How to Write Under Tight Deadlines

Every writer understands the stress of a deadline; it looms over your head like a pregnant cloud waiting to burst and you wonder if you'll ever get it done. You can write under tight deadlines, however, if you know how to properly organize. Writing under deadlines simply means working fast and carefully.

Write Under Tight Deadlines: Make a To-Do List

Your first goal in writing under tight deadlines should be to make a complete list of the tasks that need to be completed. This might mean listing several projects at once or breaking one project down into separate segments. If you don't know exactly what you have to do, you can't possibly hope to manage your time wisely enough to get everything done. Once you have the list, post it somewhere visible so that you can check things off as they are finished.

Write Under Tight Deadlines: Estimate Time Accurately

Don't promise to finish something that you can't possibly accomplish. Writing under tight deadlines might stretch you pretty thin, but it shouldn't be an unattainable goal, and if you promise to have an article to your editor before you can actually do it, you might end up losing the project altogether. The best way to do this is to compare your previous efforts at writing under tight deadlines to your current project to determine if your deadline is in fact feasible.

Write Under Tight Deadlines: Take Frequent Breaks

When writing under tight deadlines, it can be tempting to try and "power through", but this is actually a detrimental practice. First of all, if you work for twenty hours straight, you're not going to want to come back to the computer for a good long while, which could mean missing your deadline. To fight fatigue and stress, try taking frequent breaks that last no longer than thirty minutes each. That will give you a chance to recuperate and will give your brain a rest.

Write Under Tight Deadlines: Use a Logical Order