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It's tough. It really is like running a marathon.
And the best way to run a marathon is to be prepared. You need to be fit, trained up, and ready to stay hydrated. You don't just start a marathon hoping to reach the end, because you won't make it.
Keeping up with your release schedule is the same.
Write a lot in advance. Possibly the whole book. I write several stories in advance, and why? It's not only to be sure I have something to put out, but it also assures I have fun doing it.
I'll reference the "Temperature of Frost" again. I wrote it week to week, and I have no fond memories of writing it. I couldn't slow down. I couldn't stop to enjoy what I was doing. My brain was always ahead of my pen, and my only satisfaction came in getting to the next chapter. This is bad for so, so many reasons.
First of all, if you write week-to-week, the quality of your writing will suffer. You won't have time to edit, to review, or to consider whether or not the plot is really working... You'll begin regretting un-thorough decisions, and you won't have any way to fix it. You'll have to keep building on a mistake. This is how "The Temperature of Frost" failed so miserably. This is how "The Temperature of Frost" made me miserable.
Second, if you write-to-week, you won't want to write because of the pressure.
This is one of the most important life lessons I've ever learned:
e n j o y t h e m o m e n t
You can't enjoy the moment if you're always anticipating what's about to happen, or dwelling on the past. You'll be doing both if you force yourself to write when you don't want to. You'll either be thinking, 'I used to like this a lot better, where did I mess up and why is what I wrote not as good?' or you'll be thinking 'I need to hurry up and get to the next chapter.'
Either way, you won't be having fun.
Such dwelling and anticipating is harmful in writing, and it's harmful just in general. Take a deep breath and notice where you are. Say hello to everything. Be content when, deep down, you want to be. It can be as easy as simply allowing yourself.
I stopped enjoying writing for several years because I tried writing week-by-week and with hard deadlines. Things turned around when I wrote ahead and didn't release things until they were done.
There's no need to rush! Outline, write, enjoy it. You can take breaks when you want and write a lot when you want. You won't be paralyzed into doing nothing, nor will you fly ahead without control, doomed to crash.
You don't want to find yourself a day before a release with nothing to publish. You don't want to feel guilty not publishing anything, or serve up mediocre work. You'll become sick and unhappy, slowly if not quickly.
Let's stay healthy and in control!
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I have one other tip to keep up with your schedule, though, and that's to write poetry chapters and shorter chapters.
Let's write and read in a relaxing way! What's more enjoyable than settling in with a good book or a trusty pen? To me, not a thing.
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