I needed a break from posting on the weekend. I had a cough and aches. Sometimes, such days turn out to be solid work days: write in bed, sleep, wake up, and write more. Am I finished the novel? No. But so close. The week pulled it together in a way it needed to be. Still more to do—reading through and polishing.
Based on everything I’ve seen, you really work hard, Alison. No wonder you feel a bit slower today. You’re only human. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Sorry to hear you're feeling low. I've been there quite a lot this year, as you know. It DOES pass! (I'm in the upper middle realm at the moment.) I DO wish I were better at maintaining equilibrium, but I also think these ups and downs edify us, even deepen us. They have to be good for something!
As for deadlines, I am excellent at them if I've made a commitment to another person. Less so if the accountability is with myself. I used to be harsher with myself, but I am aware of my propensity for ups and downs and how the downs drain me and, worse, muddy my mind. I can't keep track of anything when that happens. Pressuring myself when I'm in that condition doesn't help. So I give myself short deadlines---how much I'll get done in a day, in a week---which allow me to feel I've accomplished something on a regular basis, and a soft deadline for the bigger project. I don't beat myself up if I don't meet it. It's not worth the anxiety pushing myself when I'm not 'right in the head' creates. I want to keep on track, but I don't want to be miserable while I'm doing it.
I suspect that how we handle this sort of thing has a great deal to do with personality and with where we are at in life. What works for me may not work for someone else.
Hope you are feeling better. It's my impression that several years of isolating has meant when friends of mine get a non-Covid virus, it's a doozy! As far as deadlines, when I am setting these for myself, I call them guidelines--ie tentative dates for accomplishing a task––because one of the benefits of being self-employed is that I am the boss, and I am very understanding with my employee (me) because I know that life happens, and I have learned that keeping a well-balanced life (physically, emotionally, etc) requires flexibility. It is great when I meet one of those tentative dates, but unless I have promised to get something done for someone else, my expectation is that as long as I get the thing done within a week of that tentative date, I've met my goal. Sounds to me like that's what you've done with this week of writing. So hurrah!
“But I am at the point at which if I look at the manuscript in one way I see it as “almost ready to go,” and if I look at it another, it appears to be a mess. (It’s not.) (It is.)”
I never understood how similar training for a marathon and writing to meet a deadline were!!! I think there is a difference between editing and writing for story flow. Allyson, if that's what you've been doing, you need rest, stay hydrated, and eat some brain food. 👍 I set personal goals on my calendar, so I can look over my month and see if met them for the month. I don't beat myself up if I didn't. Nor do I knuckle down to work harder. Instead, I pull out ancient drafts and see what passages would make a good Medium post.
I have yet to meet a writer who does have self-doubt. I’m sure there are some out there somewhere, but are they the sort of writer who obsesses until it’s their best work? Probably not. Give yourself some get we’ll time. Sounds like you’re almost there.
I hope you’re feeling better, Alison. I tackled the deadline of completing a novel by writing it on my Substack. It’s one hell of a motivation to get words on the screen. It’s working well with 25,000 words so far. The hardest part will be finding an agent but that’s another whole exercise in itself. I really enjoy your Substack.
Hope you’re feeling better, Alison!
You’re in the home stretch ❤️
Based on everything I’ve seen, you really work hard, Alison. No wonder you feel a bit slower today. You’re only human. Hope you’re feeling better soon.
Sorry to hear you're feeling low. I've been there quite a lot this year, as you know. It DOES pass! (I'm in the upper middle realm at the moment.) I DO wish I were better at maintaining equilibrium, but I also think these ups and downs edify us, even deepen us. They have to be good for something!
As for deadlines, I am excellent at them if I've made a commitment to another person. Less so if the accountability is with myself. I used to be harsher with myself, but I am aware of my propensity for ups and downs and how the downs drain me and, worse, muddy my mind. I can't keep track of anything when that happens. Pressuring myself when I'm in that condition doesn't help. So I give myself short deadlines---how much I'll get done in a day, in a week---which allow me to feel I've accomplished something on a regular basis, and a soft deadline for the bigger project. I don't beat myself up if I don't meet it. It's not worth the anxiety pushing myself when I'm not 'right in the head' creates. I want to keep on track, but I don't want to be miserable while I'm doing it.
I suspect that how we handle this sort of thing has a great deal to do with personality and with where we are at in life. What works for me may not work for someone else.
Hope you are feeling better. It's my impression that several years of isolating has meant when friends of mine get a non-Covid virus, it's a doozy! As far as deadlines, when I am setting these for myself, I call them guidelines--ie tentative dates for accomplishing a task––because one of the benefits of being self-employed is that I am the boss, and I am very understanding with my employee (me) because I know that life happens, and I have learned that keeping a well-balanced life (physically, emotionally, etc) requires flexibility. It is great when I meet one of those tentative dates, but unless I have promised to get something done for someone else, my expectation is that as long as I get the thing done within a week of that tentative date, I've met my goal. Sounds to me like that's what you've done with this week of writing. So hurrah!
This clanged my chime:
“But I am at the point at which if I look at the manuscript in one way I see it as “almost ready to go,” and if I look at it another, it appears to be a mess. (It’s not.) (It is.)”
I never understood how similar training for a marathon and writing to meet a deadline were!!! I think there is a difference between editing and writing for story flow. Allyson, if that's what you've been doing, you need rest, stay hydrated, and eat some brain food. 👍 I set personal goals on my calendar, so I can look over my month and see if met them for the month. I don't beat myself up if I didn't. Nor do I knuckle down to work harder. Instead, I pull out ancient drafts and see what passages would make a good Medium post.
I have yet to meet a writer who does have self-doubt. I’m sure there are some out there somewhere, but are they the sort of writer who obsesses until it’s their best work? Probably not. Give yourself some get we’ll time. Sounds like you’re almost there.
I hope you’re feeling better, Alison. I tackled the deadline of completing a novel by writing it on my Substack. It’s one hell of a motivation to get words on the screen. It’s working well with 25,000 words so far. The hardest part will be finding an agent but that’s another whole exercise in itself. I really enjoy your Substack.