Writing on Deadline: Completing Articles and Stories with Less Stress

Deadlines can put pressure on anyone especially when it comes to writing and publishing. It doesn't have to be a stress-filled time. You can enjoy the writing process.

Here are a few tips to feel comfortable working on your article on deadline. The deadline could be a self-imposed deadline or one set by an editor. Either way it's important to stick to your article deadline goal.

Get started early when writing on deadline. When you get a story to work on that requires phone calls to sources, it's best to make calls on the story as soon as possible. Get the messages out there early if you don't get a source the first time you call. Also don't feel bad about making repeated calls until you hear back from sources. They'll have to understand that you have a job to do on deadline and you're not trying to be bothersome. If you know you've got some time on a story, get started right away to give yourself some breathing space. Every article won't have a tight deadline so you'll have a chance to relax and enjoy the writing process more.

Plan ahead when writing on deadline. While you're waiting for calls or other information for your article, start getting a general sense how the story will flow and start outlining the story with the information that you do have. That way when you start getting your quotes you've already got a shell of a story to work with. This would work the same way when it comes to going out to a location to do interviews. Have general sense of the article and your questions ready so you can keep the interview focused. It'll be easier to get back to your office and write up the story.

Have a backup plan. It's also good to have alternative sources that can provide you with the same information just in cause your main source for your article doesn't pan out. Another backup option would be to have another story to work on in its place. It's good to have a couple article topics going at the same time.

Get in the "zone" when writing. If you're working in a noisy environment, you may want to use headphones when you're writing your story. If I'm working among noise, I like to get in "the zone" as I'm writing a story. I play some jazz music on the computer through my headphone. This cuts out on outside distractions when I'm writing on deadline.

Aim to complete your work early. Doing this will give you some cushion room to relax and look over your article again. If you're writing on deadline without an editor, it's best to put some space between writing and submitting your story. Your eye can pick on some errors you may have missed in your writing after resting your eyes for a bit.

Now that you've got a few tips on writing stories on deadline, feel free to aim high with your deadlines and make the writing experience more enjoyable. You'll be less stressed and more proud of your work.