Reverse Psychology and the Stubborn Writer

I have such a twisted psyche.

As soon as anything writerly marches itself from the 'fun stuff' column into 'stuff I HAVE to do' territory, I become the original stubborn mule, a dig-your-heels-in one hundred per cent thirsty-horse-refusing-to-drink-at-water hardarse.

Have you ever had a conversation like this?

Person A:- You need to get that stuff done
Person B:- Yeah, I know.
Person A:- The sooner you get it done, the quicker you can get back to fun writing
Person B:- True. But that still means I have to do the crap stuff first
Person A:- Be professional! You're a committed writer!
Person B:- I'll be professional tomorrow. I DID work a 40 hour week, you know.
Person A:- Do an hour at the crap stuff, then go and watch a DVD or something.
Person B:- OR, I could go and watch the DVD and forget about the crap stuff
Person A:- You'll hate yourself if you don't do it
Person B:- I'll hate myself if I don't bleach the toilet, too
Person A:- You suck
Person B:- Bite me

So, you HAVE had a conversation like that?

Ever had it with yourself?

I do. All the time. Every day. Continuously.

I'm doing it right now. I'm thinking, "I could be writing instead of blogging. But if I don't post regularly, I might as well not blog. But if I don't finish reworking that scene this weekend, I'm going to wake up tomorrow and groan in anguish. But blogging is writing, kind of - it's a writing exercise. Sex is exercise - but staying in every night and bonking ain't gonna get you a gold medal at the hundred metres."

Etc etc. Ad nauseum.

In the past I've been reduced to sticking up post-its and notices saying, "The sooner you finish, the sooner you can get back to [fun WIP]." Generally I raise two fingers at them. I could always work on something else, but even the thought of doing that grinds the cogs in my head so loud I wince as sparks and sheared off cog-teeth fly out my ears. I have an editor request for this MS. What is WRONG with me?

Is there a solution? Well, writing the Damn Book might be a start. Accepting the process instead of agonising about it might help - I tend to have a couple of months of white-hot writing, then a month or two of very little.

But, no, I haven't really found a solution. Yet.

I'll keep you posted.