Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Creating a Deadline

Successful people set goals. In my day job as a teacher, I encourage perseverance in everything, as well as having a target for your efforts. In writing, giving yourself a deadline can motivate you to sit your behind in front of the computer and get the work done.

The writers' group I used to belong had a clever contest a couple of times per year. I don't recall the exact name but it fifty words for fifty days in a row. Now most of us type out more words when we take the time to write. The theory behind the fifty words is once you make yourself type at least that many, you're more than likely to keep going until the number is hundreds or even thousands of words. Going fifty days in a row helps form the habit of writing every day. Doing it all together offers lots of encouragement and signing on makes public your acceptance of the challenge. The prize was always something simple like a magnet.
Art work by
Gayle Bower

I've noticed many blog hops and blog fests that encourage similar things. Setting a goal or creating a deadline for yourself works. If you're working with a publisher, someone else will be setting a deadline for you. I have both types of deadlines. I still have a week to meet my last self-imposed deadline. During the next week, I'll be self publishing Beneath the Mountain, Book #3 in The Futhark Chronicles. 

Do you have deadlines or goals you've set for yourself? Do you meet your deadlines or do you need an outside entity like an editor to set it for you?

10 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I'm good at procrastinating, but I almost always meet my goals.

Heather Musk said...

I'm getting better at meeting my goals and self-imposed deadlines. My problem at the moment is setting too many, too close together. I think I need to start small and then gradually build it up.

Cate Masters said...

I feel like I've been adrift lately, though normally I try to push myself to the limit.
Love your new book cover! Bet they look fantastic lined up together. Wishing you much success with the new release!

Talli Roland said...

I need goals and deadlines to get things done, otherwise I just waste time. Once I have a stake in the ground, I usually do well working towards it.

Tonja said...

I'm very goal-oriented and prefer to set my own goals. I love the idea of fifty words in fifty days.

shelly said...

This month I've been doing Camp NanoWri Mo to draft my next novel. It does keep my butt in the chair and I haven't had an issue with writer's block at all.

shelly said...

This month I've been doing Camp NanoWri Mo to draft my next novel. It does keep my butt in the chair and I haven't had an issue with writer's block at all.

LD Masterson said...

I like the 50-50 challenge idea. With your permission, I might borrow that one for my local writing group..

Unknown said...

I rarely set myself deadlines, and in the end I think that's my fatal flaw as a writer. I lack any kind of structure. I've a good few blog posts to write over the next week, so maybe I'll set a deadline to get them all written and scheduled :)

Golden Eagle said...

I tend to meet realistic deadlines/goals that I set for myself. I've proposed some in the past that, if I'd thought about them longer, I knew I wouldn't be able to complete.