5 Tips For Setting Word Count Goals

There is some debate about whether having word count goals is helpful or detrimental. Setting a daily, or perhaps weekly, word count goal means that you will have a specific writing target to work towards each day. But depending on how well you flourish under expectations, this can either spur you to progress or crush you under the heavy weight of anxiety.

To prevent, or at least reduce, the chances of the latter happening, here are 5 things you should keep in mind when creating and implementing word count goals:

Set Realistic Goals

Don't go trying to bite off more than you can chew. At all times, keep your mental state in mind, and set a friendly but challenging enough goal that will not pressure but will spur your desire to write. You don't have to be putting on 1000 words per day to be making progress. Writing 500 words, or even 200 words each day, doesn't make you any less of a writer.

Start Sprinting!

Well, no, not literally. I mean a writing sprint. Decide on a scene to work on, let it play out in your head a few times, set a timer for about 15 minutes, and write! Go go go! Pour it all out, typos be damned. Try not to stop until either the timer runs out or you finish the scene. If you still have more to write, set another timer and go for another run! Depending on your typing speed, you can dish out about 100 - 200 words (or even more) each cycle, and before you know it, you've hit your WC goal for the day!

Track Your Progress

Being able to see, in clear print, just how much you're getting done each day, will serve as a massive confidence booster. The days you overshot your goal, the days you flunked slightly, and the days you were unable to pick up your pen at all; you will see everything clearly. Perhaps you may even pick up on some trends, such as you might be putting in less words on the weekends, and therefore make plans to either boost your output or scrap writing on the weekends entirely.

Plan For Contingencies

As the universe loves to remind us every now and then, things don't always go according to plan. Countless responsibilities can squeeze every drop of energy from us, and finding the energy or inspiration to pen down even a single word becomes a monumental task. So, you need to plan for those days. When you are stripped of all time and energy to write, are there alternatives that will still indirectly influence your writing? You could do some research to pad out your world-building, or iron out the next few scenes you wish to write, or even daydream about your characters playing out a scene in your head. Reading a book or watching a movie, whether for leisure or for taking notes, is also within your purview. So don't be afraid of those days when you don't "write." In my books, daydreaming is also part of writing.

Remember, It's Okay To Miss A Day

Although this slightly defeats the purpose of having a word count goal in the first place, being too stringent on yourself might result in adverse effects instead. So, rather than beat yourself up about a missed day, say to yourself that you can make up for the missed words in the next writing session, and do your best not to betray that promise.

Feeling a bit more confident about having and adhering to a word count goal? I hope so! I'd love to hear about your triumphs and progress made by setting WC goals in the comments. Happy writing!

Your friendly neighborhood editor,

Chiedozi.