I've blogged previously here about my diminishing attention span and gift for procrastination, so in an attempt to combat these tendencies I'm starting my own project called No Procrastination Month (NoProMo). I urge others struggling to write in the face of so many distractions to do the same. The beauty of NoProMo is that there is no set month, no rules and no goals, apart from the ones you set for yourself.
Here are my rules:
1. I cannot check my sales figures or rankings on Amazon during NoProMo.
2. I cannot read any reviews of my books over this month.
3. I will focus completely on my WIP and finish it during this time.
4. When I am writing I cannot look at the internet under any circumstances.
5. When I'm not writing I cannot waste valuable time googling myself and looking for references to my books in hopes of finding some kind of validation (believe me, it doesn't work as I discovered last night when I found a very mediocre review on a blog I never would have known existed if I hadn't gone looking).
6. I can continue to update my blog and engage in social media activities, but within reason.
I'm currently working on the final novella in my Eternal Hunger vampire series which I will definitely finish within a month if I can stick to these rules. In keeping with my WIP I plan to start NoProMo on Friday 13th July. This is going to be particularly challenging as I've got a free novella on Amazon on this day, and I love watching those figures creep up, even if they're not real sales. I'm sure I can do it and I know my writing, not to mention my mental health, will improve if I can stick with the plan.
The purpose of NoProMo for me is not just to overcome procrastination but to bring it back to what really matters - which is the writing. Sales, reviews and rankings are about what other people think, and worrying about this is a sure-fire way to cripple creativity.
Bring on NoProMo, and writing for the sheer love of creative expression!
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