RTW: Writing to a Deadline
Today’s Road Trip Wednesday question from YA Highway is:
Are you doing NaNoWriMo, or have you ever? Does having a deadline inspire you?
If you read my blog last week, or you’re one of my Twitter friends (note: I don’t like the term “follower,” whether applied to my Twitter friends, my Blog friends, or any of my friends), you’ll know that I’ve decided to take the plunge and do NaNoWriMo. My WIP needs the attention, and I need the discipline to get it done. So my answer to part one of the question is, YES! I am doing NaNoWriMo. And it’s my first time, so no, I’ve never done it before.
As for the second part of the question, I don’t know that “inspire” is the word I would use. Deadlines don’t inspire me. They push me, they drive me, they force me to complete something I said I would do. Deadlines don’t make me do my best work, but they make me finish what I’ve started. And that’s what my WIP really needs. I’ve been picking around at it for the past year, starting, re-starting, thinking, outlining… and I need to stop dilly-dallying around and write the bleedin’ thing! Don’t get me wrong, I like my WIP. I like the idea, and I’m excited about writing it. I’m just frustrated at myself for dithering around with it for so long. So while the NaNo deadline won’t necessarily inspire me to write the most beautiful prose I’ve ever composed, I hope it will drive me to get a first draft of the WIP written.
How about you? Do you write better to a deadline? Or do you find deadlines useful for getting work done? Or do you hate deadlines and avoid them whenever possible? Comment below, or join in the Road Trip Wednesday fun! Details on how to be a Road-Tripper are on the YA Highway blog.
UPDATE: If you want to be my NaNoWriMo buddy, here’s a link to my profile.
I’d use motivation here too rather than inspiration. Deadlines keep me strict about my writing. If I just wrote without NaNo I could see myself working on it for months and months as I edit and change it all time. Rewriting even. NaNo’s very helpful in getting that first draft out, ready for you to edit by the end of the month.
That’s why I decided to do NaNo this year, and to start over on my WIP for it–I need the deadline to force me to get it done, and quit procrastinating, tweaking, second-guessing, etc. Hopefully, I’ll get more disciplined as time goes on–especially if I become a published writer. Right now, it helps to have that extra encouragement. 🙂
“Deadlines don’t inspire me. They push me, they drive me, they force me to complete something I said I would do” << This, perfect.
Deadlines really inspire nothing in me, but I feel like I have to WORK and finish what I started, and that's all good to me. However, self-imposed deadlines don't do much. I cheat on self-imposed deadlines all the time LOL
And the link to your NaNo profile? Let's be buddies! lol
Thanks, Juliana! Given deadlines are certainly better than self-imposed deadlines for pushing me to finish something. Though I’ve found they can be better than no deadline at all.
I’m a NaNo-newbie, so I’m getting used to using the dashboard. I already have you as a writing buddy. If you want to buddy me back, my username is cds. Here’s my profile:
Yes, join the dark side! This will be my 7th NaNo, so obviously there’s something I like 🙂
Deadlines motivate me…usually. I have a harder time with self-imposed ones, because I lack discipline, but in college I was a huge procrastinator and often couldn’t even really focus on something until right before the due date. (Which probably isn’t the best way to get things done, but it sure made things more exciting…)
Good luck on NaNo!
Your 7th NaNo? Wow–so you’re a veteran at this! I can sometimes do okay with self-imposed deadlines, but there’s nothing like having to produce something for someone else by a given time to get you disciplined about your time. I have high hopes that NaNo will do that for me. 🙂
If you want to be my NaNo buddy, my profile is here. I’m going to update the article to include this.
I’m glad you decided to take the plunge and do NaNo. I had honestly thought that I wasn’t going to this year, but everyone talking about it got me excited to take part all over again. As for the deadlines ‘inspiring’, I think I have to agree with you. They don’t exactly inspire me, but they do tend to give me a swift kick in the hind quarters to get something done. So something like NaNo is exactly the kick that I need. Hope your first NaNo experience is productive and fun! 🙂
Thanks, Jaime! And likewise–I hope your initial reservations about participating are put to rest quickly, and you have an awesome NaNo experience. I look forward to sharing the experience with you and all my other NaNo buddies! 🙂
I agree, I reckon deadlines really help us push ourselves and get things done. I really wish I was able to do NaNo this year because I’m in the same boat. I’ve been crafting ideas and everything in my head but what I need is to sit down and write the damn thing! Good luck with your NaNo! I have no doubt it’ll be brilliant!
