Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Rewards?

"My biggest fear: I have not finished the chapter I promised the Ali-demon. *Shuddering*"
-Jenny

There's been a lot of talk on the blogs lately about man-eating-deadlines and me being a demon. A lot of, "I gotta finish it, or else."

Today I got some Chinese food for lunch. It's a guilty pleasure 'cause I know it's all terrible, sodium laden stuff, but it's oh-so-good. Lately, I've been working on being/eating healthier and thus, my trips to the China Moon have decreased. So, going today was a reward for myself. I've been really good about hitting my goals lately, and generally productive, so I deserved it.

Another writer I know always has a supply of M&Ms when she sits down to work. Chocolate = productivity (or the other way 'round, I suppose). So, I'm wondering. Other than the big bad deadline, what motivates you? What I mean is, what's the pay off? You can't give me any intrinsic things, I want materialism. If you hit a writing goal, do you indulge? In what? Or, if you don't reward yourself, why not? Would having M&Ms by your computer/notepad help your writing juices flow?

4 comments:

Jenny Maloney said...

Ha, ha, it's so funny you wrote this now because I finished the scene that I wanted to do for American Icon and was debating how to reward myself. Still haven't figured it out...but I'm thinking a CD or something.

That is, after you check your email because I sent it to you and you have to look it over. Get to work.

Ali said...

CD sounds good, that one gets my vote.

BTW, checked my e-mail. You didn't, in fact, send it to me. You've gotta remember to attach those pesky things.

Unknown said...

My deadlines, the one's I've actually reached anyway, have all been rewarded with criticism. I realized deadlines could be conducive to productivity the first time I submitted to the writer's group. Before that I never really had any deadlines, but I set that one for myself, and was sort of pleased with the result.

Since then the only deadlines I've had have been writer's group or for school, and the payoff has been critical judgment so that I might improve.

Thoughts awhirleth now. Maybe I shall begin rewarding myself. Hmm...tacos...

This all reminds me that I have something I need to finish. NO DISTRACTIONS, you philanders.

Mishell said...

I don't reward myself for my small deadlines, but I always reward myself with the big ones--final papers, large creative projects, finally submitting stories (whether they're accepted or not,) doing well in contests, finishing theses, you get the picture. Usually, I'll either treat myself to dinner, a movie, or if I feel like I really deserve it, dinner and a movie. (Chocolate has never worked as an incentive for me because if I want it, I just have to go and get it. If I deprive myself, I end up eating an entire bag of Dove minis instead of just a couple.)