Writing On A Deadline

Writing on a deadline can be stressful. Bad time management on my part makes things worse.

When I write for fun and for myself, I’m in control. In school however, I don’t get much of a say.

I also like doing things my way. I’ve been wondering what it would be like to write full-time for someone else. I’d probably like some things and dislike others. Then again, that could be said about any job.

When I set deadlines for myself, I can afford to be more flexible. If someone else is setting them, I have little to no flexibility.

Since I hate being late to anything, I do my best to meet every deadline. I never ask for extensions.

The creative process is hard work. Trying to create under time pressure doesn’t help.

I have no idea how people manage to work full-time and write on the side. That’s my goal after I graduate though. I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

I don’t ever want to give up writing. And while I may not write full-time, I’ll still create whenever I can. Besides, writing wouldn’t be as worthwhile if everything was easy.

I worry I’m trying to do too much, and I’ll burn myself out eventually. I’ve never been this exhausted before. It’s not a fun experience. Still, I’m too stubborn to stop writing.

Balancing everything is tricky. But I’ll manage.

The Most Difficult Thing About Working From Home

Obviously, I can’t speak for anyone else. But as someone who has worked from home for a while, I find self regulation the hardest part.

I need enough discipline to start and not to stop when I get distracted. So even though I love working from home, it’s still challenging.

I don’t like when people breathe down my neck. That said, I do like when others offer structure. I need deadlines to work effectively.

I enjoy the freedom and flexibility of working from home. I can create my own schedule. I’m able to work when I want to rather than when I have to.

Being able to work from home means I don’t need to leave the house every day. Then again, sometimes I want a change of scenery.

As a writer and blogger, I can do what I need to from almost anywhere.

Self discipline isn’t some innate skill. It takes time and effort to build. But being able to work independently is important.

I think working from home has advantages and disadvantages, just like everything else in the world. It’s not for everybody, but because I’m such a homebody, I can’t complain.

Personally I work best when somebody gives me specific instructions beforehand. And then gives me space to do the assigned task.

Everyone’s different, but having both structure and freedom is what I strive for.

What I Do When I Feel Overwhelmed

What do I do when I feel overwhelmed? I write about feeling overwhelmed in hopes I’ll feel better afterwards. But sometimes it makes me more stressed or anxious.

Some days, I’m not sure how I manage to balance my passions with my obligations. Even though I can’t optimize everything all the time, that doesn’t stop me from trying.

One time, I was telling my friend I didn’t know if I’d be able to get everything done. Bless her for saying I always do.

I have a lot of work and too little time. My confidence is a bit shaky right now. I blame my mastery over procrastination.

If only I had more time. But I don’t have 25 hours in a day, I can’t write my essays next year. So I just have to make the most of it.

Because I’m a stubborn human being, there are things I refuse to give up even with deadlines looming.

I like to think I can write relatively well. That said, I doubt I’ll ever let myself forget how hard writing is.

Working with words takes time, regardless of skill and talent.

It’s been a while since I’ve had this much school related stuff to handle. I’m kind of freaking out.

But that small voice in my head tells me I’ll get everything done to a decent extent. I’ve accepted the fact I can’t make everything perfect. So I’m covering my bases as much as possible.

In a perfect world, I’d ace everything. But my real world won’t end if I don’t. My ego might suffer, but it deserves a reality check once in a while.

Somehow I’ll survive. I need to make good decisions in the following weeks. I should be fine. If I make terrible choices, that’s on me. I can’t blame anybody. Besides, I reap what I sow. I also don’t reap what I don’t sow.

Writing An Essay In One Day

Instead of having one week to write an essay, I had one day. I don’t know how I managed, but I did. Somehow.

Thankfully, the paper wasn’t too long. I wrote during the day. I took short breaks in between writing the first draft. At night, I edited the essay a few times before submitting it.

At least, this wasn’t an essay for school. It was for a scholarship.

I saved the wrong date. I put in the day winners would be selected rather than the deadline for submission. So I thought I had seven days. But then I checked and realized I only had one. Safe to say, I never want this to happen again.

Of course, it wasn’t the best essay I’ve ever written, but I’m happy with how the paper turned out.

Lesson learned. I should be more careful when noting down dates. Also, next time I’ll check well in advance to see if the deadline is still the same or has changed.

