The Two P's

Whew ... just spent the best part of the weekend writing a blurb for my August release with Samhain. You know, I probably could have written a couple of chapters in the time spent on this blurb, but I wanted to get it right as it's such an important selling tool. It's gone off to my editor now, but still not sure I'm happy with it. You see, I suffer from the two P's ... procrastination and perfectionism and I've got this theory that the two are really part of the same whole. Usually when I procrastinate it's because I'm not feeling in the best mindset and deep down scared I'm going to get whatever I'm procrastinating on wrong somehow. This 'P' usually relates to writing and it's all tied up with perfectionism - if I can't do a thing to the best of my ability I'm going to procrastinate until I can at least think I'll do whatever I'm working on justice.

Well, that kind of thinking can be an absolute bitch, especially when it stops me putting finger to keyboard for longer than a day. It's at these times I have to get out my arsenal of writer mantras ... the oft quoted Nora Roberts dictum about being able to improve a page of bad writing, but not being able to fix a blank one. Then there's 'an ounce of practice is worth a ton of theory' (from yogic philosophy) and when I get really desperate and have to pull out the big guns ... 'God never gifts you with a dream without also giving you the ability to make it come true' (from an unknown genius).

Wow ... I feel better already ... now where's that work in progress? ;-)

TJ