Comments on: What to Do When You Don’t Have Deadlines

By: Write This Way: Top Writing and Editing Links for July 21, 2009 « Write Livelihood

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 01:57:47 +0000

[...] What to Do When You Don’t Have Deadlines Linda Formichelli offers four solid tips for making self-imposed deadlines stick on her blog, The Renegade Writer. [...]

By: Odette Celibataire

Odette Celibataire — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:30:34 +0000

I tried that “recruit a friend” tactic once; we were motivating each other to go to a fitness class. It worked the first week but then we both found excuses and one influenced the other so that the going to gym failed in the end

By: Katarzyna Radzka

Katarzyna Radzka — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:51:03 +0000

I like the idea of using positive or negative reinforcement depending on the personality type of the writer. I’ve been giving myself deadlines for ages and they work when I don’t just write them down but give myself a reason for setting the deadline. What will happen if I meet the deadline? What will happen if I don’t? Deadlines are definitely the way to go for meeting writing goals.

Also, I agree that making your goal public as Jacqueline mentioned above is a great motivator. I think that some goals can be posted on writers personal blogs to make them more accountable.

By: Jacqueline Church

Jacqueline Church — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:06:21 +0000

I would strongly caution against tweeting deadline goals. It’s not something I want public to any and all editors and publishers. I have never missed a deadline but if they’re new to me, and see me procrastinating or struggling what kind of first impression is that?

Another option -because I do believe in supporting each other – is a writers’ forum like Inked-in.com I started a group there called “Fumbling Toward Discipline” and others have taken it over which is great because I sort of, um, lost my motivation. But I do dip back in and out from time to time. Making a public goal is helpful. Of course anyone could join that network, too, but it’s much less public than Twitter. I absolutely cringe at some of the unprofessional stuff I see there. It’s like being at the world’s largest office holiday party and drinking too much. Just not the appropriate time and place!

- Cheers,
Jacqueline Church

PS I tweeted a couple of good resources for writers today. Worth checking out.