Dive vs. Dip: Which Are You?

I’ve written multiple drafts, the query letter, and the synopsis. I’ve edited my latest draft with beta readers. I researched agents (a little). In other words, I’ve now successfully put off one of the most intimidating parts of writing a book for as long as possible: the first full read-through, beginning to end.

(I wanted to say THE most intimidating part, but I so recently determined that was the synopsis.)

I started this post on the day I told myself, “Now I’m going to finish! It’s time, TODAY, to buckle down and review my latest draft and prepare it for the real world.” I had really good intentions. I talked myself into it after that post about balance being the white whale, how finding time is elusive so you have to make time even when we aren’t in a pandemic. I reread my many Kindle notes from Oliver Burkeman’s Four Thousand Weeks, seriously a great book that everyone should read.

“The good procrastinator accepts the fact that she can’t get everything done, then decides as wisely as possible what tasks to focus on and what to neglect. By contrast, the bad procrastinator finds himself paralyzed precisely because he can’t bear the thought of confronting his limitations.”

And…then I wrote this post, instead.