The Procrastinating Writers Forum Why Do We Procrastinate?

I assume we all joined this group for a reason, but why do we procrastinate? It can't be because we don't want to write, or we wouldn't be here. So, why? Is it a lack of motivation? Is it paralyzing perfectionism (i.e. fear that what we write down won't live up to our original ideas)? Is it just chronic writer's block?

Any ideas? Why do you procrastinate?

I'm sure perfectionism has something to do with it, but it's just that there isn't any time. There is time, but I, for one, am horrible at managing my time unless I feel like I'm under some sort of pressure (ie-NaNoWriMo) and so I just never get everything I want to write down. There are too many other things that need doing all the time that it feels like there's no reasonable time for writing.
Also, whenever inspiration really hits, I just happen to be in a place without anything to write it down on. That's the worst of it. I forget the later it takes to write it, so I just don't write it at all.

A sad existence... procrastination. We should do something about it! =O ... Like... tomorrow or something...

I guess I procrastinate out of pure laziness. I man, I want to write and all, but the effort it takes sometimes makes me shy away from it often. Hence, thought I could write often, I only write when very inspired to do so. I am by nature, I'll have to admit, a very lazy person. The only thing I honestly put all of my effort into is music. So, the reason I procrastinate is for the laziness factor. Nothing more, nothing less. Honestly I couldn't care less what people think of me. But, that's just me and my view on it. :P

I sometimes think it a type of lacking self confidence - a feeling of not being good enough and what I write is not important or of interest to anyone else- so why bother. A case of protective self hiding.

I do know this is a flow on from the past, so perhaps I am not the only one trying to hide from my self by not writing at times.

That being said I am in the middle of my life story and that is tearing me apart at times because there is nowhere to hide there.

This procrastinating hits me in all areas at times and I often find myself being too busy doing something, anything, to stop me doing what  I KNOW I should be doing but deep down don't really want to do, at that time.

I think it becomes a habit after awhile, an excuse to escape from being self responsible and thus taking the desicion away from me.

"I can't do it because......."

In an effort to beat this, I do try to carry a note book for the those moments inspiration hits, and I try to sit down to write for at least 15 minutes a day, when these moments hit. I think it is truly a case of recognising the problem, and working out a way to work with it, not do something else instead.

When the writing bug really hits me, I use that as an excuse NOT to do other things, like eat, drink water, clean up,wash the dishes and even cook a meal for my husband. My excuse, I was writing.

I must learn to prioritise and accept that other things need to be done and I can't hide behind writing or anything else as an excuse NOT to do them, any longer.

I think I procrastinate for a number of different reasons, including everything you guys have talked about. Right now, I think laziness and the fear of screwing up my latest great idea has pushed me to find excuses not to right. I've even found that this website has been a great excuse for me. I spend hours here, not writing, but reviewing other writers' work. It's the ultimate excuse, but I really have to find a way to break free of this procrastination thing, or I'll never get anything written, let alone published.

I think that, primarily, I procrastinate because I'm lazy, and because it's so much easier to surf the internet and read webcomics than it is to actually get things done. I think perfectionism does come into play a bit, but honestly, I'm pretty good at turning off my inner editor for rough drafts (thanks to NaNoWriMo). I'd like to say it's writers' block, but honestly...for me, at least, writers' block is an excuse to eat chocolate and watch TV and not think about the novel I SHOULD be writing. XD