Work in Advance
Lesson 8 of 10 from the 200 Words-a-Day Challenge
In July 2023, I reluctantly accepted a challenge issued by
to write—and share—at least 200 words a day. Word count wasn’t the point; attempting to break through my resistance to sharing my writing was.This small daily task taught me a lot about myself, my creativity, and my writing practice. So I decided to also share my top ten lessons learned from the challenge in the hopes they’ll support you and your practice as well.
Following the pattern and the practice of the month-long challenge, I’m delivering these 10 lessons learned as micro-essays of at least 200 words.
Work in Advance
Everyone’s situation can change in an instant. A month of unanticipated events reminded me of this unfortunate truth. When life’s challenges inevitably occur, anything we’ve committed to make happen or to do on a continuous or routine basis is particularly susceptible to flying off the rails.
That this could be the reason I’ve held back (for months) from starting to share my fiction here hit me square between the eyes in the midst of the 200 words-a-day challenge. The challenge was a low-bar obligation though: only 200 words a day and short-term. In contrast, the foundation of every subscription business is long-term, consistent delivery. Specifically, for an author, keeping promises to readers/subscribers is vital for developing their trust and belief in you and your work.
The question in my subconscious: What if something happens and I can’t deliver to my readers as promised? has held me back . . . because we know ‘what if’ will happen (see Lesson #7). What’s the answer for moving forward anyway?
As I’ve studied options for serializing my fiction, I’ve met authors who post chapters/episodes in their subscription as they write them (pantsers, mostly). Others (primarily plotters) wait until they’ve drafted most or all of a story before sharing with their readers. I fall somewhere between pantsing and plotting. Recognizing my fear that something bad could (will) happen to upend my routine and promise, the only answer for me is to “work in advance” and ahead of my readers.
By that I mean, I’ll share the first installment only after I’ve written four or five ahead. Those extra chapters will be “in the bank,” so to speak, ready to share if I’m unable to work. I’d have to catch up again after the crisis, or in the worst of cases, reach out to readers to adjust expectations. But at least things wouldn’t completely fall apart in the way my fearful brain imagines it could.
Lesson #8 of 10
While preparation and planning can never keep bad things from happening nor assure every deadline is met, working in advance can help minimize the impacts.
As a plotter/ planner, I would melt down at the thought of posting serialised fiction that wasn't already at least a rough draft to the very end. Many people do it though. Takes all kinds!