Patty's Ponderings: Cat Nap or Procrastination?

"Leave me alone! Can't you see I'm resting my brain? I'll write later...." yawned Patty-Boy as he closed his eyes and wheezed human-like snores.   

Poor Patty-Boy, always sleeping rather than out about town, looking for tasty shrews to eat or fluffy baby bunny "tales" to chase. As a writer, the temptation to take a cat nap, wash the dishes, waste time on Facebook or other social media forums, or clean the kitty litter box  are always present. How many times have you set-aside a block of time to write but end up procrastinating? 

Why do we procrastinate? According to an article: Procrastination: Ten Things to know written by Hara Estroff Marano in Psychology Today, Marano researches ten important things to consider when procrastination takes over.

1. A whopping 20% of people identify themselves as a procrastinator. That's quite a few "maladaptive" people out there, who continually lose out on opportunities for success. 

2. Our culture accepts procrastination and does not identify it as a problem. Instead of holding one another accountable for his or her lackadaisical ways, we politely accept the behavior. When was the last time someone called you on procrastinating and told you to wake up and get busy? Most likely you were ten and would not clean your room, right? As an adult, we need to hold one another accountable and define procrastination as a problem rather than accepting it.

3. Recognize that the procrastinator does not have a problem with time management, but rather the root of the problem is much deeper. Marano offers the analogy of telling a person, who is suffering from chronic depression to cheer up, juxtaposes the state of mind found in a procrastinator. 

4. Procrastinators are "not born" this way; instead the cause seems to lie in the familial relationships. In other words, procrastination is an acquired mental state due to the "family milieu." Marano suggests that procrastination could come as a form of rebellion towards a harsh authoritarian style, thus causing the procrastinator to turn to friends rather than from an elder. This, in turn, allows the behavior to continue, since friends are more accepting. 

5. Marano states that due to the effects of procrastination, such person will consume more alcohol than intended: "a manifestation of generalized problems in self regulation." In Patty's case, more catnip! 

6. Procrastinators are liars. This statement sounds pretty harsh. After all, the procrastinator will write tomorrow, right? At least this is reassuring self rather than admitting the truth: the procrastinator needs help with self assurance issues. Instead of "working better under pressure," the procrastinator squanders his or her resources.

7. Why is it important to respond to a Facebook post or send an email to your third cousin twice removed? It is not, but to a procrastinator, who "actively looks for distractions" to   help "regulate their emotions such as fear of failure," these types of excuses serve such a purpose.

8. There are three types of procrastinators, according to Dr. Ferrari (Associate Professor of Psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, IL) who fit one of three basic definitions: 
  
     * Arousal types, or thrill seekers, who wait to the last minute for the  euphoric rush.
     * Avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them: they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
     *Decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events. 

9. Procrastination is bad for your health. How many of you writers waited until the night before the designated deadline to turn an article in? This creates unnecessary stress, which can alter your overall well-being. 

10. This is the best one of all: Marano states that "Procrastinators can change their behavior [through] well-structured cognitive behavioral therapy." Whew! I guess Patty-Boy has a chance after all, eh? 


 So, the moral of a procrastinator's story is to realize that this is a real problem and then discover a means to help correct the problem. When Patty-Boy wakes up from "resting his brain," we'll delve deeper into ways to help the procrastinator. That is if he ever wakes up from his cat nap...or maybe he is procrastinating? One never fully understands the behaviors of a cat!

Mews With The Muses

A Note From Chris: 

I remember reading in one of my philosophy classes that cats do not have personalities (actually, this was a hot topic/debate especially among cat lovers). While I lean towards agreeing with this statement, since cats are not found in the same genus as homo sapiens, I do, however, feel that cats have behaviors that mimic people in many ways in a sort of 'Felis Catusality'. In the case of my cats (all 6 of them), each Felis Catus mimics a muse or a characterization all writers have studied and written about. So, I'll dedicate this post to briefly introducing the "muse" or the rough Felis Catusality of my characters through a cat's perspective, also known as 1st Person (or in this case, Cat) Point of View.

My human companions call me Patty-Boy. I'm the boss! I mark my territory every chance I get, fight with the other male cats if they dare to challenge me, and enjoy a good scratch around the ears or roll around in the dirt on a warm sunny day. 

Patty-Boy

Hisser is my name. Even though I was born before Patty-Boy, I prefer to blend in with the other cats. I know how to manipulate the human's affections by rubbing on their legs and sleeping on their laps. If you open a can of tuna, I'll be the first one there!

Hisser

I'm petite, dainty, and the only short haired one of the bunch. My human companions called me Tiggs. Often times I like to sit at the kitchen counter on a bar stool and eat my favorite treat, muskmelon, like the other humans. I have my special spots where I sleep and hide from the rest of the cat family, since I am the low "woman" of the pecking order. You would think I have a complex, but I'm a survivor.

