I can’t even blame procrastination this time around. I am simply an extremely busy individual. But everything I’ve done recently will only benefit my career down the line. Still, is it possible to finish writing 40,263 words in just over a week and a half?

Sure, I know a lot of people who can crank out that many words in a short period of time. Unfortunately for me, I have a lot on my plate that also needs attention.

Just the blogs and YouTube channels take a massive chunk of time, and this is on top of the work I do for GreenGeeks.

What Can I Do to Finish Writing Before April 1st?

This is as much for me as it is for you. By writing down the plan of action, it helps me remember. That’s probably one of my biggest flaws, actually.

Remembering.

I don’t know if it’s because of age, stress, or everything I’ve been going through lately. My memory just isn’t what it used to be.

Setting Daily Goals to Finish Writing

In order to finish Kingmaker before April 1st, I’d have to write 3,356 words per day. Back in the day, I’d be able to handle this before lunch. Nowadays, though, it’s exceptionally more difficult.

This is because of the sheer amount of stuff I try to handle on a daily basis.

Just when I think I have a moment to spare, someone needs something else. Though, I can’t really complain. A vast portion of what I’m doing today is helping me pay the bills.

Thanks to my spreadsheet, because I’m a dork and track every single thing I create, I know that it’ll take an average of 2.5 hours per day to meet that goal.

Prioritizing the Workflow

Obviously, I need to prioritize my day better. This means putting more emphasis on the things I need to get done. Everything else can take a backseat for the next week and a half.

What this means is that some of the blogging things I’ve been doing lately might get put on hold until April. Well, outside of the rewriting experiment I’m conducting.

To do this, I use the free version of Asana. Not only does it let me block off chunks of time throughout the day, but it helps me remember what I’m working on.

It’s actually been an awesome tool for keeping me on track most of the time.

Focus on Blocks of Writing Time

Now comes the most difficult part of my day. Sure, planning out blocks of time sounds good on paper. But actually maintaining that schedule is another chore altogether.

I’m easily distracted by the things that pop up in my list that might be “more fun” to do.

But if I want to finish writing Kingmaker anytime in the near future, I need to put extra effort into maintaining my workflow. And in reality, nearly everything on my list is fun. It’s a matter of deciding which is more enjoyable.

In any case, I need to hunker down and actually put in the effort to maintain those blocks of writing time.

Finish Writing by Avoiding Distractions

As I said, I am easily distracted. Perhaps it’s a form of ADHD. In any case, avoiding various distractions will help me reach a lot of my goals. I just have a problem with my train of thought getting derailed.

Between everything I would like to do this year, kids, pets, and family situations, I’m impressed I can do as much as I do.

Sometimes it feels as though my life is the epitome of chaos, especially over the last two and a half years. Ever since October of 2019, it’s been a constant barrage of mayhem.

Why Set a Self-Imposed Deadline?

As a self-published, indie author, why self-impose a deadline? Can’t I just write the book as I have time? Why put so much stress on trying to get it done?

Actually, a lot of it has to do with the “self-publishing” part in general.

Being Accountable to Myself

First of all, as an indie author, you’re only accountable to yourself. No agents are bugging you to meet deadlines or publishing houses sending nasty grams because you’re behind.

If the book doesn’t get written, it doesn’t get sold and no one will read it.

This is why a lot of authors have half-finished stories or ideas that never go past the “to be written” folder on their computers. It’s exceptionally difficult to be accountable to yourself when there is no promise of success.

Imposing a deadline to myself helps me finish writing the book as it adds that layer of accountability.

Boosting Motivation

With accountability comes motivation. In fact, it’s one of the reasons why I announced a May 1st release date to my audience. Between the deadline and readers anticipating buying the next book, it boosts motivation to continue.

Mostly because I don’t want to let anyone down, including myself.

It instills the drive to do what it takes to meet those goals. So, when I see the days ticking away, I feel more of a sense of urgency to write as much as I can.

Instilling Confidence

By meeting major deadlines, it can lead to a great sense of confidence. Case in point, I have been on an awesome streak of doing great things ever since I published A Freelancer’s Tale.

In fact, every goal I tick boosts my level of confidence just a bit more. Last year, I accomplished several major goals and have felt good about it ever since.

Of course, this begins with having realistic goals and aspirations in the first place.

For instance, I would love to appear on any Best Seller list. But my realistic goal is to just finish the book. And that’s what A Freelancer’s Tale did for me. It delivered a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

Kingmaker will no doubt have a similar effect.

Contributes to Yearly Goals

You don’t need to have yearly goals to be successful. I just like them as it helps me keep track of what I want to do in the next 12 months. For example, I am working towards writing more words this year than last.

Though, I do keep track of trying to write one million words in a year.

Anyway, imposing a deadline on myself helps me reach a lot of the goals I set out to accomplish. In this case, it’s the goals for the number of words written and publishing at least three books in 2022.

Marketing to Followers and Subscribers

And lastly, there’s nothing wrong with building up some hype. If you’re building an audience and fan base, keeping them apprised of when a book comes out can help increase the potential that you’ll make a few sales on day one.

In fact, I made six sales of my book instantly without doing much other than telling everyone it was available. And I don’t even have that large of a following yet.

Also, keep in mind that A Freelancer’s Tale is an incredibly niched book. I suspect Kingmaker will have a much broader audience as it is fantasy/horror.

Why Finish the Writing Phase By April?

So, you’re probably wondering why I want to finish the first draft of Kingmaker before April. Well, that’s because I want to spend the entire month of April working on revisions, editing, and cover art.

The idea behind this book is kind of an extension of my experiment with A Freelancer’s Tale. I want to see if it’s possible to write a good book and make a few sales without spending money.

Of course, the second book is probably going to get a lot more of a monetary investment. But, I am curious to see the difference between various paid services.

For example, does a marketing or publicity service make a difference over doing it yourself? Does spending money on services like Ingramspark help boost sales?

It’s the data I collect that helps me come up with some great blog posts and videos about the self-publishing industry. And it’s also why I get contacted by several sponsors for WriterSanctuary.

This means I need a baseline for what I create. In this case, it’s the fantasy/horror genre. Kingmaker is going to be that baseline while the next book in the series will have an added service.

To make a long story short, I want to spend April getting the book ready for a May 1st release date.

Keeping the Faith to Finish Writing the Book

So, there’s the plan. Yes, it sounds good when blogging, but it’s up to me to see everything through. That’s the basis for all success, actually: effort.

Nothing is going to happen unless you make it happen.

At this moment in time, however, I feel as though I can finish writing the book on time and stick with the May 1st release. But only time will tell.