Three Hidden Reasons Writers Procrastinate

You know the feeling. You sit down to write, open your laptop, and . . . somehow end up reorganizing your photo files, watching three YouTube videos, or scrolling through book marketing tips you won’t use. Again.

Afterward, that familiar guilt creeps in. Why can’t you just do the thing you say you want to do?

If you’re like most writers, you’ve asked yourself that question more than once. And yet, even knowing how much it costs you—missed opportunities, lost time, crushed momentum—you still do it. So what gives?

In my work with writers, I’ve discovered that procrastination isn’t about laziness or lack of discipline. It’s much more complex. As part of my research, I’ve found three key reasons writers procrastinate. Once you see them clearly, you’ll begin to understand why the urge is so hard to resist.

1. The Project Feels Too Hard

Let’s start with the most obvious: writing is difficult. It challenges your mind, your emotions, and often your confidence. And your brain isn’t always on board with that.

When you face a tough or unpleasant task—say, writing a novel chapter or editing your pitch deck—your brain lights up with internal conflict. The limbic system, the older, emotion-driven part of your brain, wants to avoid discomfort and seek pleasure right now. The prefrontal cortex, the newer, more logical part, urges you to stick with your goals.

Guess which one usually wins?

The limbic system is fast and automatic. It tells you to close that manuscript and go reward yourself with Netflix. Your prefrontal cortex, meanwhile, is slower. By the time it gears up to remind you of your deadline, you’re already halfway through episode two.

And there’s a deeper issue here: hard tasks feel threatening. When we view a task as difficult or boring, we’re far more likely to put it off. But the cruel irony is that the most meaningful projects in our lives—writing books, launching creative ventures, sharing personal stories—are often the hardest ones.

That means we tend to procrastinate most on the things that matter most.

2. The Project Feels Too Important

If difficulty triggers avoidance, importance adds a double layer of pressure. When something really matters—your dream novel, your first poetry collection, the story that’s been living in your bones for years—you want to get it right.

And that desire can be paralyzing.

Unlike folding laundry or checking email, your novel requires your full attention and, more so, your best creative self. And let’s be honest: how often does that version of you show up on demand?

The more you care, the higher the stakes. You imagine readers, reviewers, agents, and strangers on Goodreads and suddenly, it’s not just a story; it’s a test. One you might fail.

So what do you do? You wait. For a better mood, more confidence, or a sign from the universe. You push it off until some magical future moment when you feel worthy of doing your most important work.

But of course, that moment rarely, if ever, comes.

3. You Think Your Future Self Will Handle It

This brings us to the third—and perhaps most deceptive—reason writers procrastinate: the myth of your future self.

Procrastination is a master storyteller. It whispers that tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow, you’ll have more energy and focus, and you’ll be more inspired. Tomorrow, your future self will rise like a superhero and do all the hard things you’re avoiding today.

But your future self is not a superhero. That person is still you. They’ll have laundry to fold, emails to answer, crises to manage, and self-doubt to wrestle with. If anything, they’ll be less likely to manage your project because you’ve now procrastinated on it, making it even harder to complete.

Research backs this up. Individuals who procrastinate tend to see their future selves as separate people, almost like strangers. That disconnect allows you to offload today’s responsibilities onto someone else who seems different from you—someone imaginary.

But if you want to stop procrastinating, you have to realize that “tomorrow you” is still you with the same fears, distractions, and time constraints.

And unless you change how you show up today, that future version of you won’t get much done either.

So What Can You Do?

Just recognizing these three tendencies can help you loosen their grip. You begin to see your patterns. You catch yourself in the act. And that opens the door to change.

Here are three simple mindset shifts to help you begin:

• Make it feel easier. Your brain avoids hard things. Trick it. Start small, set a timer, or make the task more enjoyable by working with a writing buddy or committing to write for only five minutes.
• Shrink the stakes. Remind yourself that this one book is not that important. It won’t make or break your creative life. It’s a step, not a final exam. Let it be messy and human.
• Connect with your future self. Imagine where you want to be in a year and how your choices today will help you get there. Your future self isn’t a stranger. They’re depending on you.

If any of this hits home, take a breath.

What you’re experiencing is the natural tension of a creative mind, one that longs to make something meaningful but also wants to feel safe and in control. It’s not a personal failure. It’s a pattern, and you can reshape it with time.

The more clearly you see the forces at work, the more empowered you are to step around them and make a different choice.

Note: Colleen’s new book, Escape the Writer’s Web, is coming soon! You’ll learn how to identify your unique procrastination type and use it to your advantage instead of letting it keep you stuck. Sign up for her newsletter here to be notified of the release date.

Want to go deeper and get unstuck faster? Join the waitlist to get the inside track on Colleen’s live Escape the Writer’s Web Intensive. This powerful, one-time hands-on workshop helps you uncover your creative blocks, build a personalized anti-procrastination plan, and start writing again with purpose.

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