We’ve all had one of those last-minute conferences, where the writer shows up hours before the deadline of their paper and there just isn’t enough time to fix everything. But let’s be real, some of us (most of us?) have been there as the writer too. It just happens sometimes. You’re assigned a paper, you don’t start it right away, things spiral and you write the paper the night before it’s due. Then, once you've turned in the paper you think to yourself, “I’m never doing that again.”
So if you’ve got some writing left to do this semester, I’ve got some tips and tricks for training yourself to start writing
before that deadline induced panic sets in.
Before we get started though, in case you don’t already remember the steps to procrastinating a paper, here’s a refresher
that is absolutely 100% not based on anything I’ve done.
the pro-tips list TO procrastinating your papers
#1- You get the assignment sheet and think, “I don’t have any ideas for this yet, but I’ve got two weeks.” You
put the assignment sheet in your backpack.
#2- It has been a couple days. You still do not have a brilliant idea. Instead of working on it you think, “That
sounds like a problem for future me.”
#3- The knowledge that you have to write that paper completely disappears from your head.
#4- Your professor reminds the class that you really should have been working on that assignment because
it’s due the next time your class meets. You are confused. You remember.
#5- Panic.
#6- You go on a writing binge and write the entire paper in roughly a day. Is it your best work? No. Do you
have time to deal with that before the deadline? Also no.
#7- You turn it in and think to yourself, “Well, at least I finished it.”
Sound familiar?
It's okay if it does. The first step to recovery is recognizing our bad habits. Since we're all in this together, I'd like
to suggest:
the pro-tips list for NOT procrastinating your papers
#1- When you get home from your classes on the day you get the assignment, brainstorm a little bit. It
doesn’t even have to be good. Just sit down and create a list of potential ideas.
#2- If you come back to those initial ideas the next day and don’t like them, or just still don’t have any
idea where to start, drop by the Writing Center! You work here, you already know the brainstorming
conferences are fun and low pressure! Just come talk to a fellow centaur about your ideas!
#3- Take like a half hour after that conference and try to knock out a paragraph or two.
#4- Gradually work your way through the whole paper over the next couple days.
#5- Have a complete draft ready for editing by the time your professor reminds you it’s due.
#6- Come back to the writing center to get a second perspective on your final draft before you turn it in.
#7- Make any final changes and turn it in, proud of what you’ve written.
So in summary, here are the top 3 changes you can make to your writing habits:
#1- Just start. Rough drafts are called rough drafts for a reason, they’re supposed to be rough. Their only
purpose is to be the first iteration of your ideas. When the rough draft exists far enough in advance, you’ll
be amazed at how much time you have to make your words sound pretty.
#2- Break it down into smaller steps. You wouldn’t attempt to climb Mount Everest all in one day would
you? You shouldn’t try to write an entire paper at one time either. Break it down into smaller pieces you can
accomplish over a series of days and check them off day by day. The little steps forward will do wonders for
your stress levels.
#3- Set some external deadlines. Believe me, I know how easy it is to push back brainstorming and first
draft deadlines you’ve made for yourself to the next day because who really knows if you miss them? Make
a writing center appointment specifically for one of those things and then you’ll have to stay accountable.
And just remember, if it’s advice about the writing process you’d give to a writer, you should probably try
to follow it too!
Best of luck sticking to your anti-procrastination goals! (However, if you’re still not quite ready to start
working on that assignment, here’s a Ted Talk I adore on the topic of procrastination: https://www.ted.com/talks/tim_urban_inside_the_mind_of_a_master_procrastinator)
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