Deadlines

Currently reading - Kitty Raises Hell by Carrie Vaughn

One of the advantages of writing a magazine column is having a deadline.

Yep, you read me right. Accustomization of deadlines is a good thing. Whether it was a major software development and installation for a Fortune 500 client or the thirty day limit for filing a motion for new trial, I've always had them.

But I've run into too many wannabes who've never had measurable deadlines. No accountablility for their progress (or lack thereof) whatsoever. I'm not talking about lack of responsibility. And I'm not talking about page number or word count competitions with crit groups. I'm talking about real deadlines with real consequences. As in, I won't get paid if I don't get this in to my editor.

In my case, having the proverbial gun to my head helps with my creativity and productivity. It's not that I wait until the last minute. It means I have a set period for brainstorming, a set period for research, a set period for writing the piece.

If deadlines are scarier than the demons of Hell and send you into bottle-of-Prozac anxiety, then maybe you should rethink the publishing industry. Trust me, you WILL have deadlines if you get a three-book contract.

And to paraphrase Master Yoda (the guy from the movie, not my mentor Colleen Thompson), if you're not afraid now, you will be.