900+ words. Now I just have to repeat that every single day for the next four months!!
Authors, when you typing to fill pages in a book (regardless of deadline or length), how many words a day to you aim for? I know everyone's threshold will be different, I guess I'm looking to see some parameters I might want to aim for. 😉
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I'm with you, +Lynette Young! I don't aim for word count and instead hone my discipline by writing everyday. I strive for 1-2 hours a day (my witching hours are from 9-11pm, which reminds me…) Good luck and enjoy the roller coaster that is the creative process!
You are Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
im trying for 1500-2500, but most people seem to think 250-750 is a more realistic target.
I think that Ray Bradbury still aims for 750
You have your Parameters in you.
900 words for me is roughly two blog posts. It really depends on if there is a deadline, or if I'm pitching it on my own. During Nanowrimo I aim for 1,700 per day.
During NaNo, I was able to manage around 1500 and sometimes more – on a typical day, I try for 500 since I have so many other things going on. On weekends I aim for more.
I have a formula that I use for book writing which means a chapter a night. You can read my formula, I posted it on my site- http://www.mysavvysisters.com/2011/02/how-to-write-your-own-self-help-book-in.html Good luck!
You can also use the college deadline method. Remember writing 20 page papers in one night, the night before it was due. Pressure yourself and do 20 pages per night, it will equal one full chapter by the time you're done. This method, along with the formula I listed above, will help you finish your book in no time.=)
I have written screenplays, so It'sa little diffrent ,… Writing a screenplay i normaly try to write about four scenes to keep w/ the continuity ,… it took me about 6 days to write 30 scenes,… then 6 monthes to finish my first screen play ,………… ;R
1200 – 1500 words.
I recently "finished" my memoirs, 1000 pages scribbled on legal pads. Much of it was done a half-hour at a time, on my lunch break. Occasionally I'd spend afternoons lounging on the porch, or start at five in the morning before anyone else was up. Total, about 3 years. How many words at a time? I have no idea–
welcome ryann
Thanks everyone for your info – keep it comin'! I know that personally I can't use time as a parameter. I tend to get distracted too much during the day that it would be difficult to add up all the 10 & 13 minute increments to see if I met my goal. A word count is much easier to aim for.
+Te-Erika Patterson THANK YOU so very much, that info is really helpful!
+Aaron Voreck very cool! I have a friend that writes screenplays from time to time, I never realized it would be so different. Cool point of view!
I never aim for a word count…it feels like taking a timed test or something. I'm just happy when the the creative wave hits me and I just ride it out for however many words it wants to give me. However…i do occasionally count it up when I'm done. On a bad day 700-800. On a good day 1,500-2,500
Possible you may be my teacher I am a new friend
I keep track of my word count, but dont aim for a number. Rather try to write everyday and finish while I'm still rolling – dont push on till I'm stuck. Means it's easier to pick it up again later. Usually do 700 – 1000 but more on a good day.
I usually do 2,000 on a good day, about 800-1,000 on a bad day (I'm a fast typer.) Plus I do a couple hours a day.
An option… at least it worked for my thesis…. Dragon Naturally Speaking… I sound crazy…but words on the page… worked to get me through to the end! 🙂
i really wanna pick up Dragon
I have the Dragon software and love it!
+Lisa Moore When I tried Dragon for the Mac, it didn't work that great. I don't want to boot into windows just for one program.
+Lynette Young I can write about 1,200 words on my own, but I recently read http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-i-went-from-writing-2000-words-day.html from the author of The Eli Moonpress series, a series that i liked reading, and she discusses how she took a look at every aspect of her writing to get to 10,000 words a day. Hint: She uses a spreadsheet, and alone time. So I am in the analysis phase, and will see if this helps me out.
A chapter a week – for first "shitty" draft. All writing goes through at least 4-5 rewrites.
I have been writing for several years now, in different capacities. In both my fiction work, and my professional writing, I aim for 1,500 to 2,000 words a day. I don't define my work by chapters, because the length of a chapter, and its complexity, varies.
During NaNo, I did 2,000 words per day. Now I shoot for anywhere between 1,000 and 2,000. It just depends on the day, and the big window allows for life with kids and their attendant unpredictability. 🙂
That's one of the reasons I LOVE Scrivener. I tell it when the book is due and on what days I can write, and it tells me how much I need to crank out per session:
http://www.christopherspenn.com/2011/10/unsolicited-review-scrivener/
Have heard through another source — 500 words a day.
1,000 a day is always my goal
+Christopher Penn I totally forgot about Scrivener, I think +J.C. Hutchins uses it as well. I just went and purchased it via your affiliate link <wink> your review touched on so many issues I have with writing in Pages or a plain text document. THANK YOU!!!
I think I'm going to shoot for a 10k word book first as it's a self-published eBook. I'm still working out the outline on my bigger / dead tree book.
Now I KNOW you are not reading my blog +Lynette Young 🙂
You'll see why if you head over there 🙂
UHHHHGGGGG Friend FAIL. That's me.
I didn't catch the last few entries from you. This only means a few things – 1) I'm crazy ass busy & 2) my RSS reader needs a major pruning. I'm reading it now…….
Busted! 🙂
I'm only picking on you because you mentioned it on the hangout the other day so I was poking you. It's ALL good. 🙂
you can do it – Amy Tan told me at a seminar once that the secret to being a successful author is gluing your butt to the chair every day and just doing it.
Feel like I can't define how "many words," because I usually write a section or chapter at a time… but I do plan regular writing sessions on an ongoing basis until the book is written.
If you are working against a outline. You should be able to write to you drop.
I admire your determination 🙂 Good luck!
I'm not sure that "X words per day" is a good measure of progress. It assumes that you are always writing new content and doesn't seem to take into account reviewing and editing that which you have already written. When I wrote my book, I spent a good amount of time in research and revisions, adding details and fleshing out ideas. Of course, my book was more technical in nature than yours, but there were days where I didn't add new sections and some days where I didn't write a new word at all. Picking up on +C.C. Chapman and +Christopher Penn's suggestion, I would have loved to have had a tool like Scrivener available. As it was, I did my writing in a notebook and didn't type it until towards the end of the process.