One survey respondent described their biggest struggle as, "not procrastinating and spending my time actually writing."

I wanted to tackle this in today's Q&A, because I think procrastination is a different issue from writer's block. It's a very real struggle for many writers – and I have every sympathy, because I've certainly had my share of battles with procrastination over the years.

There are a few different behaviours that fall under the umbrella of procrastination, including some not-so-obvious ones like taking on so many roles and responsibilities that we just don't have time to write. 

Here, though, I'll focus on what most people mean when they say "procrastination" – intending to write but ending up doing a whole host of displacement activities. 

(For me, that normally begins with "I'll just quickly check Facebook." This inevitably leads to a rabbit-hole of interesting links, funny memes, and other people's drama.)

There's plenty you can do to reduce, if not completely avoid, procrastination. Try:

#1: Writing for 30 minutes without connecting your computer to the internet (alternatively, write by hand). I'm trying to get into the habit of unplugging my laptop's ethernet cable when I do my half-hour of fiction writing in the early evening.

#2: Telling someone else that you'll be writing (could be your spouse, or your Twitter following). Being accountable to another person makes it easier to resist the lure of distractions: you want to be able to report back that you did, in fact, write.

#3: Writing something you really want to write. If your writing bores you, no wonder you're procrastinating. If you don't yet know what you want to write, try doing some brainstorming or free writing, and see what ideas shake loose.

#4: Having a set start and end point for your writing. Most of my novel-writing currently happens between 5.15pm and 5.45pm – between the kids' teatime and when I need to run their bath. (My husband Paul takes care of them, we don't turn them loose!) When I know I only have 30 minutes, I want to use them well.

While a bit drastic, another option is to pay for your writing time. I pay for childcare three mornings a week so I can work – and I've never found such a good incentive to use my time well! If you don't need childcare, you could pay to go on a writing retreat, or pay for office space – or even just pay for a coffee and muffin (and a couple of hours of writing time) at your local cafe.

If procrastination is an issue for you, please don't beat yourself up about it. Lots of other writers struggle too.

Don't be fatalistic, either – yes, maybe you're currently in the habit of spending 30 minutes faffing around on Facebook instead of writing, but it's just a habit. You can change (even if it takes some time and effort).

Good luck!