Home
>
Writing
>
The Dreaded Daily Word Count

The Dreaded Daily Word Count

Open any book on 'how to write,' and somewhere you will find a discussion of how many words you should write every day. Forget the struggle to get ourselves to the paper or the computer every day, now we have to produce a certain number of words?

Me? I don't write every day (Quick! Call the Writer Police!), I don't do 2000 words, and you don't have to either. So what's the pace you should aim for and how do you figure that out? I'll show you.

Rather than order yourself to write a certain number of words a day, join the Design Your Own Word Count program. Here's how to find your daily word count in 3 easy steps:

1) Give yourself an easy word count limit, say 10 words. Ready? Go. And.....stop. Hurray! Congratulations, you've met your goal. You're free to go do the laundry or have some ice cream. Your choice.

Seriously, note how you'd feel fairly ridiculous if you stopped there. Remember that feeling and keep writing. Check in whenever you find yourself pausing and see if you still feel that way (i.e. lame, lazy, if you're laughing--picture yourself telling a writer friend, "I wrote 27 words today, isn't that awesome?" Picture the look on their face). Now, keep writing.

2) As long as you feel interested and excited in what you're doing each time you check in, keep going. Even if you're nervous and a little scared, keep going. Those feelings will propel you past superficial writing about how much you're looking forward to that bowl of Ben & Jerry's.

3) When do you stop? When you first notice you're controlling word and image choice. When you notice your thoughts turning negative. When you feel yourself sliding downhill into The Tar Pit of Despair. Dig in your heels and turn your eyes back to the sun (your page or computer screen). Look what you've accomplished!

It's important that you end the session still feeling positive and excited about what you're writing. Hemingway always stopped at a place where he could leave himself something to start with the next day, something to look forward to. Do the same. Jot down where you want to pick up the next time and stop.

Work your way up to the count that feels right, through practicing the above exercise. The amount of time you spend lost in your enthusiasm (sometimes even the nervousness) for what you're writing will get longer and longer the more you stick with it.

We all really LOVE writing. It's not the act itself, it's the fear that everything we produce will stink and everyone will find out. Pssst, let me tell you a secret: everybody writes garbage. I'm including the greats too. Except maybe Shakespeare. Some publisher should dig up some of this bad writing from the best writers of our time and publish it. It would make us all feel better.

Here's another tip - STOP TRYING TO IMPRESS THE PEOPLE IN YOUR HEAD. Whoever they are. Who cares what they think? This is about discovering what interesting things you have to say, what visions are in your mind's eye. Maybe they don't come out as polished as you'd like, but they are still important. You're not going to write a Pulitzer Prize winning novel right out of the gate. Give yourself a break. Just get it on paper. You can fix it later in the editing process. If you've got a blank page, you've got nothing. Can't give a haircut or new hairstyle to a person who is completely bald, right?

I'm giving you a free pass to write garbage. In fact, that's your first assignment. See what truly awful stuff you can write. I dare you.

As for writing every day: Promise yourself you'll write 3 or 4 days a week and stick to it. If you end up not writing for a week or even two months, and the next time you do you really enjoy it--and end up writing for two weeks straight before taking a break--I'd consider that a SUCCESSFUL writing practice.

I believe what keeps you writing is that electric loss of self--when you're inside the experience, flowing with your thoughts and vision--even if that feeling only lasts for 10 minutes.

IT'S THE PROCESS NOT THE PRODUCT. Stop when you're still feeling good. Leave yourself wanting more.

By the way, the word count for this article is 796. Not 2000 but who cares? What matters is: I wrote today. Did you? More importantly: did you have fun? Good for you. Write it on a Post-it note and slap it on your computer screen. Make sure you use lots of exclamation points. You deserve it.

Christine Stewart is an artist-in-residence with Creative Alliance in Baltimore. She has an M.A. and M.F.A. in creative writing and poetry, is the recipient of a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize nominee, and has been published in Poetry, Ploughshares, and other literary magazines. She mentors and leads private workshops for adults and teens, and has taught writing in the extension programs at Los Angeles Valley College and Pasadena City College in California. Check out her website at: http://www.therealwriter.com

professional maid services Park Ridge ..

In The News:

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

The Dreaded Daily Word Count

Writing