Why the Procrastination? Just Write!

Stop procrastinating. Bloody pick up your pen and write!

Nobody uses a pen anymore.

You know what I mean. Just. Fucking. Write.

But I write all day for work.

So what!

Well, I can't write in the evening too.

Nonsense, you breathe all day at work, too. Do you stop breathing in the evening?

No. Obviously. But I have to breathe, don’t I?

Well, you have to write too.

But breathing keeps me alive.

So does your desire to write. You know you have stories you want to tell. You have things that you want to say.

But the first time I wrote for vocal I won a prize and I haven't won anything since.

Don’t you fucking dare! Is that why you write? To win? To be rewarded with cash?

Well, no, but I am pretty broke at the moment.

Oh, shut up. You write because you need to. You’re always writing in your head. This year, stories have to leave your head. Nobody hears a story untold. Nobody reads a story unwritten. Every story you don't tell is lost to the ether of delusion and what could have been.

It scares me, though. What if people don't like what I write?

Some people won't like what you write, but others will. You need to get some discipline. Stop scrolling your life away on your phone. Stop watching other people who are getting shit done. Do your shit. Do you!

I'm a procrastinator. I know that. I always have been. Look at me entering this challenge at the 11th hour.

You don't have to procrastinate all the time.

I kinda do! It’s the nature of procrastination. You know, they say that procrastinators are highly intelligent people.

Shut the fuck up! Even if that’s true, it means many stupid people are being listened to instead because they get stuff done. Set yourself goals. Pick up one of the cats. Put it on your lap and start writing.

But what if I don't know what to start writing? What if the words...?

Start writing.

But what if…

Just start writing. Move your hands. You’ll find a rhythm. You’ll find the words. Say the things you want to say.

I might cancel my vocal subscription.

Do not cancel. Don’t you dare!

I need prompts.

Use the Vocal challenges. Check them regularly. Research other writers. Get inspired. Find other writers who inspire and engage you. Write for you!

Write for me? Seems a little egotistical.

Most writers are. Come on, how arrogant must you be to think the world wants to hear what you have to say?

That’s unfair...

Just write for you. Write for when you were aged 5. Or aged 15. Or aged 25. 35. 45.

Hey, I'm not that old...

Doesn’t matter, write for future you. Write for past you. Write for dead you. Write for living you.

I feel like my creativity has gone. Too much of life has damaged me.

Utter nonsense. Damage creates the best writers. From death comes life. After destruction, there’s always repair. Use your words to repair the things you think are broken inside you. This year, 2024, it's about you and your words.

I am still scared.

I understand that the journey of writing can be daunting. The blank page stares back at you, seemingly endless, and the weight of expectations looms overhead. But I implore you not to succumb to the allure of procrastination. Your words are too precious, too unique, to be left unwritten.

But…

Think of all the stories and ideas bubbling inside you, begging to be unleashed upon the world. Your imagination is a force to be reckoned with. Trust me. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t be a polka-dot Pig called Susan wearing a sombrero and smoking a pipe. Why do I have a pipe?

I like Rene Magritte?

It’s not fair to keep me and other creations confined by the chains of your procrastination. Worlds are waiting to be explored, characters yearning to be brought to life, and emotions longing to be felt through the power of your pen.

Keyboard.

Oh, shut up! You know what I mean.

But where shall I start…

I know that the act of beginning can be intimidating, but remember this: the first step is often the most challenging but also the most rewarding. Just pick up that pen (or sit at your keyboard) and let your thoughts and ideas transform into something magical. Don't worry about perfection. Let the words flow freely, unburdened by the shackles of your self-doubt.

Do I have self-doubt?

Yes. You’re human, aren’t you? But you also have a unique voice that deserves to be heard. The world is hungry for stories, and it's time to feed that hunger. Imagine the impact your words could have, the lives you could touch, the minds you could inspire. Writing is not just a task; it's a journey of self-discovery, a canvas for your soul to paint upon.

Susan, you are beginning to sound pretentious.

The world is waiting for your story, and so am I. I have unwavering belief in your ability.

But where shall I start?

How about with your ABCs?

What?

The next Vocal Challenge is an Abecedarian.

A what?

Look it up. You’ve got this. I’ve got you. Now go write.