I’m working towards a deadline for my final draft (Draft 3) of my play and using every spare pocket of time to make it happen. Working in this intensive, focused way has been unique to other parts of the writing process so in this episode I speak about what has been helpful and unhelpful in managing my time, my brain and my emotions in this final stretch of the project. I speak about:
Not rushing through your process even though you're on a deadline.
Trusting the habits you’ve built already and depending on the routines and writing rituals that work for you. Don’t throw them out the window now that you need to ‘go faster’.
Creating a goal that is more meaningful and motivating than ‘get to the end’ or ‘finish my play’.
Leaning on my new goal of ‘continuing to deepen and master my craft’ to guide each writing session. This helped reframe the minutiae of the notes I had to implement as I was willing to put in the work to become a better writer beyond the outcome of this project.
The magic of asking myself, ‘Do I have everything I need to take the next step?’ and recommitting step by step.
Leaps of faith when you hit a block and feel overwhelmed. Be willing to believe you will pull this off.
Writing when you’re not in the mood to write. My capacity to handle discomfort and to keep writing when my mood wasn’t ideal was key.
Writing treats. For me that means stationary and snacks.
Being conscious of the media and entertainment I was consuming and staying in the genre of my work just for the period of getting to the end of my play.
References:
Episode 9. Dramaturgy, Feedback and Implementing Notes - for my workflow and process for working with feedback.
This episode was originally recorded in August 2021. You can watch the video diary here: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CStcGi7JWht
You can learn more about my work on my website http://www.emilysheehan.info or say hi and ask me a question via @emilysheehan__ on Instagram.