Deadlines!

I’m turning 30 tomorrow, which is absolutely terrifying. It’s weird to turn an age that, as a child, you always thought of as old. Does that mean I’m old now? Someone told me you’re as young as you feel – if that’s the case, this is the first age that I actually feel I am. I’ve spent most of my twenties feeling like I was thirty, so I guess time has finally caught up with me. So maybe I’ll hover around “feeling” age thirty well into my blue hair days. At any rate, thirty is a big one because for most of my adult life, I’ve had it as a sort of deadline. There were certain things I wanted to do  by the time I was thirty and I’ve very nearly done most of them: travel, get a book contract, live abroad, go to graduate school (graduating when I’m 31, but close enough), start a theatre company (now defunct, but still!), get married. I didn’t want to have kids until I was in my thirties and that still stands. I wanted to move to New York City – we’re moving there in about six months. If I hadn’t reached my goals, I’m not really sure how I’d feel. I’d probably go through all the valid reasons why things hadn’t worked out and then set a new goal (“By the time I’m forty…”) because who has time for regret? Actually, I think my fear of regret is what pushed me to do all the things I wanted to. This tendency of mine to set deadlines is, I think, a big part of why I was able to do so much in my twenties (that and being super blessed with a wonderful husband and opportunities I will always be grateful for). By having thirty looming over my twenties, I had a serious motivator – a sort of evil life coach yelling at me whenever I slipped away from a goal. Though setting deadlines for yourself can sometimes be unhealthy or unrealistic, I think they’re essential for artists. Let me explain.

Artists often work in a timeless bubble. We lose track of time, lost in worlds of our own creation. We go back in time, studying the masters or recreating lost eras. What we make is often ethereal and timeless because we’re evoking the human spirit, which never goes out of fashion. The goal of much of the work we do is to call to the most ancient part of the human psyche and, because of that, we sometimes get to hang out on the sidelines of the rat race while Time nips at everyone else’s heels. Of course, many of us are dealing with questions of whether or not our work is relevant or, particularly for us YA writers, if it’s falling into or out of a trend. Artists are probably more aware of the market today than ever before and so it is becoming more and more difficult to send Time away when it comes calling. This is where self-imposed deadlines (and real ones from editors and the like) can be a lifesaver.

For me, deadlines have proven to be enormously helpful. I wrote my debut novel in a forced time crunch. I made myself do a tailor-made NaNoWriMo that lasted about six weeks. I wanted to have the first draft of the novel finished by then, in large part because I was applying for the Susan. P. Bloom PEN Discovery Award. I knew part of winning that award was getting a reading from various editors and therefore the work I was submitting had to be in perfect shape for that. So, I wrote under that six-week deadline, finishing the novel in the time I allotted myself and then pushing to perfect the following drafts. By the time I received the award, the novel was completed. Once the ceremony rolled around a month or so later, I had an agent (based on the winning manuscript’s submission). I was hoping that the book would sell before my first residency for my MFA at VCFA and it did. None of that would have been possible without my first deciding that I could and would write that novel under my own deadline.

I tried it again with my second novel, which I just finished this weekend. I knew I wanted the first draft completed by October because I’d have to do revisions on my debut novel when my editor had them and I didn’t want to lose the flow of either work. Creating that deadline for myself allowed me to not only finish a first draft, but have it ready for submission a few months later. I knew I wanted to have what in my mind was the submittable draft by the time I let for my residency this Thursday. I pushed myself to get the second draft completed and then worked hard to finish a third. I gave it to my agent yesterday, two days before I leave for my residency. This was a novel I only had a couple of chapters of in July. Through creating these deadlines, I’m able to stay focused on the work and not get lazy or start other projects when my WIP becomes frustrating. I’m also able to write anywhere from one to two books a year because I’ve been training to do just that.

I had a great talk with my agent yesterday – a sort of New Year’s discussion in which we outlined what my publishing goals were for the year. Again, I set deadlines for myself in order to make sure that I’m able to meet those goals. Some of those deadlines are out of my control – it’s up to my agent and editor once they have my manuscripts. But in being clear about what I want, I think I get a little closer to ensuring that those manuscripts have a fighting chance to get on bookshelves sooner rather than later (and hopefully “later” is a worst-case-scenario…I have to get them purchased first!).

When we give ourselves deadlines, we make a promise to our career and ourselves as artists, but we’re also being self-motivated. Publishing is a sloooooooow business and it can be discouraging sometimes, having to wait around. By creating our own deadlines, we make sure that the work comes first. Slow and steady wins the race and all that. We also instill good habits in ourselves. If you have a deadline, then you need to be sitting at your desk writing every day to meet it. And soon those pages start adding up. Finding contests or residencies, grants or any other outside deadline can also be really helpful. Whether you’re trying to finish a novel or find an agent, try give yourself some deadlines and then work like hell to meet them. Your career might very well depend on it.

Now I need to figure out what I need to do by the time I’m forty…