The Self-Imposed Deadline!

Red-Green · Apr 25, 2008

The last few months, I've been longing to go to this week-long writing workshop, but I hadn't registered yet. It's a workshop specifically to learn techniques to re-vision a first draft and my first draft of the WIP wasn't finished. In fact, it's only about 60% finished. I kept telling myself, when I finish it, I get to register for the workshop. Then it got to be April, now nearly May. So I changed tactics.

I just called and registered for the workshop. Committed to spend the money, drive to the conference, reserved a hotel room. Done. Now, I've got May and June to write the other 40% of the WIP, which thus far has been produced in blood-letting sessions that have produced only 100 words at a time. (Have never had a book go this slowly.)

Right now I'm terrified but exhilarated. Now I have a deadline. BIC time, seriously, no excuses.

So, anyone else a big fan of self-imposed deadlines? Writing something for a conference or contest or workshop that's already looming?

Daimeera · Apr 25, 2008

YES. I need self-imposed deadlines to get anything done.

I think that's why NaNoWriMo worked for me. And that's how I'm finally getting my correspondence courses for school done. No deadline translates into me fooling around and getting absolutely nothing done.

I also find I have to set obnoxiously unrealistic goals. I need a challenge or else I get too bored. Do I fail to meet my deadlines sometimes? Sure. But being a bit behind is also a good motivator for me and instead of making me frustrated/making me feel like I've failed, it forces me to get my butt into gear.

SPMiller · Apr 25, 2008

While I haven't begun querying yet, I do regularly impose deadlines on myself.

I often sit down at the computer and give myself anywhere between 30 min and 2 hr to write a short story, start to finish. Some of these come out terrible and I bin them, but others turn out to be workable starting points for serious stories.

I set my goal for finishing my first novel (which I began in October) at the end of March, but I actually finished it in early April. I don't hold that against myself too much, but I was disappointed--a missed deadline is bad even if I'm only beholden unto myself.

The pressure forces me to think fast and work hard. If I didn't, I might not get anything done at all.

eveningstar · Apr 25, 2008

I love self-imposed deadlines. They keep me focused. I'm currently trying to get the second draft of my novel finished by the end of June (a date chosen because it gives me a reasonable amount of time and because it's just before my birthday) and having one eye on the calendar keeps me motivated.

I love NaNoWriMo for the same reason.

jennontheisland · Apr 25, 2008

Yeah, I set them all the time.

I've yet to make a single one.

kristie911 · Apr 25, 2008

I love a deadline. Unfortunately, a self-imposed one doesn't work for me. But in this case, it's not really self-imposed, you need to finish before this workshop. It's just a deadline. Go for it.

I wish I had a deadline. I loved NaNo because it forced me to write. Now I have no deadline so I don't write much and I'm getting nothing done.

CDarklock · Apr 25, 2008

I've always been told - and seen from experience - that self-imposed deadlines don't work.

I tend to think... and this is just me talking out of my ass... that it's because nothing bad happens when you miss them.

So I'd suggest maybe, just maybe, the self-imposed deadline would work better if you took your most twisted practical joker of a friend and had him devise a punishment for failure. Like, say, shaving your head. Or eating something you find really, really disgusting. Or wearing a thong to the grocery store and getting the groceries on this list.

Soccer Mom · Apr 25, 2008

This has been the theory behind some of our "daily wordcount" type challenges around here. I was last very productive during March FADness. before that, I was productive during NaNo/The Great Tea Debacle.

I need deadlines. Otherwise my work is like spray insulation and expands to fill the available space.

SPMiller · Apr 25, 2008

Or wearing a thong to the grocery store and getting the groceries on this list.

Ooh. I'm intrigued...

Harper K · Apr 25, 2008

CDarklock said:
I've always been told - and seen from experience - that self-imposed deadlines don't work.

I tend to think... and this is just me talking out of my ass... that it's because nothing bad happens when you miss them.

So I'd suggest maybe, just maybe, the self-imposed deadline would work better if you took your most twisted practical joker of a friend and had him devise a punishment for failure. Like, say, shaving your head. Or eating something you find really, really disgusting. Or wearing a thong to the grocery store and getting the groceries on this list.

I know you were saying this partially in jest, but my husband and I seriously do have a system like this. I let him know when I need him to set me a deadline and devise a punishment. Then we each come up with a couple ideas and discuss them and eventually come to an agreement on a fair deadline and punishment (this is so he can't say something like, "Finish the novel by tomorrow or you owe me a thousand bucks!" Not that he would do this).

