Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Writer Wednesday: Deadlines Vs. at Your Own Pace

I'm one for deadlines. Sure, I'll pull my hair out and wonder how I'll ever meet all my deadlines, but then my mom (who keeps me sane) tells me that I'll get it done because I always do. 

For me, the real problem is not having a deadline. If I don't know when I need to have a book drafted or revised by, I'm not as productive. And it's not by choice either. I find I'm just not as focused or as creative. I believe I've taught myself to be creative on command. It's a real thing. When I know I have to accomplish something, I'll do it. End of story. Tell me you'd like me to do something when I have time, and I'm lost. I need a deadline. This often means I create my own deadlines. And while I know I'm the one setting the deadline, I can still fool myself into believing it must be done. ;)

Are you like this? Do you need deadlines to motivate and push you toward your goals?

36 comments:

  1. Deadlines while at school and now at work do help me get an idea at what pace I need to work and are general I'm ahead of schedule. But with my writing, I keep making deadlines and life and writer's block keeps getting in the way. If I had it my way, Name of Ra would have been done last fall and probably published by now. Unfortunately, the universe didn't feel that was what should occur. So this year, I'm trying my old method of there are no deadlines in writing. I get it done when I get it done. That was my philosophy with Daughter of Isis and Son of Set, and I got those done more quickly. I think the stress of deadlines, though good for the logical part of life, suffocates my creativity.

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    1. It's funny how some people need deadlines to be creative, while others find deadlines stifle creativity. We're all different, I guess. :)

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  2. I put deadlines on myself so I can still write at my own pace. ;)

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    1. Knowing what you can handle can help you create realistic deadlines.

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  3. In terms of academia, I've never had a problem with keeping to deadlines. In terms of creative work, I haven't held myself to deadlines.

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  4. Coming from magazines, I'm used to deadlines, so I impose them upon myself to keep projects on track. Besides, I like the rush.

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  5. Oh yeah, me too! I need plans, goals and deadlines to keep myself focused. Maybe I don't get everything done that I've planned, but if I don't have any plans at all, I get nothing done.

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  6. I don't set my own deadlines, but I am awfully hard on myself if I don't accomplish something in my writing every single day. I'm already pretty driven.

    Some people might say I'm unfocused right this very second because my manuscript is open on my desktop, but I'm over here commenting on your blog. However, I changed a line of dialogue (a necessary change) and now it doesn't segue into the next topic like it used to. My subconscious is working on a solution to that while I type this.

    It better be, that is!!!!!

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    1. Lol I'm sure it is. In fact I bet you've fixed it already. :)

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  7. They do help me. Right now I'm on deadline to finish revisions by the end of Feb so I can get it to critique partners. And it's gonna happen! =)

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  8. I don't usually work with deadlines. I have big deadlines like when I need the book to be done so I can publish it. I don't have one at the beginning stages.

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    1. I set deadlines for drafting and get crazy about them. Lol

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  9. Agreed. I thrive on a deadline. The manuscript I just finished took me 8 months from start to finish--for me that is waaaaaayyyy too long. But I know it's because I had no deadline.

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    1. Yeah, it's easy to push something aside if you don't have a deadline.

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  10. absolutely 10000 % this is me...I give myself deadlines, otherwise nothing gets done! I'm currently a lot more productive since setting one for myself. And my mom's the same, she always knows I'll get it done, even when I'm flipping out!

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  11. I definitely do better with deadlines. The pressure causes me to get the work done! :)
    ~Jess

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  12. I sometimes just have to set a deadline for myself or it just won't happen. I don't always make it by then, but I always get more done than I would have otherwise.

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    1. Yeah, I've missed a few self-imposed deadlines due to life intervening but I still get more accomplished when I have one.

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  13. I set general ones at first and then make them more specific as I go. "I'd like to do this in six months." When I'm closer, it's, "Two weeks yet." When I'm closer yet, it's, "Thursday." I usually finish close to the estimate but I don't beat myself up if I'm not exact. I prefer to set generous deadlines and beat them.

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    1. It's a great confidence booster when you beat them.

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  14. I set deadlines but try not to be too hard on myself if I don't manage to hit it. Sometimes a story needs more time to stew than I'd predicted.

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    1. Yes that can definitely happen. And it's better to create a new deadline then try to stick to the old one in that situation.

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  15. I give myself deadlines. I don't want to write the way I used to, with no idea of when I'll finish a project and spending too much time to do "research."

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  16. Deadlines are helpful. I was gratified when I discovered I work well even with self-imposed deadlines.

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    1. It's great when deadlines motivate, isn't it? :)

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  17. Yep I set deadlines. For me, fear is a great motivator.

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