It’s
the
Gregorian
New
Year
2004,
the
dominant
culture’s
most
popular
of
a
number
of
different
ways
of
marking
time.
No
matter
what
our
cultural
background,
we
can
take
advantage
of
the
energy
and
focus
around
beginnings
and
fresh
starts
to
look
at
our
literary
proclivities.
What
do
we
want
to
put
out
into
the
world?
Along
with
our
goals,
we
can
look
at
what’s
gotten
in
the
way,
and
what
those
obstacles
have
to
teach
us.
The
Heart
of
The
Delay:
Eleven
Questions
to
Tap
the
Wisdom
of
Procrastination,
AKA
Writer’s
Block
I
am
sure
that
at
in
some
era,
at
some
desk,
with
some
kind
of
paper
(and
perhaps
some
very
special
ink),
some
writer
has
breezed
through
a
lengthy
and
challenging
project
from
beginning
to
end
with
no
delays.
No
one
in
her
household
has
suffered,
she’s
felt
pleased
at
each
step
of
the
process,
and
her
shoulders
have
never
cried
out
for
massage.
I’m
sure
of
this.
I
am
equally
certain
that
for
most
people,
writing
projects
have
at
least
some
period
of
delay.
Sometimes,
it
takes
the
form
of
distraction,
and
a
bit
of
discipline
works
just
fine
to
bring
us
back.
Other
times,
our
life’s
work
or
inspiration
of
the
moment
sits
there,
waiting
for
us
to
get
back
to
it,
and
every
incomplete
we’ve
ever
taken
in
school,
every
shaming
message
we’ve
ever
heard,
or
self-doubt
we’ve
ever
felt
encrusts
the
project
like
so
many
barnacles.
Worse
still,
“procrastination”
and
“writer’s
block”
pop
up
in
writer’s
tracts
like
names
of
diseases
that
need
“cures,”
the
right
sledgehammer,
or
perhaps
simply
to
be
ignored.
While
some
writers
may
find
it
helpful
to
have
a
name
for
what
gets
in
the
way
of
what
they’re
trying
to
achieve,
“writer’s
block”
or
“procrastination”
can
falsely
universalize
very
different
phenomena.
My
obstacles,
yours,
and
hers
may
be
different
animals,
different
species
or
even
perhaps
silicon-based
non-organic
entities.
Framing
them
as
negative
blocks
the
opportunity
to
learn
something
about
ourselves
or
our
writing.
For
example,
my
reluctance
to
finish
my
novel
may
reflect
a
correct
hunch
about
a
major
flaw
in
the
story
structure
I’m
loathe
to
face,
while
yours
may
stem
from
guilt
about
being
the
first
in
your
family
to
succeed
at
an
intellectual
task.
Each
of
us
has
an
opportunity
to
notice
and
deal
directly
with
the
heart
of
the
delay,
rather
than
its
limbs
which
trip
us. Dealing with the heart of the delay could lead us down a more
effective
and
sustainable
path
than
the
one
we’d
forge
by
simply
steamrolling
over
the
delay,
or
walking
around
it.
I
might
need
to
bring
in
a
book
doctor
to
raise
the
quality
of
my
work,
while
you
might
need
to
have
a
heart-to-heart
with
a
family
member,
neutral
third
party,
or
both
about
what
it
means
for
you
to
succeed
as
a
writer.
I
humbly
suggest
the
following:
When
next
you
find
your
mind
meandering
anywhere
but
to
your
work,
don’t
beat
yourself
up.
Instead,
give
a
listen
to
what’s
guiding
you
astray.
The
answer
may
surprise
you—and
give
you
some
clues
about
how
to
proceed
with
your
project
on
the
clearest
path
possible.
Here
are
some
questions
to
help
you
determine
what’s
tripping
you
up,
as
well
as
some
responses
to
each.
1)
Do
you
have
in
mind
an
ideal
way
of
doing
things,
and
then
get
paralyzed
when
you
start
to
do
things
in
your
own
natural
quirky
way?
Here’s
permission,
then.
Write
out
of
order.
If
ideas
for
the
middle
or
end
of
your
book
come
before
the
beginning,
go
with
it.
You
can
always
move
things
later.
Multitask—use
one
project
to
procrastinate
from
doing
another.
If
you’ve
done
your
emotional
homework
and
find
that
you
still
procrastinate
(and
many
great
writers
do),
have
other
projects
in
the
pipeline
so
that
when
you
find
yourself
drifting
from
the
one
big
project,
you’ve
got
others
to
work
on
to
fill
your
time
until
you
can
get
back
to
that
one. If you’re stopped in your tracks because you think you have
to
work
in
a
certain
way,
get
back
to
the
drawing
board! Work on the pieces that compel you when you feel like working
on
them.
2)
Is
it
possible
that
you
lose
the
big
picture
of
what
you’re
doing
in
the
daily
details?
Connect
your
deepest
desires
and
visions
to
each
moment
of
your
work.
Distill
your
longings
into
a
sentence
or
paragraph
such
as
“I
am
a
published
writer
who
gets
great
reviews
and
makes
my
entire
living
through
my
writing,”
and
post
this
in
a
visible
place.
Say
it
out
loud
to
your
mirror
each
time
you
begin
your
work. It might seem hokey, but many writers find that it actually
helps
to
keep
the
big
picture
in
mind.
3)
Do
you
have
a
realistic
image
of
the
quality
of
your
work?
Find
out
what
if
any
kind
of
help
you
need,
then
get
it.
A
society
of
journalists
was
asked
how
many
writers
were
in
the
room.
Nearly
all
the
hands
went
up.
Then
the
speaker
asked
how
many
of
the
writers
considered
themselves
“good
writers.”
Nearly
half
the
hands
went
down.
While
even
the
best
writers
doubt
their
skill,
others
suffer
from
overconfidence.
Well,
maybe
overconfident
writers
don’t
experience
suffering
themselves,
but
their
careers
(and
perhaps
their
peers)
can
suffer
for
their
lack
of
help
getting
their
writing
to
a
publishable
place.
If
you
find
yourself
putting
off
work
because
you
don’t
know
if
it’s
any
good,
find out. Get a
professional
in
the
field
with
obvious
credentials
to
help
you
make
that
determination,
or
do
it
yourself.1
If
you
find
out
your
work
stands
up
content-wise,
you
may
still
need
an
outside
eye
to
tell
you
whether
your
writing
is
okay
on
its
own,
or
you
need
professional
assistance
to
make
it
publishable.
An
editor
experienced
in
your
type
