WIP challenge - day 5 check-in!

[littlebutfierce]

Checking in! We're inching towards the end of the week. How's it going today?

Poll #6888 Day 5 check-in!

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14

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How's the fic going today?

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Fantastic
3 (21.4%)

All right
3 (21.4%)

Creeping along
5 (35.7%)

Not going anywhere at all
3 (21.4%)

We're nearing the end of the 1st week of the challenge. Are you:

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Behind schedule for your goal
3 (23.1%)

Ahead of schedule for your goal
1 (7.7%)

On track for your goal
5 (38.5%)

It's too early to tell
4 (30.8%)

What did you do today, fic-wise?

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Write
6 (54.5%)

Edit
3 (27.3%)

Send to beta
0 (0.0%)

Research
1 (9.1%)

Procrastinate
2 (18.2%)

Something else I will describe in comments
3 (27.3%)

Three words or less about your fic!

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& today's discussion question brought to you by me having no time at all for fic today. Oh, & by the flamingo, of course. Let's talk procrastination! We all have days where, sadly, offline obligations prevent us from writing fic. But how do we prevent ourselves from writing fic? How do you slack off when you do, technically, have the time to devote to fic? Can you persuade yourself that it's not procrastination, but research or taking a break or catching up on other things? What's the difference if so? & how do you fight off the urge to procrastinate?

Comments

[terajk]

A big part of procrastination for me is fear--either I feel like I don't know where to start with researching, or I've never written [fandom, character, scenario, type of story] before, or I worry the story won't be good enough (if it's for a prompt) or whatever.

Thanks to all the 3W4DW writing fests, I *have* written a lot of new-to-me things, which is awesome. And I want to write more things! (So many awesome prompts!) But I'm nervous about my queer_fest fic. Maybe since I've been having so much fun writing drabbles, I could write it as a drabble first? Maybe that would give me the kernel of something to build the fic around, and more importantly, get me to at least write something. I call it a plan.

[jagnikjen]

Maybe since I've been having so much fun writing drabbles, I could write it as a drabble first? Maybe that would give me the kernel of something to build the fic around, and more importantly, get me to at least write something.

Sounds like a great idea.

[schwertlilie]

Have you considered writing it as a set of drabbles? Or snapshots in time/place? It depends on how you've structured the story, but I had a lot of success with my NaNo last year by breaking it into tiny chunks and not forcing myself to write connecting bits.

[glitteryv]

I second schwertlilie's idea of breaking that OMG!SCARYWITHBBQSAUCE! fic into drabbles or snippets. For one thing, it will seriously ease some of the pressure and anxiety you're feeling. And the final piece might turn out to be quite interesting to read.

[bay_alexison]

Third on what schwertlilie said. You might be surprised at the end result of it.

[littlebutfierce]

The fear thing is so true!! & sometimes for me I think it can be disguised as not procrastinating--I'm just considering whether I should expend energy on this story, if I could do it justice. I'll think about it a little more, & maybe noodle around on the web taking a random look at semi-relevant info &...

That's AWESOME that 3W4DW has let you try out so much new stuff!!!

& I agree, writing something as a drabble might be a good way to take the fear out of it (I like linked drabble series, too, if it comes to that).