Sunday, April 2, 2017

Day 33 - Under A Deadline

There is no question I am better under pressure. When I was in school I would always leave my projects and papers until the last few days then push them out usually writing the last few lines as I walked form my locker into class. I would hand them in, apologize for the fact they may not have been the neatest report or diagram the teacher had seen then take my seat. My instructors would just sigh as they looked over my work.

My reports were organized, properly sourced and handed in on time but they knew for a fact I had been putting the finishing touches on just moments before. I would hear all the time about how much less stress I would be under if I would just start sooner and split the work up over the entire time I had the assignment. This is an issue that persists even today. I will make a plan, get everything in order then sit and wait until it is nearly too late to get anything done.

When it came to Nanowrimo last year I was deeply in danger of seeing my first year where I did not cross the finish line but instead I dug deep and on the last day I had available to write I put in over thirteen thousand words to submit for the win once again. If I had spent more time earlier in the month getting my words down I wouldn't have anywhere near the pressure to do that. instead I coasted across the line with aching arms and a back that screamed to find the muscle relaxers.

Now as I am editing and working to create the book an agent asked me for two months ago I am hoping my last minute push streak stays alive because I am not even done with my half and the last day of this challenge, a mere fourteen days from today, is when I need to get working on the editing and submit to beta readers to get it to the agent by their deadline. I am working hard and I know my co-author said he is better under pressure as well but I do not know his track record. i am hoping he is able to push out the pages like I do but I am also looking for ways I can cover it if he falls short.

Time to get back to work and see how much my coffee and self induced stress can pull out of me today. When I do finally cross that finish line and have the collection of short stories I am working on I will share an excerpt for my wonderful readers to see if they have any feedback for us before we send it out to the red pen of editors and horror of the agent world.

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