How to set deadlines as a writer

Ask the Author Podcast Transcript

Episode 39, 4th March 2024

Subscribe

How does Jodi handle setting and achieving writing goals? Jodi Gibson, author of REINVENTING EMILY BROWN answers this curly listener question.

Intro

In the intro, Jodi Gibson mentions some interruptions she’s had to her writing schedule (including house renovations and a malfunctioning laptop). Jodi talks about how she is a much more pleasant person when she's writing!

Show Notes

• Tip 1: Set realistic goals
• Tip 2: Take a look at your next 3, 6 and 12 months
• Tip 3: Work out how much time you can dedicate to writing
• Tip 4: Count on interruptions
• Tip 5: Get some external accountability
• Tip 6: Make writing a priority

Episode Transcript

This week's question comes from another Jodi on Instagram, and Jodi messaged me and asked me how she can go about setting and sticking to deadlines. I will read out exactly what she wrote:

**Hi, Jodi, thank you so much for taking the time to consider my question. I was just wondering how you set deadlines and how you stick to them. I always have great intentions of setting deadlines, but then they rush past me and before I know it, I'm back at square one. So I'd really love some advice on this. Thank you so much, and I love listening to your podcast. **

Okay,Jodi, great question deadlines and setting goals.

Tip 1: Set realistic goals

I am a goal setter, so I think that's part of it. I think when you are someone who likes to set goals for themselves, setting deadlines perhaps is a little bit easier. For me, it comes down to the goals I've set at the start of the year. So each year I'll set some goals for myself.

I'll set some realistic goals, I'll set some crazy goals and then by the end of the year, I'll see how I've gone, and it's those goals that help me work out what deadlines I need to set in regards to my writing.

So, for example, this year my two major writing goals are to complete the Christmas rom-com novella and have that published, in which I will be doing as part of an anthology. I can't say too much more on that at the moment, but that is my goal number one.

And goal number two is to complete the second and possibly third draft of my next Feel Good Fiction. Now I am three-quarters of the way through the first draft, so that's a couple more drafts that I want to get done this year on that one. So they're my two major goals and from that I then prioritise what needs to be done.

So with the novella it's a little bit easier because it is part of a group, so we have our deadlines already set for us, and so I had a deadline of the first to March. We had to get our characters and our premise and a short synopsis done, and we have some goals of I think it's June. We need to have the final copy ready to send off to beta readers, and then we have a few goals after that to get it published and so forth. So that's been rather easy in terms of I don't have to set those goals or deadlines because they're already set for me. I just have to work towards them. But I can also set mini deadlines for each of those deadlines if that makes sense.

So I do have a self-imposed deadline of the end of April to finish the second and third draft of the novella. So that's for me that will be pretty much the final. I'll probably get some eyes on it after that and then revise it. So I've set that one with my Feel Good Fiction. I have I did have oh well, I do have, I should say. I do have a deadline of early April to finish the, the first draft and have a run through that as well and get that off to my editor. Now I'm going to have to revise that goal, just with lots of other things going on other than writing. So I will have to push that out, but I'll push it out by a month and work towards that.

Tip 2: Take a look at your next 3, 6 and 12 months

So I think my best piece of advice is, first of all, is to sit down and have a look at what you have coming up over the next three, six, twelve months. I think that is the first thing, and you need to factor in things other than writing. You need to factor in your family life, your work life outside of writing.

If you're not writing full-time, which most of you won't be, you need to factor in sporting commitments, hobbies, catch up with friends, family commitments, holidays, all of those sort of things, so that you actually can work at how much time you have each week, on an average week, how much time you have to commit to your writing, and from there I would suggest setting, perhaps, if you want to write, find out how many days a week you want to write.

Tip 3: Work out how much time you can dedicate to writing

So, do you want to write every workday, Monday to Friday? You want to set aside a particular time that you can write? Do you want to write seven days a week, say, every morning or late at night? Find out what works for you. Find out what would be the minimum time you would be happy with devoting to your writing, and I would start with that. That's a great place to start it, even if it's a half an hour a day or an hour a day. That will get you in the habit of writing and get you progressing and moving forward, which is so important when you're working towards goals and deadlines.

