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What's your number?
There seems to be a lot of focus in the writing world on the number of words or pages you can/should write on a daily basis. Some may find 1,000 words a day to be too easy, others too hard. Some days I can write 3,000 words no problem (those days are rare), and other days I struggle to write even one sentence.
If I am on a deadline I am very strict with myself and have a set daily word count goal and keep track using a spreadsheet. Without that ticking clock I am much more lax and just aim to do something each day that moves me further forward, even if it's just a brainstorming session.
How about you? Do you have a set word count goal for the day/week? Do you try to write it all in one session or spread it out throughout the day? Do you keep spreadsheets? Leave a reply in the comments section below, I'd love to hear from you and learn what other people are up to.
I'm going to be away on holiday until 17th April, but I have scheduled all the posts for while I'm away. I will try and log in once a day to check everything is running smoothly and reply to as many comments as I can. If you leave a comment I will visit your blog when I return and reciprocate. Happy A to Z'ing.
I tend to work more in the realm of "number of pages" than number of words... this is probably due to the way I started my "writing in earnest" career.
ReplyDeleteI like to try to write at least one page a day... but it doesn't always happen.
I participated in NANOWRIMO this past year, and it nearly did me in. I did get a lot of writing done, though. :)
I think the important thing is to have the goal of writing SOMETHING every day... I find that when I get out of practice, I get rusty.
I've done NaNo twice and it nearly did me in both times, completing it was a rush though and the deadline really helped me. I'm with you on writing something every day, although lately that has become a lot easier said than done. Taking a week off to go on holiday has set me further behind than I thought it would, but I'm slowly catching up.
DeleteI tried to work by number of words, but I found that editing took me too long. I am now trying to write or research for a certain amount of time every day.
ReplyDeleteWord count does only work for the first draft phase, after that you tend to take away as many words as you write (if not more) and the numbers aren't representative of the work you have put in. setting aside a set amount of time is a much better idea for the editing stages.
DeleteI always take issue with word count and the utter insignificance of it in the grand scheme of content. I think it has something to do with the fact that ever since I started university as an English student, I have had professors that stress quality over quantity. I'm not saying word count isn't important at all, I just tend to focus on what I'm saying rather than how much I'm saying.
ReplyDeleteCheers from Brandy at brandysbustlings.blogspot.ca
Keeping track of word count isn't for everyone. For me it is a way of having a goal post to aim for. If I focus too much on the quality of what I am writing in the first draft phase I become too critical and clam up so I try to turn off the internal editor by going for quantity first. Once the first draft is finished I have something I can work with, my mindset then switches and I aim for quality. I write about this a bit more in the Q post. I'm always very envious of the writer's who can go for quality from the get go :)
DeleteIf I write every day, I'm happy. Some days the words flow and I'll get several thousand, while other days I'm lucky to get 50 words. As long as I'm making some kind of progress, I consider that a positive thing, and I figure it all balances out in the end. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you there Lara, I just need to have more of the former and a few less of the latter for mine to balance out ;)
DeleteMy number depends on my current goal. While writing a new novel, or participating in NaNoWriMo, as I am now, my goal is often in thousands of words. 2000-3000 is a good daily goal for me, and I can usually accomplish that. I do, however, make it a point to schedule myself time off from writing. At least one day a week, I try to do nothing on my WIP. This allows the all important thinking/plotting/planning to occur so when I return to my WIP, I have fresh ideas.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm editing, however, I make goals in terms of hours worked on a project. Some scenes are just tougher than others and I need more time for them, so as long as I'm putting in the time, I consider my goal accomplished.
#atozchallenge
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Sounds like you have it all figured out Ingrid. I like how every writer's idea of a day off still involves thinking about writing, there must be something seriously wrong with us all!
DeleteDoing NaNo and the A to Z Challenge at the same time must be keeping you very busy, I hope you've scheduled a few days off in May to recover :)