I have made nearly every deadline. There were two I missed. One was last summer, when I was a week late finishing the second draft of my novel. I took him out to a nice restaurant for dinner. Then, a couple weeks ago, I was supposed to finish chapters 5 and 6 of my WIP, but I got blocked up on both of them and was at least a week late. What did I have to do? Wear thongs for a week. (Under my other clothes, of course.) Husband knows I hate them. They are bloody uncomfortable. You'd better believe I was on time finishing chapters 7 and 8.

CDarklock · Apr 25, 2008

satori said:
I know you were saying this partially in jest

Nope. I'm 100% serious.

I have made nearly every deadline.

See? It works. I figured it might.

Red-Green · Apr 25, 2008

Although I've imposed the punishment for myself, I think this is what I've done. If I'm not done with that first draft by the workshop, I'll have to go to the workshop looking like an ass, who didn't bother to finish a first draft for a workshop that explicitly requires that you have a first draft finished. So, I imposed the deadline on myself by registering for the workshop, but there will be repercussions if I fail to produce on time.

Oh, and if I chicken out and don't go--I lose my $100 deposit.

CDarklock said:
I've always been told - and seen from experience - that self-imposed deadlines don't work.

I tend to think... and this is just me talking out of my ass... that it's because nothing bad happens when you miss them.

So I'd suggest maybe, just maybe, the self-imposed deadline would work better if you took your most twisted practical joker of a friend and had him devise a punishment for failure. Like, say, shaving your head. Or eating something you find really, really disgusting. Or wearing a thong to the grocery store and getting the groceries on this list.

althrasher · Apr 25, 2008

I don't use self imposed deadlines--mostly because I have so many other deadlines, I don't want my writing to become something else I *HAVE* to do. That's also why I don't do BIC (slight blasphemy around here, I know!)

Things get done in their time. I'm not too stressed about it.

virtue_summer · Apr 25, 2008

I use self imposed deadlines all the time. If I'm blocked because I'm being too much of a perfectionist (I write a paragraph, delete it, write it again, start to proofread it) then I set a kitchen timer for thirty minutes or so and make myself write during those thirty minutes (Without stopping to reread what I've written). If I do stop, then I make myself do the thirty minutes again. I've also gotten into the habit of making sure I write at least five hundred words a day. If I find I'm getting ready for bed and I haven't done that writing, then I sit down in bed and write. Last night I was up until one thirty writing (I got more than five hundred words). The truth is that self-imposed deadlines have been great for me because I'm one of those people who tends to procrastinate on starting things. So I procrastinate on actually sitting down to write, but once I'm actually sitting down and writing, then I get engrossed in it and remember why I love it so much in the first place.

James81 · Apr 25, 2008

Absolutely.

I'm also discovering that in doing my own NaNoWriMo this month, that setting word count goals instead of "timeline" goals are much more effective pushes to getting things done.

If you committ to reaching a certain wordcount within a month, instead of just saying "I want to be done by X time", you will get more done. I know I have.

geardrops · Apr 25, 2008

I usually don't self-impose deadlines because when I write short stories, I've never needed to. It's not in my nature for that. I get them done.

For my novel, my self-imposed deadline is July 22nd for the first draft (day before ComicCon San Diego). Thus far, I'm not too far behind. I'll probably make it, though it's likely to be close.

So, I guess I'll check back and say if my self-imposed deadline worked or not

BlueLucario · Apr 25, 2008

I used to do self-imposed deadlines. Which motivated me into getting something done. The first three chapters too a month to finish, so I give myself one month to finish each chapter, when the rest of the chapters took me two weeks, and now they take a week...

Strange....

The Self-Imposed Deadline!

Red-Green

KoalaKoalaKoala!

Daimeera

SPMiller

Prodigiously Hanged

eveningstar

circus girl without a safety net

jennontheisland

the world is at my command

kristie911

Happy to be here

CDarklock

Yes!

Soccer Mom

Crypto-fascist

SPMiller

Prodigiously Hanged

Harper K

here's to the girl on the go

CDarklock

Yes!

Red-Green

KoalaKoalaKoala!

althrasher

Prodigal Muser

virtue_summer

Always learning

James81

Great Scott Member

geardrops

Good thing I like my day job

BlueLucario

Blood Elves FTW