Procrastination Has a Purpose
On procrastination and how it can give you important insights – to your writing and yourself.
Procrastination, I have discovered, has a purpose. After writing my recent blog, Why Am I So Resistant to Writing a Blog, I got to thinking in greater depth about procrastination and whether there was a deep-seated reason for my procrastination. When doing some more research I found this wonderful quote from Hilary Mantel:
What was the rational reason for my procrastination? Was my subconscious trying to tell me something? I discovered it was when a few days later I had a meeting with Katie, my website designer, to discuss my new website and blog. She brought with her an article she had put together on some on basic blog guidelines.
It was like an epiphany. I suddenly realised that I was unsure what a blog should actually consist of and that this was probably the real reason as to why I was so resistant to posting a blog.
I looked up the word ‘blog’ on my Chambers Dictionary app:
blog /blog/
noun
A document containing personal observations, often in the form of a journal, that is published on the World Wide Web
What did this tell me? Well not a lot and, to be honest, as well as the description being rather vague I think it is also a bit out of date. I think a blog now is much more about engagement and sharing not only your own knowledge but also linking up to what other people are saying too.
It made me think: would I write a short story if I did not have some background knowledge of the basics of a short story. The answer is yes, I would, but after I had written it I would then go back and craft it and make sure it had a good narrative, structure and conclusion. This is where I was going wrong with writing a blog. I was fine writing one but then when it came to actually completing it I was unsure how to craft the actual shape of it.
I found this great quote from American comedian, Steven Wright:
And just as an aside, as a writer I loved this quote too:
I went back to some of the blogs I had written and with a fresh eye and Katie’s guidelines I structured and reshaped the blogs into what I thought were manageable, recognisable shapes that I hoped people would engage with and find interesting.
The other thing I have learnt from revisiting my first blog is that a blog is actually a fluid moveable feast and that I can retrieve and alter my blog at any time I like. My resistance due to the fear of actually posting and not being able to retrieve the blog once I had posted it was totally unfounded.
Have you ever struggled to actually post a blog? Are you not really sure what a blog is or what it should include?
These are the guidelines I now use to check I have covered all the necessary elements of my blog. I hope they help you! They certainly helped me.
Blog Guidelines
Final check:
Has the Blog got a powerful headline?
Has the blog got actual content?
Has the blog got an original lesson?
Has the blog got elements of value?
Has the blog got some good quotes?
Has the blog got a call to action?
Including – Share – Sign up - Response
Has blog got a narrative structure?
Has procrastination ever taught you something important?
Tag me (@bryonydoran) and join the conversation.
