There’s a quiet moment every writer knows. You sit. Open the page. The cursor blinks . . . waiting.
Then your phone pings. Or you tell yourself you’ll start in just a minute. You check an email. Then another. And before you know it, it’s time to get to work or pick up the kids.
If you’ve ever wondered why this happens, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not broken. In this article, I’ll look at the underlying causes of procrastination, and give you some tips for overcoming it. Lastly, I’ll give you a Story Weapon with some productivity techniques.
Overcoming procrastination starts by understanding that it isn’t laziness—it’s resistance that shows up when the work matters. By lowering the bar, getting clear on your next step, and allowing imperfect writing, you can move through that resistance instead of avoiding it. Build small, consistent habits, and treat procrastination as a signal pointing you toward what’s most important in your work.
What is procrastination?
We tend to frame procrastination as a character flaw.
“I’m just not disciplined enough.”
“I don’t have what it takes.”
“Real writers don’t struggle like this.”
But if you’ve spent any time writing seriously, you know that’s not true. Procrastination isn’t about laziness. It’s about resistance — the internal friction that shows up when something matters. It asks you to reveal something. To take something invisible or abstract and make it concrete. And that can feel risky.
The word “procrastinate” comes from Latin, and it means “deferred till the morning” or “belonging to tomorrow.” Thus, procrastination means delaying or putting off things until the last minute or even after the deadline.
Why we procrastinate
People procrastinate for various reasons, and it’s not just that they’re avoiding the task. Some of the reasons may surprise you. Or perhaps, you’ll relate.
Fear
Procrastination is rarely about the work itself. More often, it’s about the emotional experience that comes with it: the discomfort, the self-doubt, or the fear of what is really bothering you:
- Fear of not being good enough
- Fear of judgment from others
- Fear of being seen
- Fear of wasting your time
- Fear of finishing and letting go of the story you’ve worked so hard on
Weight of Perfection
Perfectionism is one of procrastination’s closest companions. You sit down to write, but instead of writing, you start evaluating.
“Is this good?”
“Is this original?”
“Has this already been done better?”
Before your first sentence of the day even has the chance to exist, it’s already being judged. And so, nothing gets written.
The problem is simple: You’re trying to edit something that doesn’t exist yet. Writing and editing are completely different processes. When they happen at the same time, they cancel each other out. And the result isn’t always as positive as you may expect.
Overwhelmed by the scope of your project
Be it a novel, screenplay, or memoir, your brain doesn’t see “a story.” It sees 80,000+ unsolved problems.
No wonder you put it off till later. Breaking your work into smaller tasks is one of the most effective ways to reduce procrastination because it lowers psychological resistance.
The writer’s paradox
There’s a strange contradiction at the heart of writing: you want your work to matter, but the more it matters, the harder it becomes to create it.
That tension is natural. In fact, because your writing feels important to you, some level of resistance is almost guaranteed. It’s part of the process.
Writing — the desire to express — is a deeply human impulse. It’s a mix of doubt, curiosity, and discovery. That’s the space where procrastination lives — not necessarily as an enemy, but as a signal.
What if procrastination isn’t something to eliminate, but something to understand? Instead of asking, “How do I stop procrastinating?” try asking, “What is this resistance trying to tell me?”
Sometimes the answer is practical:
- You’re tired
- You’re overwhelmed
- The task is unclear
Other times, it’s something deeper:
- The story feels too personal
- You don’t trust your voice yet
- You’re trying to write what you think the market wants
Procrastination, examined honestly, has something to teach you. It points toward the place in your work where you are most afraid to look. This is the place worth investigating.
Tips for overcoming procrastination
1. Lower the entry barrier
We often make writing harder than it needs to be. We imagine we need:
- A long, uninterrupted block of time
- The perfect environment
- The right mood
When those conditions aren’t met, we delay. But writing doesn’t require ideal conditions. It just requires a starting point.
Instead of asking yourself: “Do I feel ready to write?” try writing a sentence. Then another. And another.
