Term Writing DIY MFA #6

As I mentioned in 15 Magic Minutes, for my MFA every semester I take two classes :Term Writing Contract and a reading class.

We're going to focus on the term writing contract. The term writing contract sets Seton Hill apart from other schools. It literally is a contract you create with your professor. You determine a goal to work on for the semester, a number of pages to produce each month, a craft book to help with your goal which you will review, and a number of pages to edit by the end of the semester. You produce these pages on a deadline. You revise these pages on a deadline.
What I think is beneficial about this is you've committed to do something in writing. Your grade is contingent upon it, and craft development aside this is pretty much how a publishing contract works. Even if you sell a completed manuscript, there will be revision required. It will be required by a certain date. You need to meet your deadlines. Being easy to work with will go along way toward working again. Granted, if you really can't meet a deadline for some reason, most editors are easy to work with. Communicate. Let them know the problem you're having and give them a date when they can expect those pages.

For a DIY MFA project, create a contract with a friend or critique partner. Pick a number of pages and promise to produce them for the next four months. Write it down, and practice writing on a contract.

Have you ever had to produce on a timetable?