Pebblepup's Writing Den

My deadline is completely arbitrary. Most deadlines are. I will reach it because I am determined to do so. That’s what a deadline should do. It should be feasible to reach it. It sets a goal and that’s why they are helpful. What I’m talking about are the deadlines that you set for yourself. These are the deadlines you make when you say, I want to finish this story by the first of next month. That’s a deadline.

Most people find deadlines to be scary. They shouldn’t be. You can think of it as taking timed writing to a larger, longer, form. It’s as simple as that.

When you set yourself a deadline, you should consider it more of a goal. It should be reachable, and it should allow you enough time to do what you want to do. That’s how a deadline should work.

Part of the problem with the deadline is the name. It’s a compound word that holds the word dead in it. Dead has such a finality to it. Rest assured that if you miss one, even one set by a magazine or newspaper, your story isn’t automatically dead. It just won’t make it into the issue at that time. It might fit fine with the next one, if the publisher agrees.

For those deadlines you set for yourself, you can simply move them to accommodate your particular needs. That’s what you need to do.

When you decide that you want to set a time to stop writing your piece, be sure to leave yourself time to actually write. Keep in mind that life has a way of getting in the way of your writing time.

The key is not to let your deadline intimidate you. Take the time to decide if you have given yourself the time to write your piece. Suppose you haven’t allowed for family issues, adjust your deadline to match the time you have.

Take holidays into consideration when making your deadlines as well. It may seem like you’ll have time to work on your piece on a particular holiday. But, you should take your family’s needs into consideration as well. Holiday parties often take more time than you think.

If the word deadline intimidates you, look at it as a goal. That is, after all, what a deadline actually is. So if you have a deadline to meet, try to reduce the stress the word gives you by looking at it as a goal to reach. Then break the task down into smaller pieces. Set interim deadlines, if you can. The main deadline will still be there. But you will have less scary ones to meet, which, if you meet them, will ensure you meet the main one.

My point is that you needn’t be afraid of the deadline. It’s a goal to reach. Don’t let it put too much stress on yourself. Look at the deadline and think of it as a challenge, not a fortress. It’s a tool after all. If you still find it intimidating, disregard it. It isn’t worth stressing over.