The Pressure of a Deadline

For those of you who have an impending deadline, self-imposed or otherwise, I propose a little singsong to get you in the mood. (To the tune of What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?)

What shall I do with my work in progress?

What shall I do with my work in progress?

What shall I do with my work in progress –

Now the deadline’s looming?

 

Agonise for hours about an Oxford comma,

Agonise for hours about an Oxford comma,

Agonise for hours about an Oxford comma,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Cut out all the filler words like “just” and “very”,

Cut out all the filler words like “just” and “very”,

Cut out all the filler words like “just” and “very”,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Scour the thesaurus for the perfect wording,

Scour the thesaurus for the perfect wording,

Scour the thesaurus for the perfect wording,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Wrestle with the spectre of impostor syndrome,

Wrestle with the spectre of impostor syndrome,

Wrestle with the spectre of impostor syndrome,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Feel a sudden urge to clean the downstairs toilet,

Feel a sudden urge to clean the downstairs toilet,

Feel a sudden urge to clean the downstairs toilet,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Get lost down a rabbit hole on social media,

Get lost down a rabbit hole on social media,

Get lost down a rabbit hole on social media,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Seek inspiration in a bucket of coffee,

Seek inspiration in a bucket of coffee,

Seek inspiration in a bucket of coffee,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

Eat half my body weight in chocolate biscuits,

Eat half my body weight in chocolate biscuits,

Eat half my body weight in chocolate biscuits,

Now the deadline’s looming.

 

What shall I do with my work in progress?

What shall I do with my work in progress?

What shall I do with my work in progress –

Now the deadline’s looming?

Fiona Lloyd is Chair of the Association of Christian Writers and writes regularly for Together magazine. Her first novel, The Diary of a (trying to be holy) Mum, was published by Instant Apostle in January 2018. Fiona also works for Christians Against Poverty.

 

Twitter: @FionaJLloyd & @FionaLloyd16