by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Sometimes (rarely), a book flies along as I write it. The words come automatically into my head and I type quickly to get them down. The book I’m writing now is like that. I’m probably at least a couple of weeks ahead of schedule on it.
As soon as I realized that if I continued at the pace I’m working that I could finish the book at least a month early, I started getting in my own way. I thought, “Then I can start working on the book that I said would come out in fall—maybe get it out in summer, instead. Then I can work on the next book that I was hoping to get out by January and move it up to October. Maybe then I can…”
But I managed with some difficulty to stop myself. There are lots of variables that can get in the way. There’s no point getting ahead of myself—I just need to keep writing as much as I can every day and adjust my production schedule accordingly.
Issues hubris might cause:
Setting ourselves up for a fall.
Not being realistic in measuring either our ability to deliver or the income our project may generate.
Getting overwhelmed and then immobilized by the big picture.
Setting expectations so high that we’re too eager to put the book out on the market…and we take shortcuts with our editing (or even cover design and formatting).
For me, it’s most helpful to look at what I’m doing each day. Work on that day’s goals instead of jumping ahead. There’s definitely a time for me to set long-range goals and plan: that’s on my production calendar. That’s when I’m in a logical mood, carefully calculating how long it will take me to write books, have the books covered, etc.
If I work faster than I’d planned…great. Then I can move my production schedule up. But it shouldn’t mean that I’m counting my chickens before they hatch. If I set my expectations and goals low, I’ll keep meeting them. Slow and steady wins the race.
Do you ever get ahead of yourself? How do you rein in your expectations?
Image: MorgueFile: Alice10
Is that a humble-brag? :) I’m trying to get caught up from several weeks behind.
You could use the time you’ve gained to enjoy spring break.
But… Russell Blake put out 25 books in 30 months.
Peace, Seeley
Seeley–I know–it looks that way! I think it’s more…surprise. :) I’d think I’d be burned out right about now (knocking on wood as I type that).
25 books in 30 months….heard about that! No, I’m more of a 3-4 book a year type. Maybe this year it will be 4.3. But I’m getting ahead of myself again!
I’ve got obstacles in the form of routine changes heading my way, too. Spring break for me (coming in April) means looking at colleges with my son. And then is summer break with the kids home (alternating, usually), much of the time. Hmm.
Last fall I completed NANOWRIMO. Hurrah, at the end of 30 days I had a book!
Okay, I didn’t have a book. I had 13 half-written short stories that I wanted to turn into a book. Working on all 13 stories at once was more than a little ambitious. And then freelance writing, which has its ups and downs, took off again and I hit pause on the book — again.
Now I’m scaling back with hopes of self-publishing the first story as a standalone “novella” in a couple of weeks.
Slow and steady really does win the race, especially when you’re typing with crossed fingers.
Becky–Oh, I know that feeling of “it’s done!” And then, of course, it’s usually not done…ha! Glad you found a good plan for the first story and glad to hear your freelancing is going well, too.
Oh, constantly. I found Final Hope so easy to write that I assumed I’d be able to fly through my next projects and have three or even four full manuscripts written by the middle of this year.
Lady Raven really hit me back in that department, taking far longer than I’d expected. And the new urban fantasy mystery series I’m working on has also been slow to build momentum.
Right now I’m working on my edits for Final Hope, and just trying to enjoy how little needs to change.
Paul–And that’s something to celebrate with Final Hope!
Yes, and it’s so dispiriting to make all these wonderful, glossy plans…and then things just don’t move as quickly for the other books.
Elizabeth – Oh, how right you are about the need to pace oneself, even if one is a little ahead of schedule. First of all, you never know what might happen and as you say, then you’re riding for a fall. Second, I think it’s a matter of expending energy so fast there’s not time to restore it. And getting too far ahead of oneself doesn’t allow for taking some time to feel good about our ability to meet deadlines, whether self-imposed or not.
Margot–Exactly. That’s the point when there will be some sort of family health crisis, etc. And a very good point about celebrating our successes instead of just charging ahead!
I always set schedules and end up breaking them. I’m still at the unpublished stage and learning my craft but it takes sooo long to get through my projects. I thought I’d get faster with the more I learned but it seems I’m taking even more time to do things. Sigh.
Traci–You’re probably learning more every day and taking time to incorporate what you’ve learned. I wouldn’t worry about it…it does get to a point where that learning arc sort of flattens out a little and we just apply what we know.
If it weren’t for that very thing “I started getting in my own way”, I’m sure I would have been better off. Someone said to me once, “Don’t be your worst enemy.” I remind myself of that each day and try not to trip myself up.
T
Teresa–Such a good point! Yes, I’m frequently my own worst enemy. And no one is as hard on me as I am on myself, either.
I’m with you. I can only successfully do “the next thing.” My plans beyond that are useless.
Oh, I’ve got a queue. Sure.
But a realistic project plan? Not a chance.
There is an oil field project management gem which goes something like ” Done by Tuesday? Sure. It’ll take a shotgun and a hundred dollar bill, but sure.
Jack–I like that saying. :)
It’s a lot less stressful just worrying about the current day than thinking ahead, that’s for sure.
Hi Elizabeth – it is so easy to be distracted and think right ahead, jump the hurdles … to realise you’ve still to write or finish the goal off …
Good luck and I’m sure all will pan out for you … College son – brilliant … hope he enjoys looking at the colleges, as do you both .. cheers Hilary
Hilary–Looking at colleges is fun…and a little…sad? But it’s also nice to know that I’ve got one about to leap eagerly out of the nest and that it looks as if I helped prepare him to be so independent. I guess bittersweet is the term. :)
I do get ahead of myself sometimes. I actually started my blog tour with a couple at the tail end yet to be written. Not a good idea, but that’s just the way things turned out.
Stephen–And it always seems (at the time) that we’ll have plenty of time to write those blog posts or those pages or whatever it is…but then, sometimes, life gets in the way!
One thing I’ve learned from Rosanne Bane is the difference between commitments and goals and the value of having both.
I’m committed to showing up to write for 15 minutes every day. If I do that, I’ve kept up my habit.
But I have goals I can stretch for. Before the house we lived in was sold a couple weeks ago (just before our month long trip to Arizona and California) I was stretching to 4,300 words a day. That came to a grinding halt, but I’ll get back to something balanced when we’re home again because I have habits, built by my commitments.
Joel–You’ve got some terrific discipline! I’ve been writing probably 4300 a day or more lately, but my goal is much, much lower. Like maybe 900 words. And then I blog that goal out of the water, but it gives me a real sense of accomplishment. It’s kind of sad how easily I can trick myself.
Elizabeth–
Like Joyce Carol Oates, you are obviously a phenomenon as a writer, capable of being amazingly prolific. For that reason, using a term like “production schedule” is perfectly in sync with what you do. But for me, it’s a depressing idea–to equate the creative process with turning out widgets. But make no mistake: I freely acknowledge that those in the business of writing novels must think in such terms.
Barry–Thanks for the kind words! And you know…it worries me sometimes that I’m tossing stuff out there. Nobody wants to feel like a hack. I have to work harder to keep that from happening…to keep the freshness in the writing and in my creativity.
I’ve had a tendency to set unrealistic goals for myself. I’m learning what I am capable of accomplishing and about what amount of time it takes me to produce something I proud of to the quality I want out of it.
Raul–I think it takes a while to figure out exactly what a realistic goal is. Once we get a handle on it, it does make things easier.
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