When Your Writing Schedule Falls Apart (And Why That’s Okay)

Being Zen is only one complaint away. Try it for yourself today.

They say those who don't plan plan to fail. So what if I plan but then fail? Do you mind if I complain a little? Ok great. That's why we're all here anyway.

For those in the know, it's Q2 right now. I became enlightened and decided to go hardcore on my planning for the rest of the year. I've broken down my writing goals along with other areas of my life into quarterly and monthly goals. In April, I was meant to get through two scenes, 15 and 16 of my fantasy romance book, Project Hollow (see here for a blurb).

I've finished scene 15 and have gotten a smidge into scene 16. But guess what, it's now May and I have to get through scenes 17 and 18. But 16 isn't done, which means 17 and 18 will be pushed back, and I'm coming to the realisation that with how I’m going, I'm not going to hit my year-end goals. Already. One month into the quarter, and I’ve already failed. That really sucks.

Backtracking a little, the whole reason I am being so particular about when I finish the scenes is that if I stick to my goals, I can finish draft one by the end of the year. That's not going to happen now because there is no way I can catch up, write three scenes in a month, work a real person's job, actually be a person, and breathe, live, eat, and do other stuff.

I'm feeling quite frustrated and also disappointed in myself. Why can't I write quicker? Why don't the ideas come to me faster? Why does editing take so long? Bleh!

But while it's fun to wallow, it only means the longer I stay in this state, the harder it will be to eventually pull myself out of it later on and get back into the rhythm of writing.

In therapy lately, I've been working on my perfectionism and my tendency toward black-and-white thinking. It's either I finish two scenes this month or nothing. You know what I mean. It's not really helpful to me in the long run, and it's limiting. I'm trying to be more spontaneous, though my body cringes at the thought and wants to make a list or fill out my planner to self-soothe.

I wanted to share some ideas on how I stay motivated to keep creating while battling my perfectionism and the desire to create a whole new Q2 plan.

Things are not always what they seem.

The joy of creation ~

Sometimes I need to remind myself that I actually like writing. It's not a job, it's a joy.

There are no other times in my life that I can remember going into flow state, like when I write. It is almost like a high, a feeling of total concentration. For once, my mind is not racing, and it's quiet and totally zoned in on the writing. Time is forgotten, and I am both falling and pulled forward by my pen. It is a delicious feeling, and when my husband walks into the study to interrupt me, I have my claws out, ready to rip him a new one. I intend to keep chasing this high. But the joy I feel while writing doesn't depend on my deadlines and goals; it just happens when I do the thing.

Reading back a scene I've written and seeing it as it played out in my mind is so satisfying. Also, the surprise I get when characters take the story in directions I didn't know about is so fun! Despite being a staunch outliner, there is still so much discovery in writing, and that is so cool.

There is no deadline ~

I'm not a full-time writer. I do this on the side. I have responsibilities and a whole job that is taxing and demanding. I have no KPIs for writing Project Hollow. The goal is to finish it, yeah, but there is no hard-and-fast deadline I need to hit. No boss is waiting to dock my pay if I don't get the draft done by December 31st. Also, life is going to life. It doesn't care about your planner or your to-do list; if it needs to upend your entire month, it shall do so, then walk away, leaving you with the mess, like the diva it is. What can you do?

It's good to have goals. I am 100 % goal-oriented in my bones. But if I don't hit them, it is literally not the end of the world. It doesn't mean I'm a bad writer or that somehow if I don't get Project Hollow done at a certain time, the perfect time for it to snag an agent's attention or sell to a publisher will expire.

I'm making art, baby. That's a higher calling. The art will do its thing on its own timeline, and respecting that is part of the process.

It's not about the end goal ~

And speaking about the process, have you heard this one: "It's not about the destination, it's about the journey"? I think Uncle Ben from Spider-Man said that one :P

It's a common topic of discussion these days about how, as a society, we've become so focused on instant gratification. We don't have patience; we want it all now, or even better, yesterday.

What is truly wrong with something taking as long as it needs to take? Good things take time. Something slapped together in a hurry without thought for how stories need time to ferment and stew and mature, just isn't going to be as good. I honestly believe that. Especially as a newer writer, it's just the way it is. Who am I to fight with the ways of the universe and Qadr?

I'm growing and learning as I write. If I am so focused on racing to the finish line, I am going to miss noticing changes in myself and being aware enough to actually absorb what I'm realising and put it into practice to create better writing. Life is not just about endings; it's about everything in between, too.

Filling the well ~

How's about a little less self-focus and a little more reading? To be a good writer, you need to know what a good story feels like and, of course, reads like. For that, you need to be consuming work that's not your own, constantly touching the live wire that is fiction, and taking away that exciting buzz it gives you to supercharge your own stories. Ok, enough of that metaphor.

When I read other books, particularly in the fantasy genre, I learn what other writers are testing the ground with, what ideas are hitting and what are singing. It's not just research; it's a way for our subconscious to bounce our own ideas off something that is already real. All art comes from other art, which comes from other art, which comes from other art, all the way back to the divine.

Reading other stories also makes me so much more excited to come back and work on my own. Do you ever read a book and then by the end of it, you are so pissed off that the author didn't write it the way you think it should have gone? Then you take all that angry energy and channel it into your own epic work because you know that at the end of the day, nothing else will satisfy your need for the story you need to hear as much as you can. It's like an itch no one else can reach but you.

Writing update ~

I'm chipping away at scene 16, where our two leads are going to break into a building together to steal some info. Of course, things are going to go wrong, then very wrong and then maybe a little right, and there will be ample opportunity for forced proximity hehehe. Sneaking around, stealing, snooping. All things I love to read about, and now get to try my hand at writing. Let's see if I can pull it off.

Progress update ~

Draft one: 39%

Current Scene: 16

Until next time,