5 Lies Writers Tell Themselves

Let’s be honest – writing is hard. Sometimes just summoning the energy to sit down and write even a few hundred words feels like the hardest thing in the world – half the battle is fought between the fridge and the desk (but seriously, chocolate is definitely what I needed to conquer this blog post).

Procrastination is the bane of the writer, the terror we all fight – and here are my Top Five White Lies that Writers tell themselves (and how you can combat them!)

5. I’ll Remember That in the Morning

You know when you wake up in the middle of the night, or right before you fall asleep, and your brain suddenly gives you an amazing plot twist or character betrayal? And you always tell yourself, “That’s such a great idea, I’ll definitely remember it tomorrow?”

No. You won’t remember. Write it down. Keep a notepad by your bed, and jot down those midnight brainwaves so you’ll be able to use them in your next writing session!

4. Just One More Episode/Chapter/Scroll

Ahhhh the internet. The writer’s best friend and worst enemy – a land of infinite creative inspiration, and time-sucking entertainment. Countless hours can be lost watching videos or scrolling through Twitter; or if you’re halfway through that latest book on your TBR pile, it’s just as easy to read another chapter and postpone your writing.

Set yourself a limit. Watch an episode, write 500 words – if you need to watch shows or read books to feel creatively inspired, go ahead; but don’t lose track of your precious writing time!

3. One More Piece of Cake Will Do the Trick…

Writing is hungry work. Snacks and drinks are most definitely in order when it comes to settling down from a writing session, but the distraction of getting up and down for more food will break your concentration.

Get yourself prepared before you sit down to write – food and drink included. Once you’re in the writing zone, it’s important that you do as little as possible to disturb your creative rhythm. And besides – less snacks might put an end to those cake crumbs in the keyboard!

2. I’ll Write Twice as Much Tomorrow

Sometimes it’s easy to slack off when you’re writing. Maybe you had a long day, maybe this chapter isn’t working out; maybe you just have a blog post that’s overdue, or a work meeting that’s on your mind. No matter what’s interrupting your thought process, it’s easy to strike a deal with yourself – I’ll make up for it tomorrow.

Unfortunately, tomorrow doesn’t work out how you’d hoped, and it starts a downward spiral – do everything you can to stick to a daily word count and sacrifice a half-hour of your night’s plans to get those words down.

1. The Lighting/Music/Chair Isn’t Quite Right

Some of us have writing spots we absolutely love, our little corner of the world where we setup shop and start producing words. For some people, that’s a favorite coffee shop, or a window seat at home, or perhaps a tucked away place in a park. But sometimes it just doesn’t feel right – the lighting is too bright, the music isn’t the right mood, or the seat cushion is newly upholstered.

If you can, find a spot you like and keep it. But don’t make the mistake of trying to find the perfect creative space – write wherever you can, whenever you can; if the words come to you, let them out!

So these are the five lies that writers tell themselves. What about you? Is there something you always tell yourself to procrastinate? Share this post on Twitter or Facebook, and drop a comment below to discuss!