Control Freaks Need Not Apply

I am a control freak!

See, I said it. Did it make me feel better? NO! Those of you who know me in real life are laughing at this proclamation. Control freak? ME? 

Yeah, not really. 

Messy? Disorganized? Flighty? Yep, that's me. But since becoming a 'real' writer (whatever that means), I've become a little control-freakish too. Why? Because I'm afraid of missing things like deadlines. 

But here's the thing I'm learning- deadlines don't really matter. Until they do. 

That's helpful, huh?

Because, for months, I've been doing this (see gif), because ya know, I have publisher deadlines:

   



Yeah, that was me. Funny thing, though- all of my editorial deadlines have come and gone, come and gone, been reassigned, come and gone, come and gone, been reassigned again and...

I still have no edits to work on, and hence, no firm deadlines anymore. 

Which leave me all:

 



 


But I am NOT FOOLED! You shouldn't be either. Because I'm learning that deadlines in publishing don't matter until they do. As in, line edits show up in your inbox and (surprise) you need to have them turned in within 24 hours. 

I hear this is a common theme for signed authors. I'm learning to just deal with it. I'm hoping my anxiety will help you learn this too. I will suffer for you, my friends. SUFFER!

My inner control freak is withering away into a pile of dust (which I wish was coffee grounds, actually, because I'm out). 

My inner nerdgirl loves this writery freedom because, clearly, I have things to write! New things. Shiny things.  Things that will hang out in deadline limbo, too. 

You'll hang with me, too, won't you??

We can be all:

 

With popcorn. Or bacon. Your choice.