Finish What You Start(A procrastinator's view on taking "YOU" time to write.) by Marie Michelle Allen Webster's New World Dictionary defines Procrastinate as "to put off doing (something unpleasant or burdensome) until a future time." Or, my personal favorite, "to postpone (such actions) habitually," which pretty much describes how I felt about finishing my first manuscript. I looked for reasons why I couldn't possibly write "tonight" or "tomorrow"or "whenever." Simply because, I had more pressing things to do. Things like work, family, friends . . . LIFE! It seems I was at the bottom of my own priority list - and so were the things that were most important to me -my dreams. There are legitimate times in all of our lives when procrastinating can't be helped. That's okay. Just don't let those times happen on a daily basis.We all have responsibilities that require our attention from time-to-time. I'm not suggesting you call in sick every day or forget your child is in the bathtub, but you need to set aside what I like to call "you" time. Does it have to be every day? That's entirely up to you. But you DO have to make time. If you don't, that "great American novel" you've always talked about writing will be just that: TALK. I now realize another reason I always opted to put myself at the low-end of my priority list was because I was afraid. There's no need to bore you with Webster's definition of "fear." I'll give you mine instead - fear keeps you from being able to FINISH WHAT YOU START. Fear is a funny thing. It isn't rational. And it certainly doesn't have to make sense. But it DOES keep you from doing what you want to do! And being afraid, although it's an excuse I now recognize, is what kept me from doing what I have always wanted to do - Write a full-length novel. What if I wasn't good enough? I know it's silly, especially when you consider the fact that I have a bachelor's degree in Journalism and have had numerous things I've written published in print and television form. And since other forms of writing like short stories and poetry have always come easy to me, I figured writing a novel couldn't be much harder. But it was! Because I didn't realize the time commitment involved in writing a book. When I began my long contemporary romance, I figured it would be the next "best seller." But I had no way of knowing just how to go about accomplishing that feat. Joining R.W.A. and the local Greater Detroit Chapter of R.W.A. got me started in the right direction. Meeting three fellow writers at a chapter meeting (one of whom has recently sold her first book) and forming a critique group which meets on a regular basis gave me the incentive. I had the desire, I just lacked the discipline - you know me, giving up my "you" time for anyone or anything . . . But when I did find (and I use the word literally) the time to write, I would do so for hours on end, oblivious of my surroundings and losing myself in the story that I had created - just because! I was haunted by the hero and heroine for nearly a year before I had ever even jotted down an outline. I knew everything about these people - their hopes and dreams, their secrets, and I knew something else equally important, they needed me - ME - to tell their story. And I felt compelled to do so. You see, I didn't want to let them down. But I did - every single time I chose to do anything other than write during my "you" time. And yes, that includes working over-time, attending chapter meetings, volunteering, or anything else no matter how important it seemed at the time. And when it became increasingly easier to give up my "you" time for anything other than writing, my critique partners, bless their hearts, reminded me on a regular basis that when I made the decision to write this book, I accepted the responsibility of finishing it. What was I thinking? Eventually, I caught on to the concept that practice makes perfect - and a lot of pages. Since I tend to do my best work in the evening, I forced myself to set aside four nights a week to write. I literally locked myself in the room with my computer and wrote . . . And guess what? It worked - for me. Yes, it's true, it took me nearly two and a half years but consequently, I finished what I started by making good use of my "you" time. And you can too. Pick the best time of the day or night (or week or month) when it's most convenient for you to write - and stick with it. Procrastinating once in a while is forgivable, even allowable, but don't let it happen "habitually." Being afraid is okay, too. After all, fear helps you keep the important things in life in perspective. And after a while, taking "you" time to write becomes easier. Before you know it, that first page becomes two and two becomes twenty and so on until you've written the entire book - and typed my two favorite words in the English language: THE END. No matter how long it takes you, weeks, months or, if you're like me, even years, don't put off or ever be afraid of finishing what you start! When she isn't working as office manager in the family business, Marie Michelle Allen is a freelance writer for a major advertising firm. She has been a member of GDRWA and RWA for over five years and recently sold her first book. The romantic cookbook, co-written with former GDRWA member Ruth Pircer was sold to Staircase Publishing. Look for "A Touch of Romance" in bookstores Christmas, 1998.
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