Wednesday, February 4, 2015

#IWSG: No More Excuses / Wattpad Wednesdays: Reborn Chapter 18

IWSG was created by the Captain Ninja Alex J. Cavanaugh. To visit the other participants, click here.
My motto this year is "No more excuses."

Last year and really since I've finished the rewritten draft of Reborn back in April 2013, I found tons of reasons to excuse myself from writing. I often used reading or social media as a way to avoid the writing/editing I was supposed to do. I was too tired, too bored, too uninspired, too yada yada yada to write.

There are real reasons why writing/editing might not get done as planned. The day job might throw more work at me. I usually only write/edit during the day job as I do need to unwind from the day for my mental sanity. Writing is not unwinding for me. I don't write much on the weekends for the same reason, although I am trying to make some time on my longer (more than one day) weekends. Health reasons are an acceptable excuse for not writing. I've been sick and injured. It's really hard to write those days, and it's okay not to write on those days. I've also had more joint pain and probably have carpal tunnel (doctor's appointment next week about it), which slows down the writing. To me, those are acceptable reasons to slow down and maybe not write for a day or two.

But no more of those flimsy excuses. No. More.

Okay, true, it's a work in progress, but I'm doing better. That's why I've been slower to respond to blogs and social media. Making writing/editing a prerogative means I sometimes don't get around to blogs/social media every work day. Sometimes I'll take a work day to just catch up on blogs/social media. So far it is working out better that way, even though I don't stop by as quickly as I used to.

What's your motto for this year? Do you find excuses not to write/edit?

Read Chapter Eighteen here or click here to start from the beginning.

40 comments:

Sarah Foster said...

I probably look for any excuse not to write--too tired, I have a headache, there's too much noise. It goes on and on. That's a great attitude to not make any more excuses. I should probably try that, too.

February IWSG Co-host

Hart Johnson said...

Sorry about health stuff--that IS reasonable as an excuse. I've had a heaping pile of dayjob stress myself, so I KNOW that interferes. But I will jump on this with you... enough excuses.

Unknown said...

I hear you, I'm constantly finding excuses too :-( Best of luck, I'm adopting your motto too! :-)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm lazy and a natural procrastinator, so yeah, I can find those excuses.
Sorry you are having issues with your wrist.

Christine Rains said...

I know those excuses. I can dig them out from all sorts of places! I need to get on the No More Excuses train too. Hopefully you're having a good week. :)

Chrys Fey said...

"No more excuses" is a great motto! I tend to make excuses too, but no more! ;) I hope you doctor's appointment goes well. Hugs!

Natalie Aguirre said...

I don't think you really have excuses that aren't justifiable. You have to do your day job at work first and you can't help you don't feel good. You're already so productive. Hope the doctor's appointment goes well.

H. R. Sinclair said...

Carpal tunnel sucks for writers.I hope that's not it. I have my list of excused too. But I need to get over myself and just do it too.

randi lee said...

Brilliant motto! I make take that one up, myself!

Chemist Ken said...

I've decided that this year is the year I finish my first story. I'm putting more time into my writing than I ever have before and it shows. Of course, it just occurred to me that we're one twelfth of the way through the year, so suddenly I'm feeling insecure at my writing pace. Arggggg!

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I hear ya!! I had to do the same thing. I was doing all sorts of "stuff" but very little writing. It was becoming the habit not to write, so I had to make it the #1 priority. My blog visits and such have suffered, but I'm here to be a writer- so, I need to write.

High fives on the commitment. Hope the wrists are all right.

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I hear ya!! I had to do the same thing. I was doing all sorts of "stuff" but very little writing. It was becoming the habit not to write, so I had to make it the #1 priority. My blog visits and such have suffered, but I'm here to be a writer- so, I need to write.

High fives on the commitment. Hope the wrists are all right.

Crystal Collier said...

Okay, so pregnancy (especially late pregnancy) is totally an acceptable excuse then. Good to know because I was starting to worry. ;)

Anonymous said...

My biggest obstacle has always been that I convince myself that I can't do things. I can't get that done today. I can't stay on top of all these feeds. I can't do everything I want to do in this story. So why even try?

I think, if I have to pick a motto, I'd pick this (you may have heard something similar someplace before): Yes I can.

Haneen Ibrahim said...

Oh yea I have many excuses, and I'm sure sick of them, my motto for this year is "Be Adventurous" so far it's working, I hope I get better as time passes though not the opposite. Thanks, a timely post.

Anonymous said...

I think my motto for the year is to-do it. I'm making lots of to-do lists and that motivates me to check things on them off.

