Guest Post: Aimee Horton

Hi Everyone!

Just stopping by today with a Guest Post from Aimee Horton, author of The Perfect Disaster Series. I will be doing another post so you can learn more about how to connect with her and the books, but in the meanwhile let's get to know more about her. Specifically, how she is able to overcome procrastination. Welcome, Aimee to the blog!

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How I overcome procrastination…

I don’t know about you, but there are just too many excuses not to knuckle down and get on with things, whether it’s writing or other work, they’re there.

In fact, I’ve become so good at procrastination that I’m beginning to forget how to actually focus on the screen for more than a 20 minute timespan before I “pop to get a brew and watch an episode of Netflix.”

So with that in mind, I’m facing things erm, face on, and I’m kicking some procrastination ass. 

1.   I just have to…

 …do the washing/meal plan/get that tombola prize ready… You know what it’s life, sometimes no matter how hard we try work/life balance can be impossible. Settling down for a good 6 hours between school runs seems like the perfect scenario at the time, but when does all the other shit that’s literally staring me in the face actually get done? IT DOESN’T I TELL YOU.

ANYWAY. Do you know how I’ve overcome this little issue. SPRINTS. One of my friends started me on it when I attempted my first ever NaNoWriMo. We’d get online together, and she’d say “right 20 minute sprint – GO GO GO” and we’d go. It’s amazing how many words you can get out when you are focusing.

I got out of the habit, let life swallow me up, but recently I’ve been coming home from the school run, and instead of a long leisurely breakfast I’ve been sprinting. Half an hour at the beginning of the day, half an hour at the end of it.

ON IT LIKE A CAR BONNET.

2.   I just need to check Facebook/Instagram/Social Media…

No you don’t. You think you do, but you don’t. In fact, unless you write 1,000 words you’re not allowed on. GO GO GO.

No, seriously though. Social Media is my biggest suck in. Turn the internet off from your writing device. Switch off alerts. Those stupid POINTLESS quizzes you’re doing? Really? You’re using your free fifteen minutes to work out which disney ducking princess you’re going to be? I can tell you now which one you’ll be – the one that’s your favourite that you’ll tailor your answers towards. THAT is why I’m aways Ariel because I always liked her hair and was secretly in awe of Ursula’s bosoooms!

This is my key tip to be honest. Wasted in number two of five. REWARD YOURSELF. Hit a word count target, and then go on social media/browse shopping/get a brew and a biscuit.

3.   But it’s all shit.

Anyone who knows me knows I when it comes to the first draft I always say  IT’S GOING TO BE SHIT TO BEGIN WITH! I’m sorry, not because you’re shit, you’re not at all, actually you are awesomeness personified, but, the first draft is. I KEEP TELLING YOU (and myself) this. But sometimes telling yourself this isn’t enough, and I understand. I am a total loser when it comes to writing books, I’m NEEDY.

If you’re trying to complete your first novel, you need to find to find some good Beta readers. They need to be honest, but kind. You need to expect them to say “er, no, that’s not good” but rely on them to say “you’re doing it! This is good! You can do this!”

I am lucky, I have some awesome readers, those who I send stuff too and they are honest.

If you’ve published before, self or via more traditional methods, go and read a good review. GO ON DO IT. It’s not vain, you deserved your review, and you deserve the reminder that you did it before, and you can only do it again, better this time!

4.   My kids social life is better then mine.

I don’t know about you, but my kids have a better social life then me. What with football, swimming and homework, not to mention birthday parties, any free time where you thought you could bin them off in their bedrooms and grab a spare hour are quickly gobbled up.

Before I decided to write stories properly (i.e. not for my eyes only), I could write anywhere. Post-it’s next to the bed, notes in my phone, a quick ten minutes while an egg was boiling, you name it I did it, but somewhere along the line, I tried to get too ‘proper’ about it, and over the last few years I got into the habit of only being able to write if I was sitting in my study, with the right play list, my desk laid out in a certain way.

It got a bit shit to be honest. I was so busy making sure I was writing properly, I wasn’t actually writing.

AH HA! I can tell from that guilty look that you feel the same. There are loads of ways, in a notepad and typing up, tapping into an email in your phone, or investing in a keyboard to fit with your tablet. Plus technology is on our side these days…you can sync them all together! 

5.   But I just want to finish this book.

Oh. This is the one time you are excused. Well, as long as you don’t use this excuse every time you don’t want to write.

Don’t make the mistake of replacing valuable reading time with writing. After all, the more you read, the more you learn. Just saying.

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Thanks Aimee for stopping by! Hope you enjoyed this post and that you will check out the next one with details about her books!

Happy Reading!