What is it with me and deadlines? Usually I do my best work under pressure, and the pressure of a deadline is the best there is. But one that is self-imposed apparently doesn’t strike me as serious.
I told my publisher I’d finish Riding Herd by the end of June, but (surprise, surprise) it doesn’t look like I’ll make it. The Man is on vacation this week, and next week is Mom week, and neither of them like it when I spend time working when I’m supposed to be with them. That’s two weeks out of May, leaving me with six to get it finished, critiqued, edited, and proofed. Somethin’s gotta give.
Of course, since I have an editor through my publisher, I could skip the critique/proofread part and send it on. But I hate to do that. I don’t like sending out something that I’m not 100% confident in, and I gain my confidence, not from my writing, but from getting the A-Okay from my critique partner and beta readers.
On the other hand, the end-of-June deadline is my own. I could give myself an extension. Wow. That would be professional, wouldn’t it?
Still, the time off may be the best thing for my over-taxed brain. Maybe in two weeks, when I get back to work, I’ll be able to look at the piece with fresh eyes and not only finish it, but go back and correct the things my critter has already pointed out to me.
And maybe, when I get back to work, God will bless me with a solid week of solid writing, and I can finish the manuscript and get it to my critter while I work on what she’s already critiqued for me, then edit that last part, and get it all in to the publisher by the end of June and actually make my deadline! With God all things are possible, right?
Several years into it, and this blog still refuses to be categorized. It's eclectic and includes everything from writing posts to snippets from my ordinary life. 
Linda W. Yezak 
Far better to be optimistic and go for it, than admit defeat before you even try. And if you don’t make it? The world will not end. Your mom will still love you. God will still love you, and your readers will still love you. Sometimes a break will give you the strength to push on, and as you said, give you a fresh point of view. Family matters as much as the writing, something we sometimes tend to forget. Good for you, Linda, for making the effort to balance both.I dont believe you will regret the choice.
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I agree with you, Ceci. I think the break is going to do me a world of good.
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You can do it, Linda!
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Thanks for the the vote of confidence, Jen!
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Erg. That’s why I loathe deadlines. Even when I *know* I’ll make them, they stress me out. Don’t pressure yourself too much. Just have fun with the story!
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I have had fun with this story, when it’s not irritating the tar outta me. 🙂
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I love that photo!
Self set deadlines are the hardest to treat seriously. I know that from personal experience. I’d do the best you can to take the break, rest your brain with non-book thinking, then come back recharged.
Maybe ask The Man for your very own “Author’s Week” that first week back, where he helps around the house a bit more than usual to help you with what you need to keep yourself sane. Offer him some reward that you know he won’t be able to resist if he agrees to “Author’s Week.”
I’ll keep you in prayer!
Hugs,
Pearl
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My first week home is going to be a good one for me because MSB will be working overtime. Whenever he works OT, so do I. I didn’t know he’d be working extra hours when I wrote this, so I have a hope now that I didn’t have then. 😉
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You sound like me!
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You have my sympathy.
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