Unknown said...

This should be my motto: set realistic goals! Well, in terms of the number of books I can publish in a year (I can dream big in other areas ;-) ). Last year I planned for 4 novels and 1 novella. I did 3 novels and 1 novella and it was STRESSFUL!

But I like your motto. Go you!

dolorah said...

I think I am the Queen of Procrastination. Any excuse works for me, lol.

farawayeyes said...

'No More Excuses' a motto I need to adopt. Thanks, this was truly inspirational.

cleemckenzie said...

I like, "No More Excuses."

Lidy said...

I like your motto. Sometimes it gets hard to write when I have the work day to deal with. And when I come home, instead of unwinding, I'm in second work shift mode dealing with homework that didn't get done, getting dinner ready, etc. Still however tired I am (and I am), I try to squeeze out words before crashing to bed. Yes, 'no more excuses,' and also 'do as much as you can.'

Jenni said...

I love your motto! I, too, am guilty of using social media to avoid writing. Sometimes it seems like anything is easier than writing. Good for you for putting your writing above social media and other things. That takes discipline!

Unknown said...

You have good reason to take it slow and I hope you feel better soon. And by the way I finished and enjoyed Reborn and will leave a review (and havent yet only because I havent had time to sit and write one that does justice). I plan to sit down in the next two weekends and get that done as I get a couple months of blogs written up :) Hope you feel better soon, lady. :)

Cathy Keaton said...

I'm taking a break from writing with publication in mind, so writing is WAY fun now! I haven't loved it for years, so being in love with writing again is amazing and totally worth forgoing the publication aspect for a while. I don't have to slave away and it's easy to feel like I'm unwinding while doing it. I'm writing only for myself and I honestly hated writing with this force-myself-to-do-it attitude. Did not work for me, but everyone is different.

I do hope you obtain what you want to with writing, though, Cherie! For me, it's rediscovering that I truly love this and feeling it again everyday.

Unknown said...

Writing isn't so bad for me... it's usually the editing I find myself making excuses for. But when I do find myself making excuses for both, I try to make it up by putting in some extra hours either in the morning before the day job or over the weekends.
I wish I could write at my day job! But then again, I am really uninspired at work so my stories probably benefit more from my AM window view writing sessions.

Julie Flanders said...

Great motto and I think I am going to steal if for myself as well. :)

Liza said...

My motto is to keep pushing myself forward. Hope you keep to your goal.

Laura Clipson said...

I always find excuses not to write, I think it's something we're all guilty of!

Loni Townsend said...

My motto for the year is RAWR! I think your motto is clearer, though. :)

Carol Kilgore said...

Take care of yourself mentally and physically. I'm trying to increase my writing speed, but it's a slow go. Some days, I do pretty good. Others, I'm still a slow turtle :)

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you're going through these problems. Sometimes I have to scale back. I remember years ago I barely wrote because of real life getting in the way of all my goals. I'd like to draft again. I haven't worked on new material this year.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Cherie - I'll pray for those joints, hands, and wrists. Life definitely gets complicated and sometimes we have to scale back for that. You are always inspiring with your writing and all that you do! If you need to take a week or a month to respond to one of my comments - that's okay with me. :) Enjoy life and enjoy some of those writing moments, relax, drink tea/beverage of choice, and know that you are loved.

Romance Book Haven said...

I like your motto and realistic goals. All the best!

Heather R. Holden said...

I'm often MIA from the blogosphere for the very same reason. I can't help but feel guilty when I fall behind on blogs, but at the end of the day, art must be my first priority. But yeah, finding excuses to avoid being productive are still far too easy, haha. Good luck not falling prey to the flimsier excuses so you can get some writing/editing done!

Anonymous said...

I'm kind of the opposite of you. I feel anxious when I don't write, because for me it IS unwinding. Plus, I'm not huge into social media, and like, interacting with the world the way most people do. I will agree that I just "happen" to want to read or watch TV when I'm having an especially tough time in my WIP. But keep going! You'll get there :)

TBM said...

Oh I know the excuse game. It's an easy trap to fall into. I like your attitude and best of luck.

cleemckenzie said...

Motto 2015: Just get it done right. I also like yours.

J.L. Campbell said...

I hope you are able to get more writing done. I've resolved to do more this year, as well. For me, the visits on the blogs tend to suffer as well, when I get serious about my writing.

Tyrean Martinson said...

BTW - I named you as a Very Inspiring Blogger yesterday!

Romance Book Haven said...

Great attitude, but this is something I lack...I always fall by the wayside!