Wet Noodle Posse

Friday, September 25, 2009

Friday Q&A!!!

On this last Friday of September, our Free Falling month, we noodlers would like to address the following question:

How do you make deadlines work for you rather than against you?

Labels: deadlines

6 Comments:

At 11:20 AM, Theresa Ragan said...: Although I haven't had too many writing deadlines, I ALWAYS work faster and more efficient when I have them. I think when you know it must get done, you just do it! :)
At 2:02 PM, Diane Gaston said...: I think I would procrastinate forever if I didn't have a deadline!
At 4:28 PM, PatriciaW said...: I really haven't had writing deadlines either. Two approaches:

Start early and work hard. Then, feel good about finishing before the deadline.

Otherwise, procrastinate until I know--because I always know--I've reached the last possible moment at which I must start or miss the deadline.

Thankfully, I do much more of the former than the latter these days.
At 6:27 PM, Terry McLaughlin said...: Sure, I'd get my writing done...eventually...without deadlines. But like Diane and Theresa, I rely on deadlines to keep me writing at a steady, productive pace.

Patricia, one of my favorite writing cartoons is a Calvin and Hobbes panel. Hobbes asks Calvin whether he has a story idea yet, and Calvin answers he's waiting for inspiration--he can't create until he's in the right mood: last-minute panic.
At 11:46 PM, Delle Jacobs said...: I've been doing better lately at setting my own deadlines- but I know that won't last. The problem is lack of consequences.

But sometimes it works if I won't allow myself to do something I really want until I get a bunch of other things done first. Again, though, who's to make me?

I'm going away this weekend with a small group of writing women to spend a few days in a condo at the beach. We all have laptops. And food. There will be sun, lots of it. Will we be tough enough to get our work done?
At 5:23 PM, MJFredrick said...: I have to have a measurable goal or I feel lost. I set myself deadlines, though lately they've been pushed back. Sigh.