Ever since Baby, I’ve had trouble fitting in time to write. Time was, I could write several thousand words a day – this is how I have a novel to revise in the first place. Now, I manage between 1000 and 3000 words at Burdicks’ every Friday morning.
Much as I love Burdicks’, that’s not enough. Not if I ever want to finish the novel!
So I’ve come up with a plan. Starting today, I will write 1000 words a day. It sounds ambitious, I know, but I have a plan for my plan: small bites of the chocolate bar. After all, 1000 words is only 100 words ten times, or 250 words four times. I can do that!
How? I’m planning on trying to write something every hour – if I’m near the computer, I’ll write in my new daily document (so I can keep a decent count). If not, I’ll write in an A5 notebook. Why A5? It’s easy to tuck into a bag (or stroller) and I know that each page is roughly 100 words. At the end of the day, I’ll do a tally and, if I have time, type up any written stuff. And if I don’t have time? I might have to learn to use the Mac dictation software (a tip I picked up from author Kristin Cashore at a reading – more on that later, though!) to enter the text around my teething tot.
1000 words a day equals 7000 words a week. Will all 7000 be stellar? Probably not. Will they include sections I’m rewriting? Heck yes! And that’s okay – every word moves me forward, and that’s a win.
Of course, it’s now just over midday and I haven’t even started yet…
How many words do you write a day? Interested in trying this challenge out with me? Say so in the comments!
Sadly, I don’t think I could make 1000, and I’ve made a resolution to quit making goals I can’t meet. But I’ll try for 500, and maybe up that once I get into the habit of writing every day.
500 is a pretty good start. I just need the other 500 as a buffer, so I manage a decent amount of Not Crap.
I like that you have a resolution to not make certain goals. It reads like an anti-New Year statement!
Hehe, I’m at about 1500 words a week right now. Not very happy with that.
I made it! 1002 words, though the last 6 were pretty rushed as Baby suddenly started screaming…