Dealing with Deadlines

I just completed a writing assignment before the deadline! That is always a good feeling. It is better than finishing an assignment on deadline, and much better than missing the deadline and having to ask for an extension.
A deadline is important to stay motivated. The following quote sums up the value of deadlines. “A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all” Rita Mae Brown.

I take deadlines seriously because of the fact that I always agree to them in advance. I could have negotiated for more time at the very beginning. Sometimes circumstances cause me to miss a deadline. I can recall at least two such occasions. (My editor may remember more.) When that happens, I
If you are a regular writer, there is always another deadline waiting out there in future for you. My next curriculum deadline is not until March 1, 2010. It seems like a long time away. But unless I discipline myself to work on the assignment regularly, it could become a stress point. I usually set my personal deadline about a month in advance of the real deadline. That gives me motivation, but no pressure if I miss it. Which I usually do, but I am then close enough to not have to worry about missing the real deadline.

I Need a Platform

I went to see the movie “Julie and Julia” with my wife a few days ago. It will never make my top ten list for 2009, but it was more tolerable than other such movies I have seen. (I was saddened by the fact that there were a couple of unexpected and completely unnecessary curse words used that make the movie unrecommendable. Seriously, don’t go see it.)

My interest in the movie was raised when I learned that it was based on a true story of Julie who turned her blogging experience into a book deal - something that apparently happens occasionally. I understand that at one point, Julie’s blog was getting 7,500 hits per day. Recognizing she got the deal only because of her blog’s media hype, Julie herself wrote in her blog entry announcing her deal: “I am, in fact, officially What’s Wrong With Publishing Today.” The movie also chronicled Julia Child’s difficulties getting her first cookbook published.

I agree that this kind of thing is a key to publishing; anyone can get a book deal as long as they have a platform. (Good writers have a hard time getting published unless they have a platform. I have a scrapbook of letters from editors telling me just that. More than one editor has told me that he or she has pitched one of my book proposals to a publishing team meeting only to have it rejected by the marketing people. It was rejected because I do not have a platform, name recognition, or guaranteed sales potential.)

So don’t quote me on this, but if I can find a way to get 7,500 hits per day on my blog, I will have a better chance at getting a book deal.

Reading, Writing, & Teaching

Welcome to my blog about things I read, write & teach. Since I teach and write professionally, read and write recreationally, much of what I put here will be about the other things I write, the writing process, and scholarship.
This is not my first foray into the blogsphere. I had a Creative Teaching Blog back in the Fall of 07, but left it alone after the semester ended. It is still out there if you are interested in viewing it. ronniejohnson.info/blog
Thought I would try Google’s Blogger for this new adventure. Maybe I will keep it up for more than one semester, maybe not. That is one thing I like about a personal blog - no deadlines, and I can keep it current, or not.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with me, you can go to my website www.RonnieJohnson.info and click a few pages and find out enough. If you want to know more, just ask. Like I said before, this blog will be about NEW things I read, write, and teach.
I am currently working on a Compass Point curriculum book and just completed a Christian Living book for Disciple Guide Resources. I am also waiting to hear from two proposals sent to publishers. I may describe them in later posts.