Handling Deadlines in the midst of Life's Distractions

Deadlines are important except when everything else is too

Jan 13, 2025

I’m starting 2025 off to the races in the midst of a deadline and other obligations that have been cropping up with the new year. Edits for The Starseekers arrived in Mid-December from my publisher. While the deadline for early February isn’t very far away, it was far enough away that I could enjoy the holidays without the pressure to hide away with my laptop.

Now that it’s January, I’m feeling the crunch slightly, but edits are moving smoothly. The bigger looming problems are the forces outsides of writing that are conspiring against me. I’ve always thought the start of the year was a slow time, but I’m starting to realize that’s not the case. Interestingly enough there’s quite a few applications for events, programs, and submissions I’m interested in that open and close over the next few weeks. Plus some author events I agreed to before I got back my notes. Throw in things in my life outside of writing I need to care of as well, there’s a lot going on.

Deadlines are important, however they aren’t the most important. I cannot just write the entire time as there are other things I need to take care of concurrently. And after being on a deadline for a few times I developed a few strategies to help me manage through this time.

Put all events, deadlines for tasks, and other appointments on a calendar ASAP. Although this is a pretty basic organizing hack, it’s the simplest thing to do and surprisingly easy not to. In the past I found if I don’t put something on the calendar right away, it could be forgotten, which leaves me either scrambling to make the deadline or feel the regret of just missing out.
Set editing goals for certain days. Either for a week or a specific days I set minor goals, for things I want to accomplish. I’ve done edits where I plunged in without a care, but a little structure helps a lot. Having goals lets me know exactly what work I need to do especially as I get near the end.
Build in time to allow for non-writing activities. Another writer called this Admin time and I’ve been referring to it ever since. It’s basically a block of time I schedule to take care of all essential tasks that don’t involve your novel. In this time I’ll time, do housekeeping, writing emails, running errands, and all other important tasks that keeps the wheels turning in my life.
Allow for surprises. Over the deadline period the unexpected will arise. You might get sick, get a visit from an old friend, or have to make urgent car repairs. I learn to leave wiggle for things that I can’t possibly plan for, because that’s life in a nutshell.
Optimize what tasks you can. In the final weeks of a deadline, I make a rough menu for meals for the days, so it’s one less thing to think about. It’s a small thing I do, but it allows me to better use the time when I’m in that final push, as it’s one less thing to worry about. Similarly, I make sure other tasks and errands are taken care of so I can stay focused.
Remember that deadlines are flexible. At the end of the day, a deadline is an arbitrary date. It’s just the ideal date you and your publisher agreed on. The best thing for me going into a deadine is being assured by my editor that if my edits become more complicated than I thought at first, I can always reach out and ask for more time. A publisher wants the book from you yes, but it’s better for everyone to have the best possible book even if it takes longer. They’ll be okay with extending a deadline as long as you give them a heads up. While I have yet to ask for an extension, knowing that I can relieves me of some pressure and the fear of what will happen if I can’t make it in time.

I have a few upcoming events the next few months. From local cons, to author events to books festivals, here are few I have booked already, with more to come. Make a trip if you can! I’ll be chatting about The Improvisers and bringing the hype for The Sarseekers.