This has always been my biggest struggle.
There are times when I’m *so* inspired to write that I’ll sit at my laptop and type for hours with this amazing, giddy feeling in my heart.
And then the other 98% of the time, I sit here and stare at my computer thinking, “ugh.. Do I really have to write right now?”
I *know* that if I can just get over that hurdle of the first 20 minutes or so, I can get into the flow of things and start feeling inspired as I immerse myself in the lives of my characters. But those first 20 minutes are so hard for me. Especially now when my days are frequently visited by the lame-fairy. (The Lame-Fairy? The Fairy of Lameness? Lady Lameness?) 
Anyways. I’ve always been a bit of a procrastinator, but it was never that big a deal because I’ve always had deadlines and, procrastinator or not, I’m responsible and I get my work done. But now? There’s no teacher telling me that this book is due in X-number of weeks. There’s no boss telling me that I have to have X-number of pages completed by the end of the day.
And so, I slack.
A lot.
I feel like I need someone to “crack the whip” so-to-speak to force me to get my butt in gear. Any of you own a whip? (Please don’t answer that. Especially if you’re my mom or dad…) Ha 
Oh, I own a whip *cracks whip and laughs evilly*
Haha why don’t you make deadlines for yourself? That’s what I’m going to do for all the data I need to analyze.
You could maybe set a goal to complete a chapter in a week (or write X number of chapters by Y date…or write 10 pages a day and have however many chapters due at a certain date). And then just get a planner and write all these deadlines in and you’ll be good to go!
That’s what I’m going to do w/ my publication. I just need to make a deadline to *make* my deadlines haha
I’ve actually tried making deadlines for myself and it works *great* for a week or so.. and then I totally fail
But.. I’ve never tried writing it all out in a planner.. Maybe that would help me stick to it? Dunno. Worth a try, though!
So thanks
Did I hear you say you were in need of a whip cracker?Well I am laidoff ,you know,so if you need motivating, I happen to be free at the moment!You know how wise and all knowing your poppa is ,right?I guarantee a good morning workout like a brisk 2-3 mile walk or some aerobic stuff of somekind will not only energize you but also it clears the cobwebs out and a lot of good ideas happen with the blood surging thru those brain cells……:)now where did I put my whip:)