How Nerdwriter Tackled Procrastination | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

A filmmaker turned writer shares their experience of transitioning to writing a novel, facing challenges, and finding motivation to complete the project.

Key Insights

• 🔉 Transitioning from one creative medium to another requires practice and dedication.
• 👅 Frustration may arise when one's skill doesn't match their taste, but persistence is crucial.
• ❓ Deadlines can be effective motivators, especially for individuals who thrive under pressure.
• 🙈 The early stages of a long-term project can be emotionally challenging, but progress and improvements can be seen over time.
• 🥺 Writing consistently, even with occasional setbacks, can lead to the completion of a book.
• 📽️ Balancing multiple projects can be challenging, especially with distractions and procrastination tendencies.
• 🧑‍🏭 External factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can impact focus and productivity.

Transcript

yeah it was it was this somewhat strange time for me because I had um I come out of film School and at it in Boston and quickly gave up filmmaking like I said I wasn't a prodigy I wasn't someone who was going to be like amazing out the gate and so what I needed really needed was practice and yeah anybody who works in film knows that practice in fil... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What prompted the content creator to start writing a novel after giving up filmmaking?

The content creator wanted a way to practice every day without the high costs and time commitment of filmmaking, leading them to move to Portland and write a novel.

Q: How did the content creator deal with the frustration of realizing their writing skills didn't match their taste?

They attributed their frustrations to the gap between their skill and taste, acknowledging that Ira Glass's quote about closing this gap through volume of work played a role. They accepted that their early writing was not on par with their desired level and continued to practice.

Q: How did the content creator balance working on the book with their YouTube channel?

Initially, the content creator found it difficult to focus due to the craziness of the first few months of COVID-19. Additionally, being a procrastinator, they struggled with the year-long deadline, which made them perceive it as an infinite amount of time. However, as the deadline approached, they became more motivated to work on the book and dedicated their mornings to writing while managing distractions.

Q: Did the content creator complete the book by the initial deadline?

No, the content creator had to ask for an extension of a couple of months to finish the book, which was kindly granted by the publisher.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The content creator gave up filmmaking after realizing they needed more practice, leading them to move to Portland and start writing a novel.

• They struggled with the gap between their taste and skill, feeling frustrated with their early writing attempts.

• Despite facing emotional challenges, they committed to writing every day and found that three and a half good writing days per week were enough to complete their book.