Friday, August 16, 2013

Deadlines and how to survive them – a few ideas from someone who’s learning the hard way.

So here I am, blinking in the virtual sunlight, having achieved summer deadline number one, but have summer deadline number two staring me in the face already. And it’s only half way through the UK summer holidays, so I’m fifty per cent writer and fifty per cent full time child care slave. (Note: housewifely, domesticated, bin putter outer duties and similar have no percentage listed – more of this below). 

As a relatively new author I’m learning how to deal with this time crunch lifestyle slowly and painfully and thought it might be useful to write a few tips down to remind myself how to do it all over again before the next deadly calendar page is turned. I also thought it might be useful to share with you, our lovely blog visitors, as you don’t have to be a writer to have deadlines. Demands, and sucks on, on our time are everywhere: overnight/weekend visitors, holidays, day jobs, school timetables, emergencies, illness and loads of other stuff, but you can make things easier on yourself. So here we go…

·     Set your core writing time. In my case this is usually 0900 until 1430 as it fits in with the school day (which is way shorter than when I was at school, I swear). WRITE new words in this time.

·         NO SOCIAL NETWORKING in core time unless you have reached your minimum daily word count target, my minimum is 1000 words. If I’m being very strict, no second cup of coffee until this target is reached either (this may not work for everybody).

Ditto: emails.
Ditto: Novelrank.com
Ditto: your blog roll
Ditto: Yahoo groups
Ditto: your website stats
Ditto: anything else you stalk …

 ·         Resist the urge to read your beautifully composed and witty emails, tweets, Facebook posts, blogpost comments or shopping lists over and over and over again. Or maybe that’s just me …

 ·         T-shirts turn out reasonably well if you dry them on hangers and kids don’t need ironed clothes (they won’t even notice). Office working breadwinners might need crisp cotton though, so invest in a decent iron and steam through the bare minimum required like the devil is nipping at your heels. Consider this daily exercise if necessary or outsource it to someone who enjoys it. Or pay someone to do it.
Ditto: all other domestic drudgery duties.

 ·         Feed living things as a priority (children, pets, helpless partners etc), desiccated pot plants can be replaced.   

 ·        Parents: don’t beat yourself up about cutting corners – you’re probably doing the equivalent of two full time jobs in part time hours. There’s nothing wrong with takeout or ready meals now and again, just try to make them decent ones. Stocking the fruit bowl is easy, so is having fresh juice in the fridge. It’s not going to be like this forever (in theory). However do stop yourself from popping to the store for fresh bread (or favourite equivalent), because even though it should take just five minutes you’ll be there an hour. You will …

 ·        If you drink alcohol make sure you have at least a week’s supply. Just knowing it’s there is hugely soothing. Again, maybe that’s just me. Ditto: chocolate and potato chips. 

·    A slow cooker/crockpot sounds like a good idea if your family will all eat the same meal and if you can actually find it. I was given one in 1996 and I’m pretty sure it’s around the place somewhere …

 ·         A dishwasher. Lovely, wonderful things. If you haven’t got one already there’s no going back. I would combust without one (add dishwasher detergent to the one week’s supply list above).

And when you meet your deadline and the pressure is off? Take the greatest pleasure in scrubbing that neglected downstairs bathroom. Scour it thoroughly until it gleams and smells like a princess’s bridal bouquet … because you’ve earned it!

 Okay, back to the revisions cellar I go. Have you any handy tips to add to my list? Or a dreamy hero suggestion for my next manuscript? All suggestions gratefully received. An Indian head massage sounds good actually, anyone had one of those? I wonder how long they take …


.


14 comments:

  1. I was on a 2k a day deadline for 2 months recently and I had to work my freelance job. I have spent the week since I finished sleeping, eating and royally buggering about. Such a professional me.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hilarious blog post, Rachel. It could have been me writing it. Can so relate to not bothering to iron the kids clothes. Yesterday I took a trip to the supermarket to buy some bread and milk. Eight pounds and almost an hour later...
    As for keeping alcohol in the house - check. Slow cooker - check. Dishwasher - on the WANTED list. As for the bathroom - guests are only permitted to use the downstairs cloakroom!
    And here I am reading blogs. OK. Must crack on with manuscript. Thanks for sharing ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eight pounds, Fiona? That's magnificent, I've been known to get £150's worth of impulse buys into one of those teeny trollies! Trouble is, by the time I get to the checkout I don't have the bottle to put any of it back - still we have plenty of loo roll . And wine ...;0)

      Delete
  3. I am going to bugger about for England come September, Phillipa, and nobody is going to stop me!!! x

    ReplyDelete
  4. Rachel, your posts always make me laugh!! Good luck with that deadline. I now know that next summer I've got to find a way to minimize how much work I can take on-it's a lot less than I thought! All very good advice...especially the part of a weeks worth of alcohol ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Victoria! I did make sure I wrote a good batch of sex scenes before the school broke up for summer. If there's one thing I find impossible it's the steamy stuff with kids bothering me every five minutes! xx

      Delete
  5. Hilarious and honest tips, Rachel! It's so true that just knowing the bottle of wine is chilled is a huge sense of comfort. And iron? I don't even know where my iron is...They make a wonderful wrinkle release spray, and hanging the article of clothing on the back of a bathroom door during a nice hot shower just steams away the winkles, or at least loosens them up a bit:-) Thanks again for the brilliant advice!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oooh, I must source some of that magic spray, Olivia! Thanks for the tip! x

      Delete
  6. Fantastic post Rachel and as funny as it is, it has very handy tips. Especially the ironing and social bit because this, is so me:
    • Resist the urge to read your beautifully composed and witty emails, tweets, Facebook posts, blogpost comments or shopping lists over and over and over again. Or maybe that’s just me …
    Wendy
    http://fabulosityreads.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay! It's not just me, then, Wendy! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. Glad you enjoyed the post. :0)

      Delete
  7. NO second cup of coffee? You are strict! LOL

    GREAT suggestions. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hehe! That's about as far as the discipline goes, Jennifer! xx

      Delete
  8. Wonderful post, Rachel! I so feel your deadline pressures. I have a book due by the time my maternity leave is up. My mantra right now? Sleep is overrated, and a second cup of coffee is not negotiable. :-) Good luck with your deadline! You'll do great.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Natalie - I didn't realize you'd had another baby! Congrats!

    ReplyDelete