As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fiction author. I work from home, and for the last few years, I’ve been working towards finding an agent and getting published.
Typically this time of year I’m making detailed charts of what projects I plan to work on and when I want to finish them. I set ambitious goals like “get an agent by the end of the year” or “finish a draft every two months” and by March, I’m a burned out mess, agitated by the very thought of my writing.
In short, by choosing these artificial deadlines, I’ve been setting myself up to fail.
Now, I realize plenty of people thrive on deadlines and pressure. Even I need some semblance of structure to assure that I keep working towards my goals. Which is why I want to say up front, this post is about my strategy, not necessarily what I think everyone should do. We all work differently.
That said, here’s my goal for 2019: I will not set deadlines for my writing.
Instead, I plan to set aside time to write, and to take it slowly. Rather than rush toward a word count goal, I’ll rediscover the joy of creating. I’ll write the way I read, savoring every bite.
And with any luck, my work will be all the better for it.
Kat Pollock 