For the last few years I have been a head of my deadlines. And not just a little. But like, months ahead of deadline. I seemed to keep having these events that I wanted to get books completed by - biths of babies, American Thanksgiving, Conference, Drunk Writer Talk. So, I had real deadlines and then I had my own.
And let me tell you, this has been great. I am heroic in my editors eyes. I have so much good will built up in this department that if I could somehow transform good will into shoes I would be Maureen.
And I've liked it too, I feel on top of my game and focused. I was really diligent every day despite being ahead of the deadline.
But OH! Oh the times they have changed - my deadline is November 15 for my Harlequin Superromance (I thought it was Nov. 22, why? No idea). And it's doable if I stick to my word count goal every day and work on the weekends and in the evenings...really, it's not even that hard. But what have I been doing? SLACKING OFF. Watching TV - in the middle of the day. Eating cookies? (That's effing up this no cookie diet I was on for about ten minutes. The second I said "Molly, no more cookies, what did I want? Ten cookies.) Friday Maureen and I had a writing date and what did I convince her to do? HAVE A BEER!
I am so far away from my word count goal that it's actually funny. Like ludicrious. Like a Monty Python sketch. And it's not my children, or my husband, or fate conspiring against me, it's me. %100 me. Though Maureen could have been a bit more firm on that beer thing...
Do you do this? When the pressure is on, do you go to sleep? Because I've been doing that too.
6 comments:
Oh please!!! I'm the queen of self destruction. I've been on this all meat diet for a month. No bread, no starch, just meat. And more meat.
But what I do? I throw in some wine. Okay a lot of wine. Then I wonder why I'm not losing weight like the book says I should.
It's the same with writing. I was supposed to be way ahead of where I am now - so that I can get started on the next big book idea.
But sometimes when I know I have to do something... I just don't do it. I say.. Eff that. You can't make me... Of course I don't know who I'm talking to but needless to say I can get very stubborn with my imaginary friend called responsible behavior.
You cannot blame me for that beer. LOL ;)
I hate responsible behavior. I'm gonna have a cookie.
Cookies and TV are so much easier than finishing a book. I am speaking from experience here.
Hard work may pay off in time, but procrastination always pays off now...
I play endless games of spider solitaire. I'm not even good at it. I can't win anything more difficult than two suit spider.
Oh, and I eat. If something's remotely healthy, I spread butter on it.
I do this too! I turned in my previous book 5-1-11. I was not under contract for the ENTIRE SUMMER! We didn't go back to contract until September with the book due November 1st. Did I write the Single Title book I've been talking about writing for years so my agent could shop it? No. I read and ate and drank and lived like a regular person. Now I'm on a deadline and hopeful I can turn it in with a few more tweaks.
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