Tip 4: Count on interruptions

And, of course, you'll always have things that pop up to interrupt your work schedule, your writing schedule and your deadlines, such as I'm having at the moment, which is house renovations and, you know, my laptop having a little meltdown, those sort of things. So they'll always come up when you don't want them to, when they're least expected to, and you just have to roll with them. But I always suggest giving as much time as you need, plus a little bit more. So give yourself a little bit of breathing space and set a deadline. Now, if you don't have an editor that you're working with and you've got a book, something, set in with them, booked in with them, that you're working towards.

Tip 5: Get some external accountability

Another way you can be accountable is if you're a part of a writing community or a writing group and you can put it out there and you can say, okay, by this date I want to have XYZ done and can you please help me work towards that check-in on me, even if it's just a really good friend who's a writer, and you can email them and say, okay, this is my deadline. Can you please help me? Can you? I'm going to check in with you every week. Let you know how I'm going. Be firm with me, give me a kick up the butt when I need to, but help me push towards that deadline so that just to create that accountability and of course, as I said, you can't be too hard on yourself if things get pushed out, but you also really do need to make it a priority. So that's, that's one way that you can do it.

If you have an editor you want to work with and you want to book something in with them, do it. Don't think about booking it in when you finish the draft or when you finish the next part of the process. Number one they'll be booked ahead. So it's really important to book early. And number two, it gives you that firm deadline because you don't want to let anybody else down. Of course, you don't want to let yourself down, but it's a lot easier to let ourselves down than it is to let other people down. So find someone who can be your accountability partner, whether it's a friend, whether it's a writing friend, someone in your writing group, your writing group as a whole, someone in the writing community. Just set that deadline with them so that they can help keep you accountable for it. And I guess my other piece of advice for setting deadlines and goals and and not just letting them whoosh past is.

Tip 6: Make writing a priority

What I said before is is make writing a priority. If you, if you want to do this, if you have a goal in mind of whether it's finishing a book, starting a book, getting a book published, whatever it may be make sure first of all that it's an achievable goal. So work it in with your, your work, life and everything like that. I don't think having a book published is a great goal as such, because sometimes that's out of your, that's out of your control. Basically, particularly if you are going down the traditional publishing route because you are relying on someone else saying, yes, we'll publish your books. So if you're indie publishing totally different you can set that again, huge learning curve, working towards that for the first time. So keep that in mind.

But the main thing is just just make your writing a priority, even if it's 10 minutes a day, just a little bit of time to keep you moving forward, to create that writing habit. And once you start meeting deadlines, the power of meeting a deadline and going, yes, I did it is is so amazing and that will fuel you on in the future. So I think that's that's probably all I can say on deadlines and goals. Absolutely it helps if you're a deadline and goal-driven person to begin with. But number two make it a priority and fit it in where you can with your life. And you know, don't set a deadline that's going to be too, too unrealistic for your circumstances. So make it realistic. Helps get someone in to help work you, work you towards that, make you be accountable. And number three trust in yourself. I guess that you can do it, because you can do it. It takes effort, it takes prioritising, it takes letting other things go. You know, if you love your house spotlessly clean, maybe step back and do a little bit less and devote that extra time to writing, or don't watch a TV show at night or whatever. You can make way for your writing that way and really make those deadlines and goals priorities.

In Summary

If you'd like to know more about this week's topic, you can check out my website at www.jfgibson.com.au Or if you have a question about writing or publishing that you'd like answered on the podcast, please reach out to me on my website or via Instagram, where you'll find me at JF Gibson Writer. The easiest way to find me is to Google Jodi Gibson Author, where you'll find my website and my socials. So I do look forward to hearing from you. Okay, Jodi, I hope that helps.

It was a bit rambly, I think, because I really get passionate about making writing a priority and I think when you're setting goals and deadlines, that needs to be the number one thing and just try your utmost to stick to them. And when you make it a priority and you believe in yourself that you're a writer and you believe in yourself that you can achieve these things, it becomes so much more important to you to meet those deadlines. So good luck with that. I hope that does help. That's probably all I've got for you this week.

As I said, it's a bit of a crazy week. The podcast which you will many of you who get up early Monday morning to listen on your morning walk or commute will know that it's a little bit late, so I do apologise for that, but hopefully things will be on track for next week. So in the meantime, set yourself a deadline. Set yourself a deadline for the end of the week that you want to achieve X, y and Z. Make it realistic, make it achievable and see how you go with setting a deadline for this week and let me know how you go. Okay, that's all from me. Have a wonderful week. Have a great writing week. I hope it's productive for you and I will talk to you next time. Until then, happy writing. That's all for this week.