Today’s Fascinating Friday post comes from Joan C. Benson. Thank you, Joan!

The quirks of this writer are about to be laid bare before the world. Oh, no! What will they think? After years of self-analysis, I reached an “Ah ha!” moment not long ago. My trick may amuse you, or even better, might help you in your creative endeavors. I hope my revelation will at least be fascinating since this is a “Fascinating Friday” post.

Have you known people who set their clocks ahead so they won’t be late? I used to laugh at this ploy. I was sure my brain would override the trick and think, “Oh, no worries. I have an extra ten minutes.” 

For the backstory to my discovery, I confess. I began as a contract writer. I was hired, mostly by educational publishers, who always seemed behind schedule. There would be scopes and sequences, outlines and projections, but the project was often behind when it began. The managers, editors, and supervisors, from my observation, lived in a constant state of stress.

As a novelist, I had no high-pressure stakes. I had learned how to keep deadlines because paychecks were tied to nailing guidelines and deadlines. I even worked ahead of schedule whenever possible. To do this, I mapped out my due dates on the calendar for each aspect of my writing. However, when I faced my own creative projects, no structure focused my writing. I lost momentum. The conclusion in this quirky story is I had to “set my clock ahead” to trick my brain! I had to devise deadlines on my own. Otherwise, every little squeaky wheel became a saboteur. 

Perhaps this has made you grimace, giggle, or acknowledge how challenging time management can be. Working from home as an author is not an easy feat when life beckons with demands. I pray this might help you in some small way. Or, give you a laugh.

Joan C Benson is a wife, mother, grandmother, educator, and author/speaker. She has been a freelance writer for over thirty years. Her debut historical fiction novel, His Gift, was released by Elk Lake Publishing in 2020. She has been published in magazines and on CBN.com. She is a blogger and you can find her at www.joancbenson.com