Deadlines.. the motivation required?

I love writing.
I love my story.
I love (most) of my characters.
So why don't I write?

This is a problem.

Every night I sit down at the computer and think 'right, this is the night I break the word drought.' And then I spend the next few hours successfully procrastinating. This is usually done by visiting every one of the agent or publishing blogs that I follow. And there are a few. And I think 'I'll just read this one last post and then I'll get to the story.' Sadly though, that thought runs through my head several times during the course of the night, and before I know it it's bed time, and I haven't achieved anything.

Well that's not entirely true. I learn a lot. I learn about how to write a successful query letter, how to create better characters, how to find your writing voice, and so on and so on. Some is helpful to me now. Most will hopefully one day be helpful to me when. I. Finish. The. Book.

So...

To writing then. But still, it's been so long since I wrote that I can't remember what came before. So reread, make notes, and then write.

And maybe I need a bit of motivation (well duh). So I came across this. Can I write a short story? I don't know, but I'm going to try. 3000 words, before the 27th of August.

I can do that.

From reading previous years winning entries I think it unlikely I will be shortlisted. Not so much because of the writing, but because there is a recurring theme of life in New Zealand. Literary fiction. I write fantasy. But it's the deadline that counts.

Wish me luck.

Sari