Comments on: Deadline Fever http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:47:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Leslie http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1711 Leslie Fri, 19 May 2006 23:25:39 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1711 You know, something I've found that really helps me is outside accountability. Since I *don't* - unfortunately - have a contract deadline to meet, if I don't really push myself to write then I tend to fall by the wayside and dawdle. But... I have a really great team of crit partners. And if I go too many days without sending them something, there's er... heck to pay. Just the knowledge that they're out there... waiting... like a pack of fangalicious wolves, seems to spur me along. :-) You know, something I’ve found that really helps me is outside accountability. Since I *don’t* – unfortunately – have a contract deadline to meet, if I don’t really push myself to write then I tend to fall by the wayside and dawdle. But… I have a really great team of crit partners. And if I go too many days without sending them something, there’s er… heck to pay. Just the knowledge that they’re out there… waiting… like a pack of fangalicious wolves, seems to spur me along. :-)

]]> By: Lacey Kaye http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1703 Lacey Kaye Fri, 19 May 2006 15:20:48 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1703 Thanks for clearing that up! [Lacey works to still her beating heart.] You had me pretty nervous there for a second. I'm still in awe you're going to do it! Thanks for clearing that up! [Lacey works to still her beating heart.] You had me pretty nervous there for a second. I’m still in awe you’re going to do it!

]]> By: Kimberly Logan http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1697 Kimberly Logan Fri, 19 May 2006 13:43:54 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1697 The tight deadline is partly my fault, Lacey. I was late getting my proposal turned in and was told that if I wanted the book to be slotted somewhere in the 2007 Avon release schedule, it would need to be completed by the end of August. Otherwise it would have to wait until 2008, and I certainly didn't want that! Avon has so many wonderful writers working for them that their release schedule fills up pretty quickly. Generally, you can count on having anywhere from 5-7 months from the time you first start working on the proposal until the deadline. It depends on how much time your agent is able to negotiate into your contract for you. And Anne and Margo, I admire your ability to stay focused! Like Shane, a weekly page goal would never work for me. I know myself too well, and it would be too tempting to busy myself with other things each day thinking "I've got all week to meet my goal." It would never get done, and I'd wind up having to try and cram in all my pages on the last day of the week. I'm so bad. :( The tight deadline is partly my fault, Lacey. I was late getting my proposal turned in and was told that if I wanted the book to be slotted somewhere in the 2007 Avon release schedule, it would need to be completed by the end of August. Otherwise it would have to wait until 2008, and I certainly didn’t want that! Avon has so many wonderful writers working for them that their release schedule fills up pretty quickly. Generally, you can count on having anywhere from 5-7 months from the time you first start working on the proposal until the deadline. It depends on how much time your agent is able to negotiate into your contract for you.

And Anne and Margo, I admire your ability to stay focused! Like Shane, a weekly page goal would never work for me. I know myself too well, and it would be too tempting to busy myself with other things each day thinking “I’ve got all week to meet my goal.” It would never get done, and I’d wind up having to try and cram in all my pages on the last day of the week. I’m so bad. :(

]]> By: Lacey Kaye http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1696 Lacey Kaye Fri, 19 May 2006 12:27:38 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1696 AUGUST?? As in...three months from now?? Wow. I'm super-impressed. But is it usual for a deadline to be so close? AUGUST?? As in…three months from now?? Wow. I’m super-impressed. But is it usual for a deadline to be so close?

]]> By: Isabel http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1692 Isabel Fri, 19 May 2006 02:09:11 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1692 Jaunty Quills, I need lots of help :) The internet, blogs, Yahoo news, reader boards like Avon are sucking up pretty much all the free time I have in front of the computer. My biggest enemies, procrastination and fear. I've never actually completed a book before and it's been overwhelming for me. Bless you for all your sound advice and help :D Jaunty Quills, I need lots of help :) The internet, blogs, Yahoo news, reader boards like Avon are sucking up pretty much all the free time I have in front of the computer. My biggest enemies, procrastination and fear. I’ve never actually completed a book before and it’s been overwhelming for me. Bless you for all your sound advice and help :D

]]> By: Shana http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1691 Shana Thu, 18 May 2006 22:49:45 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1691 Weekly? OMG, I would worry every day that I wasn't far enough and would have to write 35 pages on the last day. I have to have a daily goal. Mine is 10-15 pages, depending on how much I want to be done with the book. Weekly? OMG, I would worry every day that I wasn’t far enough and would have to write 35 pages on the last day. I have to have a daily goal. Mine is 10-15 pages, depending on how much I want to be done with the book.

