The problem with self-imposed deadlines is they're self-imposed

I think the headline of this blog post says it all, don't you?

If you don't know me, then you wouldn't know I am a procrastinator. When I was a kid, my mom used to plunk my butt down in a chair to work on a book report for a book I hadn't read -- that was due the next day.

Well, now I'm an adult who indie publishes and it's like I'm nine years old again, sitting at the dining room table at 7pm, overwhelmed, cranky and trying to skim a paperback novel in order to write a cohesive summary. Except, that I'm the author of the book and it's not finished yet (Is this metaphor working? I can't tell).

Anyhoo, I gave myself a deadline of July 1st and guess what? Mama's not done. It's the middle of September and my mystery novel is still being drafted. I was so confident that I would meet my self-imposed deadline this summer that I contracted my cover art early (although, that was smart thinking) and put a deposit down on my editor. Meanwhile, I have several more scenes to write, edits to make, beta readers to hit up, and revisions to tackle before the editor even sees the damn thing. When I look at a calendar, I don't see time leisurely spread out before me. I see minutes and days ticking away and I'm still not finished.

See that deadline, Kim? *whoosh* You missed it.

Indie authors need to be disciplined. There is no big publisher breathing down our necks to finish our work. No agent to whip us into shape. If we don't write and publish, we don't make money. There are lessons to be learned here and I am learning them.
 
1. Set a reasonable goal. With a toddler at home, it's not easy for me to always hit those daily word counts. So aim for 1k words a day. Totally manageable.

2. Have a detailed story plan. The reason I'm struggling now is because I veered from my outline and changed the plot. A detailed outline is my best friend and makes for quick drafts. I need the outline finalized before I venture on.

3. Remove distractions. Translation: Get off the freakin' internet. Specifically: Facebook.

4. Carve out time. I sit down to write when my daughter is napping. It's sacred time. I do nothing else. No laundry. No dishes. No phone calls. I just write.

5. Hold myself accountable. Or have my husband use guilt as a way to hurry things along. "The longer it takes you to finish your book, the longer it takes to earn money for the family." Well played, dear.

So there ya have it. My next book will go a lot smoother -- hopefully.

How do you stay focused on your writing projects? Do you hit your deadlines?

-KGG

Distraction free writing a.k.a the Alphasmart post

If you're any sort of writer like me, then the internet is just one big, bright, shiny object and you can't look away. Something happened after I had kids and stopped working -- I got lonely. I love my kids but I can't have a deep conversation about publishing trends with my four-year-old, go figure. So I filled the absence of adult interaction with Facebook and Twitter and writer forums instead. Then, it got to the point where I couldn't even sit down to write and focus. I had to first check my email and then scroll through my Facebook feed and tweet my senator and then naptime was over and I got nothing done. In an effort to connect, I couldn't disconnect when I needed to.

So I began browsing the web looking for ideas on how to write without distractions (is that irony?) when I came up upon an awesome thread on Kboards about the Alphasmart. Alphasmarts are old-school word processors that were popular in elementary schools. They have a calculator screen and an old clickety-clack keyboard and they only show a few lines of text at a time. They run on AA batteries and turn on within seconds. You can upload your work to any program with a click of a button. They're super portable too. Since two AA batteries can last a year, you can take these suckers anywhere. Not to mention, they're pretty durable. Best part: no wireless.

I bought this duo on Ebay for $30. A B1G1 free deal. Good thing I have two because they are no longer made. And many writers do buy a backup just in case.

Alphasmarts have a cult following, including a Flickr group. Writers also get jazzy with their Neos -- some dismantling them to paint and customize them. I bought a can of pink Rustoleum, but I haven't taken my Neo apart yet to paint it. And when I say me, I really mean my husband.

In the short time since getting my Alphasmart Neo, I have nearly doubled my drafting time, writing up to 2,000 words in 90 minutes. That's unheard of for me. That's the kicker -- I can only draft in the Neo. After I upload my draft to Scrivener and I revise and edit in there. But I'm a natural editor. Revisions are my favorite part of the writing process and I find I'm less likely to d^ck around online.

So, dear readers -- do you use an Alphasmart? Do you love it? Did you customize yours? How has it changed your writing?

For those who don't use Alphasmarts, how do you write without distractions?

Does anyone draft on a typewriter?

Thanks for checking in,
KGG