There have been two times in my writing career when it was nearly impossible to meet a deadline. The first was after Hurricane Katrina blew me out of New Orleans. My husband and I were stressed from evacuating and still had a missing friend, but I had a looming deadline for a travel article for Lousiana Cookin’ about the Creole Nature Trail. The story seemed trivial in the wake of the tragedy, and I asked my editor if she still needed it, noting that the region had sustained extensive damage from Hurricane Rita soon after Katrina. But she still wanted it: some of the NOLA-based staff were working out of an RV in Baton Rouge, trying desperately to stay on schedule. I couldn’t let them down. I would have preferred to binge watch the news and call friends and family – wallow, really – but I had to buckle down and pull the story together.
The other was last month when my beloved grandfather died (he was a retired newspaper editor who was still writing at age 99 – I like to think all the writing helped keep his mind agile through the years!). I spent the weekend with him on his deathbed, flew back home late at night and awoke to the news that he’d died. It knocked me sideways. But I had a 2,500-word story for one of my biggest clients due in two days. I didn’t want to ask for an extension and potentially rock the boat. I also had no idea how long my grief would be so raw – I’d be better off finishing the article and then trying to cope after I’d hit my deadline. I knew I’d pulled it off after Katrina, and needed to do it again.
Being a freelancer is tricky – we don’t get paid sick days, and we’re never off the clock. Writing in times of grief is a big challenge we can face. So here are some suggestions for ways to manage:
- Take a walk with your dog (or alone) to clear your head and then force yourself to get cracking. The hardest part is getting started – then you’ll be amazed at how the writing muscles kick in.
- Avoid Facebook and even email. It’s easy to get off track when you receive notes of condolence or questions about how you’re holding up.
- Visualize a reward for finishing. A cookie, a phone call, three fingers of bourbon – now is the time to allow yourself a treat for meeting your goal.
- Have a fellow writer review your work before you submit it. It helps to have someone confirm that your work is up to your usual standard in the midst of a tumultuous time. It can also relieve some pressure while you’re writing the first draft.
- Don’t feel guilty. Work is a part of life.
- Be gentle with yourself. You might not be able to write as quickly as you typically can, and distractions are inevitable. But it’s like running a marathon – it’s an achievement just to finish.
- Be selective about your next projects. Once you’ve cleared the major hurdle, try to carve out time to allow yourself time to grieve. We’re only human, after all.