Is it the first Wednesday of the month already? That means it's time for the monthly meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group. The IWSG was created by Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh as a way for writers to support one another during those inevitable times of insecurity and self-doubt. The co-hosts for this month are Sarah Foster, Joylene Nowell Butler, Lily Eva, and Rhonda Albom.
Be sure to visit the IWSG website for additional support!
My insecurity this month has to do with deadlines. There are a couple of stories I would like to submit, and I know exactly where I want to submit them. One of them has a strict deadline attached. The presence of a deadline helps to motivate me, and without it looming before me, I know I might revise and agonize endlessly until I drive myself insane. Then again, with a deadline forcing me to submit within a certain time frame, I know I'll be left struggling with a sense that the story isn't actually up to the standards I want to meet. I have a feeling that I'm just being too hard on myself, but I still can't quite get past this insecurity.
What do you think about deadlines? Do you like to set deadlines for yourself as a form of motivation? Do you think having concrete deadlines help your writing, or do they hurt your creative process?
Great question! I have experienced both: the deadline as motivation and the deadline as a creativity-killer. It really depends on the circumstances. Contract deadlines are scary -- You have to get it done or the book goes off schedule, and nobody wants that. So far, I have been able to beat or meet any deadline given to me.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have found self-imposed goals to be discouraging. I recently set a 5k word count per week goal, and then immediately had a week where I wrote 0 words. And the madder I got with myself, the less able I was to write. But the fact was: I was stuck, and I needed time to work it out.
I am back to writing again -- yay! But this time, I'll let the words come when they want to come.
Deadlines definitely motivate and stress me out! It's a toss-up. I like them and hate them. Hopefully you have your story ready in time! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteSubmit anyway. I bet you're being too hard on yourself.
ReplyDeleteI'm a lazy writer so I have to have deadlines.
I think deadlines help sometimes, although it can be quite stressful. Um, flexible deadlines would probably be the best LOL. Good luck with the submission!
ReplyDeleteI always set myself some kind of deadline, but I consider them goals to meet along the way. Good luck with your submission.
ReplyDeleteI never make a self imposed deadline. I know I'm only letting myself down. But, when I have a story to submit, I always make my deadline; and I have all the same anxieties you have listed here.
ReplyDeleteAs long as they aren't too tight, I don't mind deadlines - but then, I don't impose them on myself either. If I let myself, I will stress over them, so I try not to think about it and simply get the work done. As for the doubt monster as to whether my work is really done and ready by then, he's a real pain in the neck ;)
ReplyDelete