]]> By: margo Maguire http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1690 margo Maguire Thu, 18 May 2006 22:08:52 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1690 I sometimes feel like an employee at Starbuck's (I'm there so much). Really, Kim, all the noise in the place makes me shut it out completely - it's stuff *I* don't have to be concerned about, unlike at home where there are dogs and kids and neighbors, etc etc etc. So the noise becomes 'white noise' and I totally tune in to my work. And I'm like Anne in that I have a weekly page goal. Daily doesn't work for me. I sometimes feel like an employee at Starbuck’s (I’m there so much).

Really, Kim, all the noise in the place makes me shut it out completely – it’s stuff *I* don’t have to be concerned about, unlike at home where there are dogs and kids and neighbors, etc etc etc. So the noise becomes ‘white noise’ and I totally tune in to my work.

And I’m like Anne in that I have a weekly page goal. Daily doesn’t work for me.

]]> By: Kimberly Logan http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1685 Kimberly Logan Thu, 18 May 2006 18:15:21 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1685 Sigh. I have tried going elsewhere before, and sadly it doesn't always work. The library and the chair in the secluded alcove of my favorite bookstore are great, because both places are nice and quiet except for the occasional whisper. But Starbucks? Yipes! I could never do it. Too much conversation and other distracting noises going on. I'm odd, I guess. I have to have absolute silence in order to concentrate. This is why I get NOTHING done whenever I have a day where I agree to babysit the niece or nephews. We all know how often you get absolute silence with kids in the house, lol! Sigh. I have tried going elsewhere before, and sadly it doesn’t always work. The library and the chair in the secluded alcove of my favorite bookstore are great, because both places are nice and quiet except for the occasional whisper.

But Starbucks? Yipes! I could never do it. Too much conversation and other distracting noises going on. I’m odd, I guess. I have to have absolute silence in order to concentrate. This is why I get NOTHING done whenever I have a day where I agree to babysit the niece or nephews. We all know how often you get absolute silence with kids in the house, lol!

]]> By: Anne Mallory http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1682 Anne Mallory Thu, 18 May 2006 17:43:37 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1682 A ditto for me. If I haven't been able to get myself working, I leave. The Internet is the killer for me too. So when I'm in draft mode I do better somewhere else (and I just put ***add historical detail about turnips here*** blurbs where needed). During revisions I have to be hooked up to the Internet - research, thesaurus, etymology, etc. That's the real kicker. A timer works well and serious mental maneuvering does too. ;) Rewards don't work for me. Which really stinks. I have a weekly page goal rather than a daily. That way I can maneuver a bit if things happen and not get disgruntled if a day is off. Of course, sometimes that can go wrong too, so if you do better with a daily count, stick with it! Find something that works and then DON'T. LET. GO. ;) A ditto for me. If I haven’t been able to get myself working, I leave. The Internet is the killer for me too. So when I’m in draft mode I do better somewhere else (and I just put ***add historical detail about turnips here*** blurbs where needed). During revisions I have to be hooked up to the Internet – research, thesaurus, etymology, etc. That’s the real kicker. A timer works well and serious mental maneuvering does too. ;)

Rewards don’t work for me. Which really stinks. I have a weekly page goal rather than a daily. That way I can maneuver a bit if things happen and not get disgruntled if a day is off. Of course, sometimes that can go wrong too, so if you do better with a daily count, stick with it! Find something that works and then DON’T. LET. GO. ;)

]]> By: Shana http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/comment-page-1/#comment-1681 Shana Thu, 18 May 2006 16:44:19 +0000 http://jauntyquills.com/2006/05/18/deadline-fever/#comment-1681 Margo said exactly what I was going to. I have to leave sometimes. I write at the local bookstore or at Starbucks. Some days I work at home, no problem. Other days, I can get so much more done by leaving. Margo said exactly what I was going to. I have to leave sometimes. I write at the local bookstore or at Starbucks. Some days I work at home, no problem. Other days, I can get so much more done by leaving.

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