Most writers will know what it feels like to write to a deadline. And if you don’t, you’re probably missing a trick. You see, a deadline, whether self-imposed for your personal blog, or set in stone by your boss, can do wonders for your copy if you know how to manage it.
Here’s why:
- you’ll learn how long it actually takes you to write, which will make your life much easier when it comes to pitching ideas, timeframes and rates.
- you’ll learn how long it actually takes you to proofread and edit your work (see benefits above).
- you’ll learn to ask the right questions when receiving a brief, which means you’ll avoid those clients or assignments that aren’t right for you.
- you’ll get much better at not procrastinating and therefore better at overall time management.
- you’ll learn ‘what works for you’. For example, I know that writing before breakfast is my sweet spot; I’m more productive then than at any other time of day so it makes sense for me to factor that in to my writing schedule and, for example, go for a run when my concentration starts to lag around midday.
- practice makes perfect and lots of deadlines means lots of writing.
I write a lot but I know that if I didn’t have deadlines to keep me in check, nothing would ever get finished!