#IWSG: Gimme that sweet, sweet deadline
Happy IWSG Day! For those who are new here, I participate in the monthly Insecure Writers Support Group blog hop. This month’s optional question is: Are there months or times of the year that you are more productive with your writing than other months, and why?
I’ve been mulling over this question for a few days, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m more productive with my writing when a) I’m not dealing with a major life event (like moving… sigh… we’ve been here a month, and the house is still full of boxes) and b) I have a deadline. Time of year, by itself, doesn’t seem to make much difference.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m at least somewhat self-motivated. I plant myself in front of the computer and write just about every morning, no matter what’s going on. I think I missed four or five days when we moved, mostly because my computer was packed up. I could have made myself write then, too, but I gave myself a break, because moving is exhausting. I am, however, much more productive when I have a deadline.
My two most productive writing periods ever were:
- Summer 2019. I entered my first novel in a contest, and one of the rules was that you had to be able to send the complete manuscript upon request. I, however, had not finished revising said manuscript, so I worked like a fiend all summer to make sure I had something ready to submit if they asked for it. Spoiler alert: they didn’t ask.
- November 2019. Y’all know what happens in November, right? NaNoWriMo! I decided at the last minute (early October) to draft a second novel for NaNo, so I outlined like crazy in October and wrote like crazy in November (then collapsed in December).
Having a deadline forces me to treat my writing more like a job and practice better writing habits. When I have a deadline, I:
- Schedule time in the day to write, usually 1-2 hours per day, and rearrange the rest of my life around that commitment. I might take a little time off work or get up earlier or make myself write during my lunch break. Whatever it takes.
- Avoid distractions that eat away at writing time. Sit down. Open Scrivener. Write. Do not pass go, do not open my email, do not search for pretty pictures related to the novel’s setting and post them on Pinterest. Just freakin’ write.
- Keep my butt in my chair. Yes, I’ve been writing for an hour, and my brain is ready for some distraction. Sorry, brain. We aren’t going to research cool new citrus trees for the yard. We are going to write.
- Set up the next day’s writing before quitting for the day. Plan the next scene. Read the next scene I’ll be revising. Decide on a goal for the next day. Take a few notes about what I want to write next. Then when I plant my butt in the chair the next morning, I can get right into being productive.
See? I know what I need to do to level up my productivity. I do it every time I’m on deadline. But as soon as there’s no deadline, I start slacking, and pretty soon I’m only writing 30 minutes a day and making all kinds of excuses for not getting the damn story done.
How about y’all? Do deadlines help you? Do self-imposed deadlines work as well for you as externally-imposed ones? How do you stay motivated when you don’t have a deadline?
12 Comments
Karen at Reprobate Typewriter
Deadlines definitely have kick my tush into gear. Having a sense of real life consequences helps, too. Hope the move goes well.
Janet Crum
Thanks! Move went OK. Now we’re trying to fix everything that hasn’t been maintained in our 80-year-old house.
patgarcia
Hi,
Yes, deadlines do make me stick to things but I try to work on things ahead of the deadline so that I am finished before the deadline hits.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a safe passage into 2021.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange
Janet Crum
Thanks! I also try to finish things ahead of deadlines when I can, because my life is sufficiently topsy-turvy that something may come up last-minute to keep me from getting things done.
Cathrina Constantine
Hello Janet, I am a snail of a writer so NaNo doesn’t work for me. I have been trying to set goals. I start out low at 100 words a day, and when inspiration strikes, I try 500 words a day. And when I jump headfirst into my writing, I can sometimes get almost 1k a day or a full page… But not always. LOL.
Janet Crum
I’m a fast writer but a slow, slow editor (and because I draft quickly, my drafts need *a lot* of revision). So I think it equalizes in the end. At least you’re making steady progress!
Sadira Stone (@SadiraStone)
Deadlines definitely help me. That said, a daily word count goal also helps. Hard to find an antidote for squirrel brain this year.
Janet Crum
Yes to daily word count goals. I’ve also started setting monthly page count goals for revising. I really need to get better and faster at it.
Audrey Martin
Deadlines are key for me. External deadlines definitely work better than internal ones (though I’m trying to be better about this). Having a 3 month old, however, makes consistent writing very difficult… haha
Janet Crum
I can’t imagine how I would have managed to write when my son was that young! Having a baby made doing anything consistently dang near impossible.
emmalouisegill
I agree with deadlines – they both help and stress me out! ? And the same with distractions. It’s so easy to go down a rabbit hole.
Your suggestion of planning for the next session of writing is something I am going to try. Thanks for your post! 🙂
Janet Crum
I am the queen of rabbit holes! I sit down to write, and the next thing I know, I’m searching for knitting patterns or garden designs or–my most recent favorite–edible cactus fruit. Good luck with your writing!