Tiggs

I am the Queen! I answer to the name, Mama Kitty. Patty-Boy thinks he is the boss, well, even he bows to my sharp claws and loud hiss. I may be the shortest cat about town, but I know how to catch a full grown bunny or squirrel. I learned the hard way when I got lost and left my home for six months. Ah, but that's another story waiting to be told.

Mama Kitty

I heard around town that the Thompson's house would feed you and care for you, but I never imagined they would...well, you know...take away my man-hood?! But I survived and they call me Muddy-Buddy. I'm the clown of the bunch and love to play with silly things like string or even run up a tree just for the fun of it.

Muddy-Buddy

Huli is my name. The humans gave me a Chinese name, which means fox. I'm the baby. I don't remember my mamma, because after I was weaned, she left me in the hostas near the Thompson's door. Luckily, the youngest human took me in and kept me safe. One of these days I'm going to take over Patty-Boy's job! But for know, when I feel threatened, my shrill-fox-like noise helps keep me safe. 

Huli

Final Note From Chris: 

When I originally wrote each cat's description, I tried 3rd person point of view, but found that 1st person point of view illustrated a better depiction of the characters. So, when you are thinking about developing characters, think about which point of view works best for your story by writing a segment of your piece, using the different voices. Then, once you have experiemented choose which one conveys your story the best. More on "the voices" to come in a future post. Thanks for reading, and I hope you continue to view my blog, as I share a writer's journey through the perspective of one of my cats. 

Cat's Nine Lives: Basic Writing Tips

You all have heard the old wives tale that cats have nine lives, right? Well, in writing there are nine "lives" or basic rules that I follow when I write fiction. 

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1. Read! 

A good writer is also a good reader. If you want to learn more about the craft, you need to learn how other authors (especially the classic writers like Twain, Salinger, etc.) write. For example, you favor young adult drama as your chosen genre; therefore you look online at your local library and type in "young adult drama" as your search. Or you could search Amazon, Google, ask the librarian, etc., whatever means you find easier. Then, once you have found some books that reflect your chosen genre, read them!

2. Read! 

Okay, this sounds redundant, since I have already told you to read books in your chosen genre, right? Well, next you'll want to read about the craft itself. Find various writing self-help-books such as Regina Brooks, Writing Great Books for Young Adults, or perhaps you need encouragement like Anne Lamott's Bird By Bird: Some Instructions On Writing And Life. Whatever writing need you lack, find a good craft book to help you grow.

3. Read! 

Seriously? You're thinking I've totally lost it, right? But three times is truly a charm! Not only should you read stories of your chosen genre or craft books about writing skills, but you should also read poetry, screen plays, or anything else that you can get your "paws" on. The more you read and discover, the more likely you will develop your own style of writing. 

4. Write! 

Once you've read, read, read, and read (I could have added one more "Read!" to the list, but that would have been ridiculous, eh?) various books, now try your hand at the written word. Turn on your favorite tunes, grab a cup of coffee, and hit the keyboard with your claws and just write

5. Procrastinate! 

Huh? There! I said the dreaded "P" word. Many times when I write, I get to a point where I feel that my sentences are forced or flat, or my muse is nothing more than a resounding gong on the page. When this happens, I procrastinate, or rather walk away from my work and later, I come back and re-group my ideas.

6. Re-Write! 

After you've written everything your little fingers and brain can muster up (after the procrastination, of course), then you'll want to re-write each sentence until you feel you have squeezed every bit of life out of your muse/plot/storyline/etc. You may even recruit your best friend/writing partner/mother/whomever you feel will offer you unbiased criticism to read your manuscript.

7. Read Out Loud! 

The same professor who told me to just write also told me to read my sentences out loud. Many times it is the sound of our voice and the inflection of our tone that makes more sense of what is going on rather than the visual. 

8. Submit! 

Once you feel good about your piece, why not submit it to the local newspaper, literary magazine, where ever you choose. Often times we have placed our very soul in the "life" of a story that we are afraid to send it out into the cruel world of possible rejection. Yet, another professor told me that a writer needs to form a hard shell, because s/he may think his/her piece is the cat's meow, but let me tell you, editors will send you to the vet and make you pay the bill, to boot! So, form a shell and realize that your piece either needs more "lives" added, or it is waiting for that just right fit somewhere out there. 

9. Re-Wind! 

Many times, while I'm waiting to hear from my submissions, I find I am already thinking about another idea/project. So, I start the whole process over again, beginning with the research by reading different books and onto the next steps. You, as a writer, are a creative being and need to continue to place your ideas on paper. Do not mimic a Cat, which spends 90% of his/her time sleeping; but as a writer, you need to continue to grow and keep on writing! 


There you have it. My "nine lives" basic tips for writing fiction. Now, if you need to hack up a hairball and disagree, feel free to leave it in the comments below.  Or if you agree, I'll open a can of tuna for you later! Either way, I hope that you find your own style of writing before your nine lives are up.