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
Writer's forums are bustling with debate over whether or not... Read More
1. Set aside a time to write and keep it... Read More
A writer writes. Bet you've heard that one... Read More
Anyone who has read any of my articles on the... Read More
I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More
One day in the mid-1970's a young man stumbled into... Read More
The biggest mistake authors make when trying to get free... Read More
Creative Writing Tips ?Whichever theme you choose, all the elements,... Read More
1. No one else will do it for you.2. No... Read More
As many authors are fond of stating, "Ideas are all... Read More
If you have been online for any length of time... Read More
1. Turning your idea into a bookWith non-fiction books the... Read More
Creating incredible characters can be easy if you know of... Read More
The first five pages of a novel are critical.Editors make... Read More
1. SECRETS TO SUCCESS2. MAKING A POWERFUL FIRST IMPRESSION3. AVOID... Read More
We've all seen those ads that grab our attention and... Read More
We writers are a powerful lot. We control time. We... Read More
Next time you're tempted to use italics for emphasis... STOP!"Why?"... Read More
A poet isn't born; you must work at crafting your... Read More
Writing better is critical for students. But it's even more... Read More
If you become a writer for any publication, private business,... Read More
Yes, you know your subject. You also need to think... Read More
I went to school to be a teacher. In fact,... Read More
In order to be successful with a newsletter, specialize in... Read More
It would be very selfless or noble of me to... Read More
Writers often get stuck because they make assumptions about writing,... Read More
William Faulkner, the great Mississippi writer, said, "The tools I... Read More
For any great novelist, defining your cast of intriguing characters... Read More
This is the ideal topic for us all to think... Read More
1) Can you summarize the story in about a sentence... Read More
It was reported that the great American author Sinclair Lewis... Read More
It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in... Read More
So you want to be a writer, except you don't... Read More
Today it begins.I have always known I was a freelancer.... Read More
Les Edgerton writes in his book, Finding Your Voice, that... Read More
Structure in the form of frameworks, work processes and goals... Read More
Freelance writer STANLEY BURKHARDT has a passion for animals. He... Read More
"This is just brilliant. The whole interview is incredible? I'm?... Read More
Winning writing contests can provide several advantages to writers. For... Read More
10 - You will always have a job. As long... Read More
Rudolf Flesch, a specialist in writing skills, ran classes... Read More
Back in my school days, if the teacher demanded a... Read More
I love writing. I love the swirl and swing of... Read More
If your cash is running out fast and you have... Read More
Sailors had it for years. Great explorers had it as... Read More
I call it cheap therapy. That gushing, near-religious, poured-from-the-body stress... Read More
Your struggling to sell just a few copies of your... Read More
Most writers are familiar with first and third points of... Read More
You can make a lot of money by writing and... Read More
Writing a sales letter doesn't have to be that difficult... Read More
Have you heard the term 'ghostwriter' and wondered what they... Read More
Beyond three and four act story structure, lies the Hero's... Read More
Riding on the fumes of potential, you take pen to... Read More
Agents and publishing houses have their best interests at heart,... Read More
I am sure that at in some era, at some... Read More
Rudolph Flesch, a pioneering advocate of readability, put great stock... Read More
Real Estate has "Location, location, location," and writing has "Clips,... Read More
One of the biggest problems that inexperienced writers have is... Read More
Traditionally, business writing uses the "one thing after another" format,... Read More
According to one of my previous articles, whenever a Southerner... Read More
What's the best way to plot?Quick answer: the best way... Read More
Maybe you should write a book! This is not as... Read More
Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays.... Read More
People want information, they want it quick, frequently in short... Read More
GAINING WRITING EXPERIENCE Some Catch-22, huh? In... Read More
In this article you will find tips on: How to... Read More
Writing |