Ever Feel Like a Slug?

Summary

The author struggles with productivity in writing, despite being efficient in other life areas, and seeks advice to overcome this "slug mode."

Abstract

The author of the article expresses a personal struggle with writing productivity, despite being a self-proclaimed "planner nerd" who excels at completing chores and maintaining a routine for exercise and pet care. The article reflects on the author's love for writing since childhood, yet highlights a current period of stagnation, particularly with writing projects that hold personal significance, such as a memoir. The author acknowledges a tendency to procrastinate by engaging in activities that seem related to writing, such as listening to writing podcasts and buying writing books, but ultimately do not contribute to actual writing progress. The article concludes with a call for readers who have experienced similar creative blocks to share their tips for overcoming them.

Opinions

The author values the sense of accomplishment from completing tasks, especially household chores.
There is an acknowledgment of the ease of making excuses to avoid writing, with a list of activities that serve as procrastination tools.
The author admits to a love for writing since childhood, indicating a deep personal connection to the craft.
The author feels most like a "slug" when it comes to writing, suggesting a sense of disappointment or frustration with their current output.
Despite the challenges, the author is optimistic about improvement, as evidenced by the request for reader tips and the mention of writing this article as a step forward.

Seems to be my current writing MO.

I’m a person who prides herself in getting a lot done — whether it’s true or not it makes me feel better to tell myself it is. As a lifelong planner nerd, getting a lot done goes with the territory. But what am I actually getting done?

One thing I’m good at is getting chores done. Mondays are set aside for cleaning the house, doing the laundry, going to the grocery store, and all the other “chore” stuff that needs to be done. I’m good at it and enjoy it. I like the feeling of getting something actually finished, even if it’s only one day a week.

I’m also good at taking care of Rigby, our 15-year-old Toy Poodle. In the name of keeping her in shape, we walk a mile every morning whether she wants to or not. To keep me in “shape” the goal is to get myself to the gym on a regular basis.

I admit to an unfair advantage when it comes to the gym. I live in a Southern California golf cart-friendly community with a top-notch gym a short ride away. It surprised me, but my golf cart has been the single biggest motivator in getting my butt in there. Never underestimate the power of a golf cart.

What I’m not good at lately, and for some time now, is accomplishing the things I tell myself really matter. Things like writing, regular FaceTime with the grandkids, writing, creating family photo books, writing, and practicing Jingle Bells on my ukulele. I suck.

There’s much more that matters, of course, and you may have guessed, writing is the key to it all. It’s my writing that feels most important to me and also what’s got me feeling most like a slug.

If thinking about writing counted, I’d be a New York Times bestselling author by now. Too bad it doesn’t work that way.

I started writing as a kid sitting at our dining room table pecking away on our gigantic Underwood typewriter. I was barely able to press the keys and the red and black ribbon was faded and stretched beyond repair. I didn’t care. That typewriter gave me a place to tell my stories.

My early writing consisted of plays for the neighbor kids to perform, flyers to sell our $.10 tickets, and holiday poems for our parents. The Underwood never failed me. I loved writing then and I love writing now.

The thing is when I’m in slug mode, I seem to love making excuses more.

I’ve got a list of excuses, at the ready, to keep me from my laptop: chores, of course, but also completing that online course I bought during the height of the pandemic, listening to all the writing how-to podcasts on Spotify, and perusing Amazon for that one more writing book.

All that writing prep work, er rather excuses, leave me MIA on Medium and MIA when it comes to progress on my memoir.

Since I finally sat down and wrote something — this piece — I’m counting it as progress on Medium. The memoir is still stuck. If you’ve experienced slug mode and have any tips to get free of it, please leave a comment. We slugs need to stick together.

WRITING LIFE

Ever Feel Like a Slug?

Seems to be my current writing MO.