Thank you, Samantha–I really appreciate your vote of confidence. I’m hopeful that sometime post-NaNo, I’ll be able to post a portion of the finished work, like some kind of trophy, to show that it’s done. 🙂
I don’t do well with deadlines, even in school. I get a false sense of time, thinking I have more until it’s the night before it’s due and I pound out a C worthy paper. That’s a habit I have to break if I want to be an author in the future.
Good luck with NaNo! 😀
Thanks, Leslie. Of course, the advantage with the NaNo deadline is that it doesn’t matter if your 50K words are C-grade. It’s a first draft, after all. There may be hints of your genius in the first draft, but it truly becomes a masterpiece in the revision process. 🙂
I’m not doing NaNo but I think, like you, that it’s a good way to push people to get a first draft done. First drafts are rarely beautiful and never flawless so NaNo seems like a great way to just get ‘er done already (not that I know since I’ve never done it.) Good luck!
Thanks, Melanie. This will be my first time, so I’m hoping the theory holds true and at the end of November I’ll have a nearly-complete (unless I manage more than 50K) novel to show for my efforts. 🙂
Congrats on your decision to do NaNo. It is really fun and a really good way to get the discipline to get something done.
Thanks, Carrie! I have high hopes and expectations for next month. I really hope they pan out. 🙂
Yay NaNo! Good luck! I’m going to give it a shot this year as well and I’m so excited for it to start. Self-imposed deadlines do very little for me. I have to have something or someone else holding me accountable in order for the drive to really be there. Which is why NaNo is such a great help for me.
Thanks, Rachael–all the best to you too! I’m in need of that deadline for my WIP. I don’t always need a deadline, but hopefully this will help me get it written, so I can enjoy the revision process. 🙂
So glad you’re taking the plunge! I’ll look for you when I officially sign up!
FYI: your posts the last week or so are what have convinced me to partake in NaNo. I kept telling myself I won’t have time, won’t be motivated enough, won’t won’t won’t. Then, I started thinking about how much FUN it would be to have a deadline looming over me like Snoopy on his doghouse in vulture mode.
Thanks, Colin, for the inspiration!
Thank you, Daisy! And you’re very welcome. I’m humbled to think I helped you make what I hope will be a rewarding decision. 🙂
I’m not doing NaNo but I’m seriously catching the motivation bug from all the buzz surrounding it! I like how you present the dilemma here: good prose or just getting the story out already. Whenever I try to be quick about getting the story down, I slip into mulling over details and picking just the right word and it ends up being long and drawn out anyway. That’s seems to be what works for me. Not sure if the prose is good but I like getting completely drawn into the process. Hope NaNo goes well for you!
Thanks, Erin. I think part of my problem over the past year is fussing over details: starting and then stopping to re-read and change things, then starting over because I don’t like it, and then changing more things… I just want to overwhelm my inner editor with word-count! I want to drive him out of my head until December, when I’ll welcome him back with open arms and lots of chocolate. My inner editor likes chocolate. 😀
Yes sir: you need to write it so the rest of us can read it 🙂 Git ‘er done! Looking forward to cheering each other on next month!
It’s going to be a blast. I have some time off scheduled in November which I hope will help. But most of all, I really hope to see some great novels emerge from this–mine included! 😀
Here’s to you and finishing your WIP! I definitely get the need to just sit down and write. And NaNo seems so good for that–daily writing goals, weekly goals, all adding up to a win! I’ll let you know if I do decide to participate this year.
Thanks, Liz! Yes, let me know–add me to your NaNo “buddy” list! 😀
Welcome, NaNo newbie! If nothing else, it has taught me discipline and helped me with the habit of writing regularly, as well as introduced me to a lot of great and talented writers.
Thanks, Adrianne! I certainly hope the discipline of NaNo will help me get this WIP written. 🙂 I look forward to the whole experience.
That WiP sounds great 😀 so yay for deadlines motivating you!….I am really starting to consider doing it myself for a rewrite…Hmmm decisions decisions!
I´ll definitely be cheering you on though!
I do write better to a deadline! I didn’t finish 50,000 words when I did Camp NaNo this summer, but the deadline did push me to write 35K, which is nothing to sneeze at. I must admit I’m also very competitive, and that drives me! I’m glad you’re going to participate this year and I hope you get to where you need to be with the WIP!
I definitely write faster to a deadline (not sure if ‘better’ but faster). I’ll be NaNoing too, (charmaineclancy is my handle). I’m taking part in a writing event to try and reach 30k words in 3 days as part of NaNo and I have to finish my kids novel in the next 10 days (about 15k) so I’m free for NaNo. It’s going to be a whirlwind 🙂