Chuck Wendig has written a list of Don’ts for writers looking to become more productive and self-motivated. Stop Worrying, Stop Controlling and Stop Making Excuses are amongst the orders on the list. Fair enough. I’m not very motivated though, and I am great at making excuses, so here are my Stops for the modern procrastinator.
Stop beating yourself up if you don’t write anything all day
Guilty writers make me feel sad. Everyone feels the pressure to create something awesome, but there is no actual legislation which says if you don’t churn out five stories a week then you will be ritually flayed. Writing should be a smooth and natural process, as enjoyable as slaving away for years over edits should possibly be. You’re wasting more time worrying than not-writing, because a good story is like waiting for something. Once you let your guard down and stop huffing and stressing over the time, it has arrived. 
Stop worrying about “originality”
Come on, tales are as old as time; you’re probably not going to say something no-one has ever heard ever. Plots are recycled over and over but the one thing you can do is stop stressing and tell the story your way, in your own voice.
Stop questioning whether being a writer makes you a narcissist
It does. You are. Everyone is.
Stop telling all your friends how much you’ve written in the last three days
Because you’re probably exaggerating, or trying to make yourself feel better, and anyway if your friends are mainly fellow writers information like that can just be plain depression. You’re doing fine, you don’t need to prove anything. There is no wordcount law.
Stop worrying about how much coffee you drink, cigarettes you smoke or food you eat
You’re a freakin’ human being. Writing is stressful. Do what you like if it makes it any easier for you. 
Stop telling everyone how good you are
Publicity is key and you should submit, link and promote as much as you are comfortable with. But do it objectively, because there is nothing worse than a mediocre writer blowing their own trumpet.
Stop labelling yourself
You’re a writer? Oh my god, me too! Most creative types will define themselves as writers and if you’ve been working on the new answer to Martin Amis’ Money for five years, hearing a fanfiction writer put themselves in the same category at you it will probably become enraging. Let’s face it, we are all writing a novel. Also, there is nothing worse that following the “what do you do?” question with “writer” because you are immediately quizzed on your publication history, genre and overall success. It’s stressful. I mean, come on, people don’t ask doctors how many lives they’ve saved.
Stop sitting in front of the laptop wasting your life away
If the words aren’t coming, stop forcing them. Let’s face it, if you’ve been up for three hours and have only managed to stalk all your exes on Facebook and update you Twitter eleven hundred times, you should probably come back later. Don’t worry about stepping away from the screen and going for a walk to refresh yourself. 
Stop talking about it
This seems silly, since I’m blogging about writing in the first place, but people tend to fluff up the experience of writing turning it into this dreamy, spiritual experience. It’s echoed in the post I’ve borrowed this subject off which tells people to stop “dreaming”, stop “being afraid”. Just accept that this is what you want to do and do it now, or do it when you feel able or comfortable to. Whenever I talk about writing I either feel like I’ve written the story already or I elaborate so much that when it comes to writing it just looks awful on the page. Stop trying to sum up the experience of writing and get it done.
Stop labouring the point
I couldn’t think of twenty-five things writers should stop doing, so I gave up. No-one likes an overwriter.
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You might not agree with all of these. Maybe I don’t either, I change my mind like the wind. Oh well. What’s everybody writing about today??
What a wonderful post. Thank you!
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