Hate to boast, but I'm usually pretty good at getting sat in that chair and working on something. My main tactic is to be working on several things at once, so I can shift to a new project every two or three days, before I get bored or stuck with one project. Might not work for everyone, but works for me...

"Something else came up." There are only so many hours in a day, and when you spend a significant chunk of waking hours at a day job, sometimes the best laid writing plans fly out the window in favor of house work, "quick" errands, unexpected honey-do's, etc. For me, that's the best excuse. It's still just an excuse, though.

That answer has changed for me a lot over the last few years. It used to be fear - fear of being mediocre, fear of failure. In the last month, it's been busy-ness. Wow, so much stuff to do. The thing is, I know I need to make the time to write, regardless - that choice is on me.

The excuse that always comes up for me is: I'm not ready to write something amazing. I'm still thinking about it. I make a lot of work for myself by insisting that every sentence be perfect from the get-go --- probably because I suck at editing, and hope to avoid that process by going at a snail's pace wording everything perfectly. Will it work? Probably not. Editing is unavoidable.

There are countless excuses, but the best one comes from the craft itself. "If I just watch one more film, study one more script, read one more screenwriting blog, I'll pick up a valuable tidbit for my own writing." It's procrastination cloaked in rationalized excuse. And boy is it powerful.

"I need to do my research before I start writing." ... This is where I'm stuck. This is where I've always been stuck. But, how can I write without doing my research on the location, history, the people, politics, geography, etc. But, research seems so daunting... I don't know where to begin... HELLLLP!!!

So the research excuse seems to be a powerful one for more than one of us. As Jeff K notes, it's a powerful one because it seems like we're actually doing something. In fact, we can even say it like it's a good thing. "Yeah, I'm researching my next story. But nine months later, and you're STILL researching? That's not research. That's avoiding writing. Here's my suggestion: Set a deadline. Give yourself 2 months max for research. Put it in your calendar. Hit the date, boom, you are now into the prep process. No ifs, ands or buts. You can not sell a script unless you write it. Tell THAT to the little voice in your head that keeps saying, "More research!"

My main excuse is living on a boat, which is great fun, but not a great working environment. (ie today's distraction was a leak, so i need to get the water out+fix the wiring lest I electrocute myself) ps:- Good post. I think i'll set a deadline for end of this month for my next draft to be done.

I'm on GITS doing research. @7LDR That's a valid(ish) excuse. Anything that involves imminent death is possibly a bigger threat to your script than procrastination. Unless you employ a ghost writer. Research is sophisticated, glammed-up procrastination, suits us writery types.

Reading this blog. Too many posts here.

Maaaaaan... That sounds surprisingly doable. Hmmmm...

Kasiemba, has setting yourself a deadline taken some of the intimidation out of the research? How is it going?