I work better with a deadline. A lot of people do. And it’s always been sort of built into my life in school. But when you’re doing something for yourself, something that doesn’t have a built-in deadline, then you have to make your own. So, I’ll choose a date and put it in my calendar that this is my deadline. But I’m sometimes guilty of not reaching those deadlines, and because I’ve set them up for myself, I can just push them to a later date with no real consequences other than some self-criticism.
Well, I’ve written in the past about how awesome it is to have writer friends—in particular, critique partners—and one of the many reasons they’re awesome is that they help make those self-imposed deadlines real. If you agree to swap drafts or edits on a certain date, then not sticking with a deadline will have actual consequences: a later swap date and a disappointed CP. Alternatively, you could just tell your writer friend (or any friend, really) that you plan to finish your outline by this date. Then you’ve established some degree of accountability.
I recommend you set deadlines for yourself and tell other people who can help keep you accountable. In fact, this is me doing just that: I’m participating in NaNoWriMo 2018!
Deadline: November 30
Goal: 50,000 words
Who’s with me?
Nicole Dreier 
Let’s do this!!!!
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