Saturday, March 30, 2013

Deadlines: The Blessing and the Curse

I have good news about one of my ongoing writing projects. There is a manuscript I've written about the Greek pantheon and the unfortunately-talented young school teacher who tries to keep the gods in line. It's complete, but for a few chapters that describe exactly how some of the gods reach the final scene. (I've implied how they arrive, but it's probably better to give a full description for the readers to enjoy.) Also, I've lined up an editor for this manuscript.

Where's the downside? Well... I need to add eight or nine scenes before April, when the NaNo event begins. As of April 1st, I'll be concentrating on the "Paradise Found" book idea.

Having deadlines is good, because it makes a writer take time out of his or her busy schedule, and put words to page via whatever medium you prefer. Unrealistic deadlines (like the one I've set for myself) can either add to the stress level, or produce some amazing results. I'm hoping for the latter.

Here's a bookend writing prompt. You can personalize it to your own experience with deadlines or use every detail as written in the prompt.

Bookend Prompt
Left Bookend: She paced back and forth in front of the board, aligning resources, personnel, and timelines with what she hoped were reasonable expectations. An event this big never happened without some mistakes, but she wanted it to be as perfect as possible...
Right Bookend: The moment the door shut behind the last of the crowd, she collapsed on the nearest settee, completely relieved.

Have fun, and keep writing!

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