When I first started starlighting, I set a deadline.  “I’ll finish my first draft of this novel by May 17.”  That self-imposed deadline did two things: it gave me a goal and made the starlighting seem manageable.  I wouldn’t have to get up early forever, just until May.

May 17 was a great deadline.  I missed that goal – a first draft took me longer than I thought – but by May I had finished most of the novel and I set a new deadline.  I’d finish the draft by my birthday.  This time I did.

When pursuing our own dreams, we have to take charge of setting our own deadlines.  It’s OK to miss, but we need something to shoot for.  I set a goal of setting up this starlighting blog by the April 2012 UW-Madison Writers’ Institute conference.  Whew, I just made it. I posted my first entry from the conference hotel room.  Without a deadline it might have been another year or more.

Why May 17?  That’s my anniversary.  It was 6 months away and gave me a meaningful deadline date.  Here’s ideas for generating your own deadlines:

• Pick a meaningful day – birthdays, holidays
• Tie a writing deadline to a trip or other treat (I will go to Colorado when I finish X).
• Take a writing class and use the class assignments as deadlines.
• Join a critique group.  Group expectations do wonders to motivate on a deadline.
• Enter a contest.  There are so many writing contests and contests give great outside deadlines.
• Try a writing marathon like NaNoWriMo.  Now there’s a deadline!

What deadlines work for you?  What deadline are you going to set for yourself this year?  Do your writing a favor and set a date today.  If you share it here, I’ll email you on your “deadline” to check in. Now there’s group accountability!