Speaking of hunkering down, I really should be working on a paper for another class. I've been putting it off for weeks now; each time I sit down to write, I decide that I'm not familiar enough with the essay at hand. I should really read it one more time, just for good measure. I'll start writing as soon as I take some more notes. Really.
Since this is technically schoolwork, I feel that it is a socially acceptable form of procrastination. Once I finish this, I'll go spend an hour at the gym, just to get the juices flowing. Then I'll get started on my paper in earnest. Of course, I'll want to to shower first, and then maybe fix a little something to eat. After dinner, maybe I'll brew some decaf coffee and do a little reading to set the mood.
I'll admit that this is not the most efficient set of pre-writing activities; but after reading Wendy Wasserstein's short essay, "Holidays at the Keyboard Inn," I decided that this must be how the professionals do it. I've read several articles recently that touch on the overdone topic of procrastination, and they all seem to come to a similar consensus: a little pressure never hurt anyone. In fact, a looming deadline has the potential to produce truly magnificent work. Then again, this romantic notion of waiting until the last moment and then creating a masterpiece can be problematic. It leaves little time for revision, which most of us non-genius types rely on for quality work.
Still, I think that Wasserstein makes a subtle point as she recounts her own bouts with procrastination. As an undergrad, I started writing my papers approximately a week in advance, give or take a few days. (There were some infamous exceptions which led to disastrous consequences.) Though I may not have penned my final draft until the day before the deadline, I took pages and pages of notes, read and re-read the material, and talked myself in circles in the weeks after the paper was assigned.
In this essay, Wasserstein takes for granted that her readers (who happen to be aspiring writers) are familiar with this dance. A non-writer might marvel at the composition of a full-length play over a weekend at the Holiday Inn, but a writer knows that the ideas, though not concrete, had been floating in her head for days, weeks, or possibly even months.
Now. I've gone to the gym, had my ritualistic mug of decaf, and completed a blog post. As soon as I check my e-mail, I'll start writing that paper...
Caitlin, after reading about various writers and writing styles, I have come to the conclusion that writing comes to you when it wants to! We can try to sit down and try to focus, but it really can be difficult if you feel like you are not ready – as in your case. I like how you attempt to justify your “acceptable form of procrastination”. I can relate to you when you explain your process. It’s like we don’t try to procrastinate but it ends up happening because we cannot document our thoughts in time or when we are in “perfectionist” mode!
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