Setting self deadlines

By Heather Shumaker
birthdays as deadlines

Birthdays make great writing deadlines

When I first started starlighting, I set a deadline.  "I'll finish my first draft of this novel by May 17."  That self-imposed deadline did two things: it gave me a goal and made the starlighting seem manageable.  I wouldn't have to get up early forever, just until May.

May 17 was a great deadline.  I missed that goal - a first draft took me longer than I thought - but by May I had finished most of the novel and I set a new deadline.  I'd finish the draft by my birthday.  This time I did.

When pursuing our own dreams, we have to take charge of setting our own deadlines.  It's OK to miss, but we need something to shoot for.  I set a goal of setting up this starlighting blog by the April 2012 UW-Madison Writers' Institute conference.  Whew, I just made it. I posted my first entry from the conference hotel room.  Without a deadline it might have been another year or more.

Why May 17?  That's my anniversary.  It was 6 months away and gave me a meaningful deadline date.  Here's ideas for generating your own deadlines:

  • Pick a meaningful day - birthdays, holidays
  • Tie a writing deadline to a trip or other treat (I will go to Colorado when I finish X).
  • Take a writing class and use the class assignments as deadlines.
  • Join a critique group.  Group expectations do wonders to motivate on a deadline.
  • Enter a contest.  There are so many writing contests and contests give great outside deadlines.
  • Try a writing marathon like NaNoWriMo.  Now there's a deadline!

What deadlines work for you?  What deadline are you going to set for yourself this year?  Do your writing a favor and set a date today.  If you share it here, I'll email you on your "deadline" to check in. Now there's group accountability!

8 responses to “Setting self deadlines”

  1. Heather - I resonate with "Tie a writing deadline to a trip or other treat." I'm all about rewards!

  2. Heather,

    I set an April 12, 2012 goal of having my revised mss finished and ready to pitch to agents. I made it just in time. I found it extremely useful in forcing me to get done what needed doing, even if that meant spending twice as much time writing as I normally do.

    But deadlines needn't be "do or die", either. Set them as a goal to shoot for, but don't despair if the deadline needs to be revised. S**t happens sometimes, and all sorts of things can cause a deadline to be missed. It was good that you set a new one rather than give up after not making your original deadline.

    I like the reward idea, too. And one goal I'm working on is to have a new story plotted and planned for NaNoWriMo this year.

    Good luck writing,
    Chris

    • Heather Shumaker says:

      Chris, Well done meeting your immediate goal. Work does expand into the time allowed...You're absolutely right: self-deadlines give us something to shoot for. Even if we miss, we're closer to our real goal. Sounds like a lot of people are aiming for NaNoWriMo this year. Meanwhile, fingers crossed for your manuscript!

  3. Kristin says:

    Heather:

    I enjoyed meeting you at the Writer's Institute in Madison and hearing your success story. Congratulations on a wonderful start to your blog!

    I love the idea of starlighting. When I was writing my first novel, I would get up at 6:00 a.m. and write until 7:30 a.m. I wouldn't allow myself to check my email which kept me focused. Writing first thing in the morning was like a cup of coffee for me--I felt invigorated and would find myself writing in my head throughout the day. And I met my deadline of finishing my first draft before I turned fifty! Book two has been on the back burner while I try to find an agent for book one, but I attended the In Print Writers' Retreat yesterday and feel inspired again. I was back to starlighting today and plan on starlighting every morning until book two is done. My deadline is October 31st so that I can work on book three during NaNoWriMo.

    All the best, Kristin

    • Heather Shumaker says:

      Wonderful, Kristin! You've got the true focus of a starlighter! Congrats on meeting your "finish before 50" goal, and best of luck with Book II by Halloween. Let us know how it goes. I know what you mean about feeling invigorated by early morning writing. For all those reluctant to set the early morning alarm, it really does set the whole mood for the day with a fresh, creative start. Thanks for sharing, Kristin.

  4. Angie Lathrop says:

    I'm always setting (often arbitrary) mini-deadlines for myself, especially for things I don't actually want to do. If I tell myself "you MUST have all these bills paid by 2 pm", I'll work like a maniac to get them done and off my to-do list. (When I do things like that with my employees, sometimes they'll look nervous and ask "Why? What horrible thing will happen if we don't get it done by 2 pm?" and all I can say is "let's not find out, okay?" )
    And as far as writing deadlines, I very nearly killed myself writing and re-writing my entry for the First Page Contest at the Writer's Institute this spring. To the point where I was so disgusted at the awfulness of my prose that I had to force myself to mail it in (literally just before the post office closed on the deadline date.) And then it won second place in the YA category...go figure.

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