3 Tips on Managing Deadlines as a Writer

Many of you may be taking part in the annual NaNoWriMo writing challenge this month. But whether you’re participating this year or just looking for ways to improve your writing routine, we hope these tips will help you over the finish line a little easier.

Develop a Schedule

Sometimes it can be hard to implement a schedule when you find that inspiration often eludes you. Although tempting to wait for inspiration to strike, it’s never a wise decision as it’s impossible to rely on creativity to arrive when you need it, but consistency and showing up anyway will bring you ever closer to your goal.

Start by setting a writing schedule that you can realistically maintain. Whether that’s writing consistently for an hour, 30 minutes or 15 minutes, choose a number and stick to it. Then select a time of day that works best for you; whether it’s in the evening or before your day begins, try to pick a time when you’re generally at your most creative.

Set the Scene

This brings us nicely to our next point: set the scene for success. It’s all the more difficult for inspiration to come knocking when you can’t hear yourself think, so try to choose a time when you can easily eliminate distractions.

Whether that’s taking yourself off to your local library, shutting yourself in the spare room or turning off your phone, anything you can do to get into the zone will ensure you get the most out of your allotted writing time.

Dive Deeper

Deadlines can be daunting when viewed head on, but they seem much more achievable when you break them down into smaller, manageable chunks.

One way of tackling your deadlines is to take a deeper look at the project as a whole and begin working backwards when setting up your tasks within a deadline. This way you can identify exactly what you need to do in order to meet your longer-term goal on time. Plus, setting multiple deadlines is a great way to motivate yourself as you tick each task off your list!

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year?