Present me wasn’t pleased with past me. So much for being meticulous.

Knowing When To Let Your Stories Go

At some point, you have to let your story go. You can’t hold onto one story your whole life and never move on. Well, I guess technically you can.

Letting go and moving on applies to every stage of the creative process. Easier said than done though.

My problem isn’t so much moving on but knowing when to let go.

How do you know when to let your story go?

If you plan to submit your piece somewhere, there’s a predetermined deadline you’ll have to meet. That external force often helps.

But what if you don’t have a deadline?

Set one yourself.

Be your own boss. Otherwise, you’ll never get much work done.

It’s okay if you don’t feel ready, if your story isn’t perfect.

At least you did the best you could. And next time you’ll do better. After all, nothing can truly replace first-hand experience.

So start stories but finish them. When you’re done with one, write another. Keep going. You’ve come a long way, yet you have so much further to go.

Let go. Move on. Start over. Start again.

There’s no shame in that. Don’t you dare feel guilty for creating art the way you want.

I know I used the pronoun “you,” but I was directing this post at myself. Disregard any advice that doesn’t apply to you.

As 2017 winds down to a close, I can’t help but reflect on this year. Honestly, I’m happy with how it turned out. I can’t wait to see what lessons await me in 2018.

Thank you so much for being a part of my journey. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading these posts as much as I have writing them.

Keep Yourself Motivated

My master list of motivation tips.

You’ll have to click here (1-5) or here (6-10) for a more in-depth explanation of each.

1. Find what or who you love about the story. 
2. Make a friend keep you accountable. 
3. Punish yourself. 
4. Set deadlines. 
5. Publish your story. 
6. Play music. 
7. Leave home. 
8. Have fun. 
9. Delay reward. 
10. Start writing. 

This second post isn’t a cover up for my mistake.

How To Finish Your Stories

I was asked this on Tumblr:

I find that I start and stop a lot of my stories, and sometimes never come back to them. How do I keep myself motivated to finish at least one?

and here is my long overdue answer!

1. Find what or who you love about the story. I can’t speak for everyone, but when I don’t continue with a story, it’s because I’m bored. And that kills my motivation so much I don’t finish what I start, even if I’m just a sentence away from the end. Whenever this occurs, I ask myself what I love about the story more than anything else. Is it one character in particular? Is it a scene or piece of dialogue? I’ve never been in love with a real human being, but I have been in love with my characters. That’s usually enough to get me to finish. It’s unfair to my characters and myself if I don’t.
2. Make a friend keep you accountable. This works if you have an awesome friend who will nag you about your writing. It doesn’t work so well if they aren’t as awesome and care less than you. All I can say is pick wisely. If you don’t have anyone awesome around, go out and befriend another writer. Your accountability partner doesn’t have to be a writer, though let’s face it, why wouldn’t you want to be friends with one?
3. Punish yourself. Might not the best way to keep yourself motivated. Then again consequences could be what you need to finish your story. Maybe you’ll hold out on buying a book you’ve been eyeing. Or you’ll fork over a couple dollars to your brother or sister for every story that goes unfinished. Think of giving your sibling money despite being beyond broke. Now finishing that piece doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I will warn you beforehand: it takes a lot of discipline to follow through on a punishment.
4. Set deadlines. Treat writing like a real job rather than a hobby. Do be reasonable with your deadlines. A week, a month, maybe half a year depending on the length of your story and your current lifestyle. Work out a schedule. How many words do you need to write a day to meet your goal? How many pages will you edit each week to make the date you set out? It’s okay to stray from your schedule every once in a while but try to make up for it as quickly as you can. Otherwise, it’s a downhill battle fraught with late nights, long days, and loud screams.
5. Publish your story. If there’s one thing my WordPress blog is good for, it’s getting me to actually finish stuff. WordPress, WattPad, whatever platform works for you. Knowing you need to publish said story means you sort of need to finish it. Unless you’re the kind of writer to publish something unfinished. Don’t be that kind of writer.

I posted 5 more tips on my Tumblr blog, which you can find here, if you aren’t sick of my advice yet.

Things To Hate

• Short deadlines.
• Strict instructions.
• Snobby humans.

I’m not that full of hate.

My Things To Love post was longer.

See, I am capable of love.