Top Ten Signs You’re On A Deadline
So, Book 1 came out on 12/29. Book 2 released just this week (yay book 2! fly my pretty! fly!) and I’m deep in the weeds on book #3. Still calling it MY FAIR SUCCUBI, though that is by no means official. I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to deadlines, too. I hate nothing more than being late. HATE IT. And I don’t even like being on time. I like being early. There’s nothing that stresses me out more than having a deadline approach and not being ahead of schedule.
My book is due to turn in to my editor on March 1. I’m about 80% of the way through the first draft, and I’m planning to finish by February 1st. Once I’m done with the first draft, I’ll be able to read through the entire thing again and do a clean-up, 2nd draft. I don’t like the thought of turning it in ‘rough’, so I need that month of leeway to make me happy with it.
Urge to hide under blankets...rising...
And I’m 6 weeks out and stressing. Couple that with the fact that I have two deadlines at work (one on 1/31 and one on 2/10) and my brain is…what do you call it…FRIED.
So, a Top Ten list for you.
Top Ten Reasons You Know Jill is On a Deadline:
1) She is cranky and tends to snap at small things, like, say, the cats. How dare they crap up the litter box?
2) She forgets to do little things around the house. Like dishes. And laundry. And cook. And change the cat litter. If they would just stop crapping in it, though, this wouldn’t be a freaking problem.
3) Taking pictures of her cats.
4) She starts signing her emails at work with “I hope you enjoy the book! — Love, Jill.”
Hiding in a box is good too... (Please note, this is not how messy Jill's house currently is. This was taken when we were trying to clean up the designated 'clutter' room. Kitty helped.)
5) Uncontrollable sobbing.
6) The fierce urge to pack up her belongings in a handkerchief on a stick and live the carefree life of a hobo.
7) Lots of uncontrollable sobbing.
She refers to herself in the 3rd person.
9) Hunching over the computer for 19 hours a day (gotta leave 5 to sleep!) and getting a permanent squint as she stares at the monitor. And that crick in her neck. But it’ll all be worth it, kids! ALL WORTH IT.
10) She creates lists full of WILD EXAGGERATIONS of how her day really is. Well, only kind of exaggerated. The uncontrollable sobbing is spot on. 
So, how do you guys handle deadlines? Better than me, I hope.
deadlines… oh dear…
-I usually feel the urge to do a lot of cooking and baking (wich is incredibly stupid because it won’t help me to get my stuff done but will keep me away from it)
- my flat turns into a mess because I have neither the time (so my mind tells me) nor the energy (so my body tells me) for housework (wich is stupid as well because the chaos defenitly doesn’t help me either)
- Im becoming all emotionally and I cry easily and get upset with things/people
- I often start to talk to my cat as if she was a real person and ask her to help me or stuff like that…
well I guess my way to deal with deadlines isn’t better than yours
greetings Bentje
Oh! Cooking and baking! Two things I am terrible at.
Sounds like we can share our deadline stress!
I started learning how to cook and bake when I was about five years old, so I’m quite good at it now
My current deadline is a biochemistry exam next wednesday.
I already had:
- One panic attack.
- sudden realisation that I have only one week left!! Arrgh!!
- lack of motivation, as usual paired with lazyness and a mini depression
- problems with articulation. Speaking and spelling gets more challenging by the day
- being barely able to contain tears, tantrums and hysterical laughter.
Oh, and I´m tired. Very tired.
Also, the urge to procrastinate gets stronger by the minute… *sigh*
That procrastinating thing keeps kicking my ass too.
Hmmm strategies for coping with deadlines (helpful and not-so-helpful):
1) Get organized – make a list/outline/whatever. Once it’s in small pieces, it’s easier to tackle.
2) Bake/eat – yes, I blame this on the kids, but really, brownies make everything better, don’t they?
3) Clean – not that this helps me get things done, but, somehow, when my kitchen isn’t cluttered (or my desk), it feels less stressful.
4) Procrastinate – told ya these were mixed good and bad. I can always find time that I don’t have to read a book. Just hypothetically. Like right after this maybe.
Hang in there. Loved the junk room! I have the same (complete with gray and orange kitties going places they shouldn’t).
Ha! The junk room sort of made itself. I can’t bring myself to throw anything away and it sort of…accumulates in the guest bedroom.
I can be banging away at a project, inspired and impassioned and thinking of nothing else – and as soon as someone sets a deadline it’s gone. (Guess I don’t have much future as a professional writer
)
)
BTW, the belongings-bundled-in-a-handkerchief-on-a-stick is called a ‘bindle’, and another term for ‘hobo’ is ‘bindle-stiff’. (I love Webster’s online’s ‘word-of-the-day’
Hey, anyone know the steps for teaching a cat to use the comode?
=A
I think there are kits and books on the subject, if you check online. My husband was passionately devoted to the idea for a while. It basically came down to sitting in the bathroom with the cat and putting them on the throne every once in a while. We did have an insert that made it easier (I think it was to spoof a litter box for the cats to get them used to the idea of jumping up onto the toilet) – but you had to remember to remove before using the facilities yourself or Bad Things happened.
In the end, we went with Litter maid (automatic litter boxes). There’s a new system out now that actually flushes (you have to hook it up to water) that seems very much like a toilet for cats, but I haven’t researched yet.
All in all, my memory is that this was a lot work, stressed the cats out, and I sat in cat urine a few too many times.
I used to be like you with a deadline! But for some reason it’s flip-flopped recently and now I work hardest/fastest when the deadline is upon me.
Procrastination (or perfectionism, I’m not sure which one)is how I deal with deadlines – leave everything until the last minute and you HAVE to do it. Good luck and keep cranking away, because we love us our Lay of Sucks!
I’m cranking, I’m cranking! Don’t you worry – I don’t plan on missing this deadline.
not much better than you, I get cranky, avoid chores and don’t want to get up at all.
Whoa whoa whoa…your books only came out a month apart? How did that happen?!? LOL I thought I was reading the dates wrong for a while, but wow you must’ve been busy! No wonder you are talking to your cats
Not that there is anything wrong with that – I believe everyone talks to their pets even if they won’t admit it!
When I have a deadline I procrastinate REALLY bad, go through spastic emotional episodes, rant and rave that I am going to quit work and school to live as a bum in my dad’s basement for the rest of my life…..and then finally actually do the work
That’s pretty close to what I do – I have this alternative plan with my bff we talk about every semester when the exams roll round… Becoming loo waitresses (??? or whatever would be the right word, those gals that sit in front of the doors to make sure you pay);)
Procrastination also involves a lot of cleaning up until the point where I realise I really have to start RIGHT NOW or it won’t work anymore, than my flat goes to hell… And then I can work for hours on end without complaining – much
Thank the Powers that Be everyday that your cats use the little box. Some of us are not so lucky and some of our dogs have very sick eating habits.
I only have experience with dead lines at work, not regarding writing…
and my work deadlines sometimes keep me up at night and make me all jumpy and grumpy.
so, you are not alone 