mind is vaguely related to writing. And heck, I'm writing something about... well, not writing.

When it comes to procrastination, I am the master. I must eliminate every single last thing that can be done before I can even open Final Draft. First, of course, there's e-mail. Then there's phone calls to return. Then there's a mess in the kitchen. Then there's political blogs to read, online petitions to sign, scores to check. My daughter's fingerprints on my monitor need to be Windexed off. And oh, crap, I have to begin cooking supper (okay, it's 1 PM, but preparation is all.)

Before you know it, I've burned up most of my allotted 4 hours of writing time I give myself 3 times a week. Which is bad, because I've got deadlines. My column is always due next week. I'm not sure how, since I only have to deliver it every two months, yet it always seems to be due next week. I've got a screenplay due in 5 weeks. I have three rewrites on other scripts that I really should get to. Folks are waiting for those, too.

Sigh. Okay, I will. As soon as I have lunch. And go get my car washed. And scrub my toilet.

Something tells me I'm not alone. Could that be? Are there OTHERS of you out there who are in fact reading this basically as an excuse to not be writing? For shame! Close your web browser this instant and go write! In fact, if your write it on a blog, send me the link so I can read it and... not... be writing. Oh, never mind.

--Jim Cirile