This post is part of the Insecure Writers Support Group set up by Alex Cavanaugh and is again a day late, so apologies Alex. Yesterday I was having an emotional breakdown, but us writers do tend to have those days don’t we?
Anyway, this month I have realised that I need to get off my arse, or should I say on my arse? Because I need to have more bum in seat time and get some serious writing done. I find the more time I have, the better I am at procrastinating. But give me a deadline and I work like a mad woman to hit it and a deadline is indeed looming and I’ve realised I need to be that crazy lady to hit it.
At the end of last year I told agent Kate that I would have book two written by October this year. I know – why?! So I’m tapping away adding words to book two and it’s progressing, but I’ve realised not fast enough. Not to hit that self-imposed deadline, which I’m sure agent Kate wouldn’t even mind if I went over, as it was a self-given date. But a date is a date and I want to do it.
So now it’s time to get serious and here’s how I’m going to do it;
- I’m going to get the first draft written by the time I go to Theakstons Crime writing festival at Harrogate which is 17th July.
- This means that before I do anything else at my laptop, I shall open up my manuscript and add some words to it. I will prioritise. I will put my manuscript and writing before social networking. I will. This means that some things may slip due to the fact that with my health issues fatigue may stop me keeping up with everything as I focus on the writing.
- I will focus on one goal at a time and this first goal is the first draft.
- Getting the first draft down is getting the skeleton of the story down. I will not get bogged down and lost in research until I have that draft and know exactly what it is I need.
I do have an ulterior motive for wanting to stick to this deadline as well. I have another story itching the inside of my brain just waiting to be looked at to see if it can work.
Do you work better to deadlines or with a long running period of time to work at your leisure. Are you good at time management?
I am useless at deadlines and time management. I never set self-imposed deadlines because I would inevitably (and openly) fail. But good luck. You have a plan, and I like the idea of opening your manuscript before you open the internet. I should try that!
I’m better with deadlines that being given lots of time for something as I’ve shown for the past 5 months. Now I’ll put my head down and work. It’s always a good idea to work before playing with the internet, but always easier said than done 🙂
No worries you’re a day late!
You can do it. Set your daily word count and revision goal and go for it.
And yes, I do better with deadlines. I write faster during say NaNo than just writing on my own. (As the time I just took to complete my current manuscript will testify to!)
Thanks Alex!
There’s just something about deadlines that put me back in the game that giving me unlimited time doesn’t do. Like you say, it’s why NaNo works so well for so many people. And congrats again on that completion!
Every day is a fight between writing and all the other things I want/need/have to do. I don’t know why this should be – I love writing and have chosen to do it, after all. That’s one of the downsides of self-publishing: my only deadlines are the ones I create, and I have no one breathing down my neck to ensure I meet them. Having readers who say they’re looking forward to Book 2 does help, though.
You sound very determined, Rebecca, so I’m sure you’ll achieve what you’ve set out to do. I’ll be checking at Harrogate that your first draft is done!
That’s the funny thing isn’t it Janet – with writers it’s something we have chosen to do and often say we are desperate to do, yet we are fabulous procrastinators! We make art out of procrastinating!
I think having actual readers is a real driver for you. They’ve read and loved book one so want to read book two and you need that momentum – see what I’m doing there 🙂
And yes, do check with me at Harrogate! :-/
Rebecca – I know a lot of people who are at their best in terms of being productive when they are facing deadlines. Many of my students are like that with their course work. And I’ll bet that suspense of fighting the deadline adds to the urgency in your writing, too. Setting manageable daily goals seems to help me get through big projects. Then the whole task doesn’t seem so overwhelming.
It’s funny how we all work differently. I know some people just can’t cope with the pressure of deadlines, but I agree about breaking it down as well. daily targets is a good idea. So word counts for the daily target as well as my larger target of the first draft date. I also need to give myself an allowance target in there for not meeting it daily, so maybe a larger amount than may be strictly needed, so it gives me some wiggle room.
I need deadlines….how many times did I write my uni essays the night before/the early hours of the morning they were due? I do however do the research and have a “mental” plan of what I am going to write before I sit down to type it. Now creative writing…I procrastinate…I have something I have been working on for a while – a short story- seems until I get this out of my head I cant see past it to other things. Good luck with your draft.
Thanks Carol. Deadlines are funny things. We are either lovers or haters of them. Though I’m sure we are all familiar with procrastination 🙂 I watch TV drama’s, telling myself it’s research 🙂
But it is research isnt it??
I so need a deadline! Am wrestling with ending of book 2. Good luck with it, Rebecca x
Thanks Fiona. You know what to do then. Give yourself a deadline and tell someone about it, or tell the world about it on your blog. Someone you know is important enough to make you want to stick to it… good luck with your ending x
🙂
There is something about deadlines. They’re a promise we make to ourselves–and if we can’t keep that sort of promise, who are we? I long ago made a deal with myself that I’d keep those deadlines even if they were somewhat meaningless because I’d committed. It’s a habit now that flows into all parts of my life.
I too tend to procrastinate when I’ve got lots of time before me. I really work well with deadlines. I like your self-imposed deadline for your first draft. Especially that you posted it. Keep us up-to-date on your progress. I’ll be waiting. 🙂
I used to be really good at planning ahead, being systematic, but now I find myself needing deadlines more and more. So I can see how committing to that 2nd book – in public too – can help. Look forward to hearing how you get on.
Oh, the evil FD. I love your post. It describes my misery. FD has been a mess this time; I’ve dragged my feet, whined, and procrastinated. But, it will be done. Or else. Your description of FD as the skeleton is perfect, but it is so tempting to research and suddenly distraction takes over. You’ve inspired me!
Last night I broke my own rule thinking I’d look something up on the Internet so I could include the info in the scene. It was only a small something and would take two minutes max and I could move straight on. Twenty minutes later! I’ve now learnt. Absolutely NO researching during first drafting.
Something I’ve found is that, even if I’ve set aside the time to write, I then procrastinate and (judging from other comments, I’m not alone in this) allow myself to get distracted by the Internet. To help get round this I jot down the time at 5 or 10 minute intervals on a notepad next to me. So, if I’m starting at 8:30, I’ll write out a column that looks like this:
8:35
8:40
8:45
and so on for maybe an hour.
At 8:35, I’ll then write down how many words I’ve written, and repeat the process at the relevant intervals. Gradually the numbers begin to rise (nearly every time), and by 9:00 I’ve usually forgotten to keep a note because I’ve become so immersed in the writing.
I know it’s just psychological, but I’ve found it a great way to build up momentum.
This really is a way of taking tiny steps and moving forward quickly.
Good luck with your deadline
I think tiny steps are great. You don’t realise how they add up!
Only time I get anything done is with a deadline. 🙂
Anna from Shout with Emaginette
I understand that!
Good Luck, Rebecca – it must be tough working against the fatigue. Just get the next sentence down and then the next and don’t worry too much about quality, you can always go back and fix things when you re-read. Hope to meet you at Harrogate! 😉
It is hard but I’m determined. And I can do it in small increments. And you’re going to Harrogate?!