Author Insight: Defeating the Deadline

Do you have a strategy when you’re on deadline?

"No. Just plug away. Faster. Harder. Sometimes I try and outline more than usual." - K. Ryer Breese, author of Future Imperfect. 

"Not really, It’s just head to the page and write, write, write. I have to admit, I LOVE working to a deadline, I thrive on pressure." - Leigh Fallon, author of The Carrier of the Mark. 

"Send the husband out for dinner, put on the headphones, and get ‘er done." - Elana Johnson, author of Possession. 

"I try to map out a bunch of mini-deadlines or goals--getting certain chapters or sections of the book done by a certain time-- so that I stay on track. I also make writing my first priority, not answering email or checking facebook or anything until I'm done with I wanted to accomplish. Sometimes it means I have no life outside of writing and work, but that's how it has to be!" - Stephanie Kuehnert, author of Ballads of Suburbia. 

"Yes, my strategy is to work really hard." - Marta Acosta, author of  Haunted Honeymoon.

"Write. Just write.  I kind of like deadlines, they can take a lot of the hemming-and-hawing out of writing. I stock up on food and then I jump in." - Alyxandra Harvey, author of Haunting Violet.

"Yes: sit down, Butt In Chair, and write. (Thank you, Jane Yolen!)" - Dawn Metcalf, author of Luminous. 

"Start early and work a lot.  Don’t get behind to begin with, I guess." - Josephine Angelini, author of Starcrossed. 

"I wish I did. I’m not particularly good at writing to deadline because I won’t be rushed. For me, a rushed author = rushed writing. Luckily I have understanding publishers who want me to write at my best, so they don’t hassle me too much." - Alison Goodman, author of Eona. 

"I overextend myself with other stuff so time is severely limited, then work around the clock and eat garbage. Other planned strategies look fabulous onpaper, but so far, this is the reality." - Trinity Faegen, author of The Mephisto Covenant.

 

"Just do it. Lol. I find the word count I want, then the amount of time I have and I set up a pages per day system (or words per day) and make sure I write at least that much. Normally I always finish before my deadlines so it works out well." - Emma Michaels, author of The Thirteenth Chime.

 "Write, write, write. Revise, revise, revise. Serious, the closer it gets to deadline the more hours of the day I spend writing and revising. I don't really change anything about my process, just my time investment." - Tera Lynn Childs, author of Sweet Venom. 

 "Hire babysitters. Stay off the internet." - Leah Cypess, author of Nightspell. 

Come back Thursday to find out what the other authors strategies are on deadline.

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