Earlier in the week, I finished writing the third book in my next Young Adult (YA) series, The Fairest Maidens. Usually, I write pretty steadily, giving myself a set amount to write each day. I establish that amount before I start the series, gauging what I think is reasonable with all my other responsibilities. And then I try to stick to the daily goal so I can finish the book by my personal deadline (which is usually different than my publisher’s deadline).
With this series, I went through the same process. I planned how many weeks I needed to write each book, established deadlines, gave myself a daily word count goal, and then set off on the journey of writing a fun set of new characters and plot lines.
However, as often happens, our best laid plans don’t always work out the way we hope. My writing of the series took me into the thick of the holidays which are always a little crazy. Then after the holidays, we experienced a family crisis that took a lot of time and energy. Along with that, I had to complete edits on two different books.
All that to say, my personal writing deadline for the series came and went. And I wasn’t finished. In fact, I was seriously struggling to have the time and energy to write every day.
But here’s the thing, maybe I didn’t finish exactly when I wanted to. But I finished. And that’s what deadlines do for us. They give us a reason to keep going, the motivation to finish. Without having set out goals ahead of time, determining my schedule, and actually writing it out so that it was in front of me, it would have been all too easy to let the chaos of life crowd out my writing.
Over the years I’ve realized I’ll never have completely perfect conditions for writing. There will always be other responsibilities that demand my attention (that’s just what happens when you have five kids and homeschool!). I can honestly say if I’d waited for perfect conditions to write, I never would have completed a single book. I’ve never had a quiet, child-free house or uninterrupted hours in which to work. I’ve had to learn to grab whatever time I can and make the most of it.
All that to say, one of the most important things I’ve done throughout my writing career to keep myself on task, especially with this newest YA series, is making deadlines. Yes, I already admitted I didn’t meet my deadline. But because I had that end-date stuck in my head, I made a point of finishing as close to it as possible. When I was on the homestretch, I had a writing marathon (when my husband and kids were out of the house!), and I wrote close to 10,000 words (a personal record for one day).
Was the 10,000 good writing? Or was it drivel?
Actually, I found that during the last few hours of writing, I was so involved and invested in the story, it flowed better than ever. Yes, it (and the whole series!) will still need extensive editing, but the story itself is complete. And let me tell you, it’s a very good feeling to arrive at the end. Especially when it was so difficult to reach.
Deadlines. We can dread them. Or we can delight in them and let them spur us to persevere in the task set before us.
How about YOU? How do you feel about deadlines? Are they dreadful or delightful?
Jody Hedlund
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I am not a good deadline person. Things hanging over my head drive me nuts! You are amazing with all you accomplish and your writing creations are always enjoyable so your system is working!
Sometimes deadlines are the only way I get anything accomplished! Since I’m now retired, deadlines can come and go without a lot of dedication to them, but they are always helpful in doing what needs to be done.
So proud of you for plugging on, Jody! That is the hardest part of writing-finding the motivation to keep on when we are emotionally drained and physically exhausted. You have long been an inspiration to me with all you accomplish. 10,000 words in a day simply blows my mind. My record for a single day is closer to 1500. Ha!
Being a task-oriented person myself, deadlines are a great motivator for me. They keep me on track and help me kick laziness to the curb when the temptation to procrastinate lures me off-track.
Congratulations on finishing your draft, Jody!! “Over the years I’ve realized I’ll never have completely perfect conditions for writing. There will always be other responsibilities that demand my attention” <—- I TOTALLY relate to this. So true!
I’m a list-maker and deadline follower, too. They make me more productive. It helps me to think of it as a goal to reach, rather than a deadline (which somehow sounds negative to me.)
I’m not great with deadlines either. I find it helpful to do things in chunks so it’s manageable.
Please keep us posted on your new “Fairest Maidens” YA series! 🙂
Deadlines definitely motivate me. I once wrote almost 8k words in a day, but 10k is amazing! Without deadlines or personal goals, I find I procrastinate way more than I should. Other small tasks grow into huge time wasters when I don’t have that goal hanging over my head. Thanks for sharing your system and congratulations on the finished draft. Can’t wait to read the published version.
I am a deadline queen. I love deadlines. They motivate me!
Deadlines ? Absolutely essential, especially for chronic procrastinators like me. Stocks of midnight oil essential too, especially when students submit assignments at the very last minute !! Constantly deleting what I’d written, I left a work deadline till the very last minute, then wrote at speed – and the result was successful.