Ask Mads anything—answering your questions and giving advice with all the wisdom of a broke English major.

The Art of Procrastination, Overcoming Writer’s Block, and The 80’s

Q: Dear Mads- How do you handle procrastination? –Kassidy M.

A: Not very well. Truthfully, I feel as if I struggle with procrastination more than most. But, there are a few things I have found to be helpful (and probably the reason I haven’t flunked out yet). I set reminders on my phone—and not just a little note, but one of those things that beeps at you every day until you check it off. It usually helps to write some kind of aggressive message like, “DO IT OR YOU WILL FAIL AND LIVE IN A CARDBOARD BOX.” There’s also the minor and beautiful detail of Cecil being a two-year college. This is a stepping stone, we’re going to have to apply to other schools eventually. Sometimes it all seems so small: this school, this county, this part of our lives. And that’s how I get stuck—thinking I’m not reaching my full potential so why waste time and money? That’s the scary rabbit hole of procrastination, but what helps is reminding yourself it’s not true. All the so-called “small” is what helps to prepare us for what’s to come. Cecil is giving us an opportunity at an affordable education in an intimate environment with professors that genuinely care… there’s nothing small about that.

Q: Dear Mads- I’ve been feeling down lately. What’s your go-to happy movie? – Julia M.

A: “The Goonies”… or maybe “Footloose”… or “Heathers”. Really anything made in the 80’s is an instant cure for sadness. If you’re looking for a quick fix you don’t even have to watch a whole movie—just watch the Twist & Shout parade scene from “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” It doesn’t even have to be a good movie from the 80’s to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. I can’t stand a single character Molly Ringwald has ever played, but I love watching “Pretty in Pink” to see her outrageous outfits and start planning my own unflattering, yet interesting outfits… it’s just something about those socks with heels and random musical numbers that make life worth living.

Q: Dear Mads- Do you have any advice for writer’s block? -Andrew V. 

A: Oh yes—let it flow and let it stink. I’m sure every English teacher on the face of the planet is about to have a collective heart attack, but I don’t believe in outlines. When you sit down to write, you should just write exactly what you think without editing or trying to make it fit into a certain place. Just let it come out on the page as it is in your head. That’s the flow part, but the most important part is letting it stink which is why you can never write your best material the night before (and I say that as an avid procrastinator, so you can trust me). You have to write and edit, and the then walk away from it for a bit. Don’t look at it or move things around for a day or two and then read it with fresh eyes. It always surprises me how I can feel that I’ve exhausted every angle until I just take a break and suddenly I have another whole page.

Send Mads your questions at askmads101@gmail.com

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