I have never been one to set writing goals.  In fact, despite the fact that many creative and prolific writers swear by them, there is something about having to write a certain number of pages or for a certain number of hours every day that sucks the creative wind right out of me. I prefer the romantic notion of waiting for the muse to inspire over the practical matter of sitting down and hammering out a certain number of words a day.  
But, in writing as in life, the practical often trumps the romantic and we are forced to create within the bounds of deadlines and responsibilities.  For me, that means delivering a 60,000 word manuscript to my acquisitions editor by February 15, 2009.  This is not a loose deadline.  I am contractually bound to make it happen.
To get there, I’ve set a personal goal of writing 1000 words a day, six days a week for six weeks. 
In an effort to prevent self-sabotage, I’ve decided not to “bank” words.  If I write 1500 words today, I still have to write 1000 tomorrow. If I succeed in writing at this pace I will have a rough draft by December 15 and two months to rewrite and edit.  I’ve never done this before, but I think this sounds like a workable plan.
And yet, I keep wondering…
“What about creativity?”
“What about beauty?”
“Is it possible to write (or paint, of sculpt) artfully on a tight deadline?”
“Is creative discipline an oxymoron?”
Would love to hear your thoughts…