Thursday Review—Observations about Writing on a Deadline

by Lynn H. Blackburn @lynnhblackburn

I’m on a deadline y’all, so this is going to be brief.

I’ve never been on a real deadline before, but I entered a contest and next thing I know, BOOM! Full manuscript due June 9th. Which is awesome. Or it would have been if I hadn’t had to rewrite pretty much the whole novel.

I’ve been churning out 2K words a day for weeks and I’ve made a few, let’s call them “observations,” regarding writing to a deadline.

Here ya go

• If you have a “no caffeine after lunch” rule, you’re just going to have to let that go. Your new mantra? “It’s 6 A.M. somewhere.”

• If your caffeinated beverage of choice comes with a hefty helping of sweetener and a generous glob of whip, say goodbye to your skinny jeans. Or switch to unsweetened tea. These are the only two options.

• You’d better enjoy whatever seasonal decorations you’ve got going when deadline season hits, because you’re still going to be enjoying them when it ends. Easter decorations are still cute in June, right?

• Gift cards make great gifts, and they are usually available wherever chocolate and pain relievers are sold. Bonus!

• This is not the time to decide to increase your water intake. If you’re trying to stick to a certain amount of BIC (butt-in-chair) time, all that fruit infused water you’re sucking back is going to cause you a world of pain. Ask me how I know.

• Writing rituals are good. Need a certain pair of pants or the perfect tunes to get the words flowing? Roll with it. My new favorite motto? “It’s only crazy if it doesn’t work.” But be warned. Rituals that involve pastries are a good way to gain ten pounds. Rituals that involve your favorite coffee shop are a good way to go broke. Rituals that involve pastries AND your favorite coffee shop? No bueno my friends.

• Takeout menus and drive-thru windows are things of beauty. My deadline hit during May and if that statement didn’t cause you to shake your head in dismay then I can tell you do not have school-aged children because anyone with young kids knows May is the new December and it will kick your rear even if you don’t have a deadline. (Did you notice how I made that all one long sentence? I’m writing this in May, and I do not have time for proper punctuation). Make life easier. Order a pizza. Hit a drive-thru and grab another tea. You’re gonna need it.

That’s all I’ve got.

So help a girl out. Give me some more tips. What have you learned while writing on deadline?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!

Blessings,

Lynn

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Caffeinated beverages & takeout - just 2 necessities you'll need when writing on a deadline - via @LynnHBlackburn (Click to Tweet)

Observations about writing on a deadline - via @LynnHBlackburn on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Lynn Huggins Blackburn has been telling herself stories since she was five and finally started writing them down. She blogs about faith, family, and her writing journey on her blog Out of the Boat. Lynn is a member of the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild and the Word Weavers, Greenville. She lives in South Carolina where she hangs out with three lively children, one fabulous man, and a cast of imaginary characters who find their way onto the pages of her still unpublished novels. She drinks a lot of coffee.