Monday, August 29, 2011

At My Best

Summer's over and I'm back at school and dealing with a new crop of freshmen and returning upper classmen.  The kids are fun but I'd rather retire.  The odd thing about being back at the day job is the amount of writing work I get done. 

Perhaps because I have fewer hours I work with more intensity during those precious minutes.  Today at lunch I ate my ranch chicken wrap while polishing my one-liner and blurb for my latest fantasy romance, A Tiger's Courage.  I was thrilled last week to receive a contract offer from New Concepts Publishing for this book but of course I received it just in time to be back at work.  But today at work I managed to get it done and send it out tonight.  I even stopped by the post office on my way home to put the contract in the mail.

I've always liked working under pressure with time constraints.  In the summer when I should have hours and hours to write, I seem to get less done than when I'm teaching school for eight hours per day.  Why?  I do get distracted when I'm working at home by laundry, cooking, yard work but I still have more hours than during the school year.  I can't figure it out but there it is.  So for the next ten months, I'm expecting some of my best work.

Are you a pressure worker? Do you find time constraints inspire you to work more efficiently?

12 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I guess I do now! Glad you got the short blurb ready.

M.J. Fifield said...

I definitely think time constraints help me to work more efficiently. I seem to do my best work in the fall when I'm busiest at my day job.

Congratulations on your contract offer!

Laura M. Campbell said...

Time constraints are a big inspiration for me. I worked better, when I taught, under pressure. A flame under my butt is the best incentive!

LD Masterson said...

I've always said, if it wasn't for deadlines I'd get nothing done.

jan said...

I agree--I work better with a deadline. Before I retired, though, exhaustion was a limiting factor.

Jamie Gibbs said...

I prefer having no time constraints, but like you I find that my productivity is so much better when there's a deadline in sight. That being said, I still find ways to procrastinate!

Bish Denham said...

I do much better when I have a deadline imposed from without. No so well when I try impose one on myself.

Mary@GigglesandGuns said...

My own schedules never work. Let authority make a deadline and I'm on it. Silly little worker bee.




M Beth

Golden Eagle said...

I like having freedom to do things, but time constraints often force me to get things done, which (in many cases) is a good thing!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Sounds like we're all on the same wavelength for working under pressure.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Hi Jamie, for some reason blogger still won't let me comment on your blog. I can't figure it out. It keeps asking me to sign into my google account again and again. I am visiting you.

Cate Masters said...

Congrats on the new contract!
I tend to put more pressure on myself than anyone else could possibly do, so no - my biggest problem is still time. Though I do find I need a break to refresh my brain now and then!