The First of Rhys's Pieces!

"Procrastination is the thief of time."
"I'm busy doing nothing, working the whole day through, Trying to find lots of things not to do!"

The photo is one of my favorite ways of procrastinating (whoops, I mean doing research for my next book): holding a formal afternoon tea party with my friends.

This is my first post with the Jungle Red Babes. I'm excited to be joining them.Of course I needed another online time consumer like a hole in the head. I'm already writing two books a year, one of which requires tons of research. And then I glibly promise short stories to magazines and anthologies, which have to be squeezed in somewhere. Of course I love doing all these things, or I wouldn't do them.

But like many writers, when it comes down to it, I would do anything rather than actually sit down and write. Which makes this whole internet thing so enticing. I started off with DorothyL, the online mystery discussion group, and with reading my emails. Then I was invited to join various other Yahoo groups, all of which send me a daily digest to be read, digested and answered. That was bad enough,but then came blogs, and Twitter, and Goodreads, and Crimespace and Book Place and Blogbooktours...eek! What with all of those and checking my Amazon stats to see if it's a day of gladness or despair, and checking the forum on my website to see if anyone's chatting there, it's a wonder I find any time to write at all.

The sad truth is that I was good at procrastination even before the days of the internet. In those days it was throwing a load in the washer, or walking around the garden pulling the dead heads off roses. I still do those things when the writing is not going smoothly. I find that sometimes ideas need time to percolate in my head before they can be put down on paper. And I justify my internet time by arguing that I used to write everything long hand, so it took me twice as long. Many times as long, actually, as the handwriting had to be deciphered and then typed neatly and I was the world's worst typist on those old machines. Much swearing and muttering ensued as I reached for the White Out.

Supposedly we do all these online activities because they help promote our books and get our name out there. But in reality it's more than that. I enjoy the company of the friends I hang out with online. Being stuck in a little room writing is lonely. I am a social being and I love being able to chat with friends every morning. One of the most amazing things about being a mystery writer is the closeness and warmth of the mystery community. When I started writing mysteries I didn't expect to make so many true friends--not just social contacts but people with whom I share my secrets and worries.

So I welcome this new diversion and new chance to make friends, and I'm asking my fellow Jungle Reds--do you think procrastination is a disease that strikes all writers? Would we all do anything rather than write? What ways do you find to procrastinate?

(here I am procrastinating,escaping,relaxing in another of my favorite ways--hiking with friends. This was in Sedona)


JAN: Well Rhys, I'm the first one to see we had a new blog file and contribute, so I'm pretty sure I'm the number#1 procrastinator. At the moment, though, I'm procrastinating from promotion rather than writing, which only goes to prove, I'll procrastinate whenever there's a task at hand.
But I agree with you, the Internet is an especially enticing procrastination tool for a writer because it's all about writing. You can write in a fun, undisciplined way that doesn't require any real problem solving and if you're good enough, you can even convince yourself you are working! On days when I really have to write, I won't let myself check my mail until AFTER I've finished. I find once I start, I can't stop!! Off to sign up for Twitter....

HANK: Hey Rhys! So delighted to have you as a blog sister. And as for procrastination--well, I have to admit, I'm not much of a procrastinator.

(I know RO is hooting now, I can just hear her.)

I have a chart of how many words a day I have to write, and how many total for the week. When I sit down in the chair, if I'm tempted to read my email, or do some on-line shopping, or change the shelf paper in the kitchen (right), I just say to myself fine, do it, go ahead. But I say to myself, you're going to do your words for the day now, or you're going to do them later, and it's your call. And as a result, I generally just do it. (And I only let myself check my email on the hour.)

The key is, I plan when I'm going to worry. I try to do away with free-floating anxiety. Let's say I have a speech to write, for an event a month away. I'm not going to write the speech now, that's much too soon. So I say--on the Tuesday before the speech, that's when I'm going to make an appointment with myself to write it. And before that, I'm not going to worry about it one bit. (Of course, I mull over the topic, but in a relaxed and no-pressure way). It works!
I had just realized I was spending too much time worrying about how I had too much to do. So I just deleted the worry time!

RHYS: Scheduling time to worry! Why didn't I think of that, instead of waking at three a.m, staring at the ceiling and letting all those woulda, shoula,coulda thoughts fly around my head. Okay, from now on Monday mornings will be dedicated to worry, the rest of the week is worry-free.And I do give myself a number of pages to be completed each day so I always make my deadlines, one way or another!

ROBERTA: Rhys, love this topic, it's helping me avoid a new chapter opening as we speak! Jan, not sure you can claim #1 procrastinator title. I would have been here first but I was busy setting up a Facebook account. Now that is something I've avoided for years, but I was running out of things to check in order to keep from actually writing.

And Hank, your techniques are marvelously compulsive! As a psychologist, I definitely approve of setting aside specific time to worry. And you handle yourself very nicely, telling yourself you can do it now or do it later! Seems like that should work for ankle-biters too:).

My worst downfall is email. My writer sister was appalled when she saw that I have my system set up to chime every single time an email hits the inbox. I know I should turn it off, but I haven't made myself do it. Maybe if Hank were to lay down the law...

HALLIE: I'm with Roberta, biggest culprit is email.I know it's really become a sickness when I put off replying to an email because I don't want the time stamp to show that I'm checking my email every ten seconds.

RO: Hallie, isn't the trick to that to Keep as New? I have some emails from weeks ago that I hope to respond to one day. Hi Rhys! Welcome! See, I procrastinated so long about welcoming you that I'm doing it now.. a little late but just as sincere.

Ah yes, the actual writing part of this business. I wish I could say I was like Hank..so organized and such a worker...it's just this side of scary how good she is. I always feel more focused and productive after hanging out with Hank. Then, unfortunately, it goes away. I, on the other hand, have been known to stop writing if there is a really nice bird outside my window (which means I need to get the binocs, check my life list, the Audubon guide, etc.) So I guess you could say I take almost any opportunity to interrupt myself. (What! You say they've posted the scores from the synchronized swimming competition? I must see them!)

RHYS: Great to know that I'm in the company of fellow procrastinators--why else would we all have joined a blog?And I see that Jungle Red often asks our guest bloggers to give ourtrageous facts about themselves and have people decide which ones are true. So I thought I'd start off with some ourtrageous facts of my own:

1. I sang with Simon and Garfunkel

2. I wanted to be a lion tamer when I was a child

3. I traveled across Europe alone at the age of 12

4. I used to be manager of a rock group.

5. I once mooned a passing train
Okay, so which are true and which are the result of my creative imagination?

Thanks again for welcoming me so warmly,

Rhys