That’s it. One sentence is small enough to bypass a wall of resistance. Once you start, something interesting tends to happen: motivation and momentum kick in.
2. The role of clarity
One of the most overlooked causes of procrastination is simple: You don’t know what comes next.
For example, “work on my novel” is not a clear direction. It’s vague, without a sense of purpose. Our brains resist ambiguity. When the next step is unclear, avoidance becomes the default.
Set a clear goal for yourself, such as “Write the argument or dialogue scene between Michelle and her brother.”
Try this: At the end of each writing session, decide exactly where you’ll begin next time. Not “keep writing.” Something more concrete.
3. The power of imperfect writing
Remember this: your first draft is not meant to be the last. It does not need to be perfect. It just needs to exist. This is the key to my 90-day workshops. What was impossible to accomplish in ten years becomes possible in 90 days because you are accessing a different part of your brain.
When you give yourself permission to write poorly, this does not lead to poor writing, it leads you directly to your subconscious, which is the seat of your genius. Rather than concerning yourself with the quality of your prose, you begin to explore the aliveness of your characters in relationship to themselves and each other.
So many writers hit obstacles when they try to perfect each line before continuing the story. In the rough draft, you need to let it be messy. By writing a wild and messy first draft, you get to discover the story. Allow yourself the chance to create a draft that you would not share with anyone. You can fix it in the rewrite.
4. Build a sustainable writing habit
The process of creating a steady habit is less about disciplining yourself than it is about establishing a consistent framework.
Set the stage for writing. It’s more difficult than it needs to be when you have your notebook hidden in a drawer, or your document is buried among thirty other tabs in your browser. The less effort you expend trying to find your writing, the less friction gets built into the equation. Visibility is an essential part of avoiding procrastination.
One of the major issues of procrastination is making it a bigger deal than it is.
“Write a chapter.”
“Revise the draft.”
“Develop the plot.”
All of these sound intimidating. Writing does not have to be an overwhelmingly ambitious project. Aim for smaller goals that you can make into a daily routine, such as “Write for twenty minutes,” and see where your story takes you.
5. Minimize your internet usage
Modern life is full of distractions, and nowadays the internet is far too convenient. It’s easy to lose yourself scrolling for hours.
I’m not saying you should remove the internet from your writing process completely. However, you need to define your limits. Consider turning it off for an hour or however long you need, so it doesn’t whisk you away.
6. Redefine success
When you think of success as “Write something amazing,” you’re more likely to procrastinate. However, if you redefine it as “show up and write something,” you’ll take action. Remember the page doesn’t care whether you feel ready. It only asks that you arrive.
Your story weapon: Take actionable steps
Here are two productivity techniques you can use to get started:
The 10-Minute Rule
The most challenging part of writing is the beginning. Transitioning from thinking about writing to actually putting pen to paper is always difficult, but that’s precisely what makes the 10-minute rule so effective as a productivity technique. Ten minutes is an easy goal to set for yourself that gets you out of the starting blocks and keeps you moving forward.
If nothing else, by the end of your writing session, you will have shown up, and showing up can make all the difference in the world.
The Distraction List
It’s impossible to avoid distractions completely, especially those that pop into your head spontaneously. Oh, I’ve got to finish that load of laundry, or Did my package arrive yet? That’s why it might be helpful to keep a running distraction list.
Keep a sticky note pad nearby, or a scrap of paper. Any thought that doesn’t pertain directly to what you’re currently working on should immediately be written down, then set aside for later. This way, it is unlikely to distract you from writing again. At the end of the writing session, you can review your list and prioritize tasks properly.
Procrastination isn’t something you conquer once and never face again. It’s something you learn to move through as it arises. The secret lies in developing healthy habits that will help you thrive in your writing as you overcome procrastination.
Understanding procrastination as part of the writing process allows you to respond to it with intention rather than frustration. Join one of my next workshops: The 90-Day Novel, The 90-Day Memoir, Story Day, where you can turn intention into sustained creative output.
