Every month, Glimmer Train releases a bulletin that includes a few brief essays by writers on the writing life. For October, I was happy to find the themes of procrastination and distraction—and how they can be a positive influence in our work lives.
- Elizabeth Katdetsky discusses how she gives in to the procrastinator in herself, and how her recent project is a testament to “artful obsession, to letting go expectations, the quest for reward or compensation.”
- Claire Luchette finds that the best thing she can do to help her writing is to … not write.
- And Ron Savage tells a story that is as much about writing as it is about patient waiting.
The drive to be ever-more productive can be quite an affliction, making us a little too serious and impeding our best work. These pieces might help take the pressure off and perhaps create self-awareness around your writing (or non-writing) habits. Go read them all.
Jane Friedman has spent nearly 25 years working in the book publishing industry, with a focus on author education and trend reporting. She is the editor of The Hot Sheet, the essential publishing industry newsletter for authors, and was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World in 2023. Her latest book is The Business of Being a Writer (University of Chicago Press), which received a starred review from Library Journal. In addition to serving on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Creative Work Fund, she works with organizations such as The Authors Guild to bring transparency to the business of publishing.
[…] The Benefits of Procrastination & Distraction for writers, by Jane Friedman, who teaches digital publishing & media at the University of Virginia. […]
Great post! I definitely find that sometimes when procrastinating, I’m still thinking of my work and can come up with new inspirations and ideas. I’m slower than most writers I know, but content editors find little needs fixing.
Hi from New Zealand Jane,
Just wanted to thank you for all the really terrific and useful posts. There’s always some insight that is of real and practical use. Keep up the good work because it’s appreciated downunder!
[…] http://d23.65e.myftpupload.com/2014/10/02/benefits-procrastination-distraction/ […]
Is October procrastination month? I’ve definitely been thinking a lot about it and how it is actually valuable. I’ve decided that the kind of procrastination that helps the writer is “True Procrastination”.
[…] is the thing most people need help with. Luckily, it’s not that hard to cure procrastination because it’s a strategy setup to help you get a benefit, usually an emotional one. And if you […]
I wrote a book last year and been trying to find an agent ever since. I had an editor approach me and worked on my book. Using his referrals, i had five agents read my book who all had good things to say about my book but did not want to sign me. How do I find agents who would be willing to take a risk on me?
You’ll likely have to approach 10 agents, 20, 50, or more, and still you might not find one. At that point, it’s time to write a new book.
More on this topic here: http://d23.65e.myftpupload.com/2012/12/29/how-long-to-get-published/
[…] Train extols the benefits of procrastination and distraction, while Lauren Schmelz examines instant gratification and asks: what’s the […]
I loved Ron Savage’s story about patience. Waiting is a hard part of a writer’s life…so it is always wonderful to hear those inspirational stories.
I seriously did not think that procrastination and distraction have benefits. Very interesting post indeed.