by Patricia Bradley, @PTBradley1
As a writer on deadline, there’s no denying that there’s a certain level of pressure that comes with the job. With a ticking clock constantly reminding you of your looming deadline, it’s essential to use your time wisely and stay focused on the task at hand.
Unfortunately, as an ADHD writer, it’s even harder. There I am typing away and suddenly, “Oh, look! There’s a squirrel in my birdfeeder. How did he get there? No, no, no! Can’t have him eating my cardinal’s sunflower seeds!
- So the first no-no: don’t leave your blinds open where you can watch traffic, cats or birds and squirrels.
- Second no-no: it’s 9 p.m. You’re winding down from a hard day’s writing and you need something to relax you…a history book should do the trick, but…then you see the latest top seller where you put it to read once the deadline is met. One chapter will be just enough to settle you down…four hours and XXX chapters later, you force yourself to close the book and try to go to sleep.
- Third no-no: the research rabbit hole. It’s right after lunch…you were good—not a lot of carbs, but still a little draggy. Maybe a cup of coffee will do it. You have two kinds…wonder which one has the most caffeine? It won’t take a second to find out…an hour later you’re in the car running to Starbucks for that Cold Brew that popped up in your research with the highest caffeine content, close to 300 mg per serving.
- Fourth no-no: the I have a great twist idea. You are almost to the finish line and suddenly a brilliant twist pops into your head. This is great if you have time to work it out, but if like me, you are hours from having to send your manuscript in, this is not the time to go changing things.
- Fifth no-no: the I need to make something for supper deal. Never, ever put on a pot of beans when you’re trying to beat your deadline. Do you know how many days it takes to get the odor of burned beans out of your house?
So, just remember that distractions are a natural part of the writing process. It’s up to you to ignore them. Oh, look—there’s a squirrel!
No sooner has Alexis Stone been sworn in as the interim sheriff for Russell County, Tennessee, when a serial killer dubbed the Queen’s Gambit Killer strikes again–this time in her hometown. Pearl Springs is just supposed to be a temporary stop along the way to Alex’s real dream: becoming the first female police chief of Chattanooga. But the killer’s calling card–a white pawn and a note with a chess move printed on it–cannot be ignored.
Pearl Springs chief of police Nathan Landry can’t believe that his high school sweetheart Alexis (he refuses to call her Alex) is back in town, and he can’t help wanting to protect the woman he never stopped loving. But as the danger mounts and the killer closes in, can Nathan come through on the promises he makes to himself to bring a killer to justice before it’s too late.
Patricia Bradley is the author of fifteen Inspirational Romantic Suspense books set in the South. She is the winner of a Selah award, and an Inspirational Readers’ Choice Award. She’s been the keynote speaker at several conferences where she also teaches workshops on writing fiction.
She and her two rescue kitties call Corinth, Mississippi home, and when she’s not writing, she likes to throw mud on a wheel to see what comes out.