I wanted to share with you a tool I’ve been using for years to increase my writing productivity: my whizz-bang word count writing log.
And you can have a copy for free
When you provide your email list I’ll send you a copy of the word count tracker and follow up with other writing tools and encouragement.
Unsubscribe at any time.
… without killing myself. (And remember: a 350-page novel is around 87,500 words)
The secret: tiny goals: this log sets a goal at 10,000 words a month. That’s 323 words in a 31-day month.
Honestly, knowing that I only have to write 323 words to get that little green box lighting up my log, makes it so much easier to get started (a huge step on the way to writing success). Of course, if I can get to 323 words, I frequently end up writing many many more.
The other advantage to setting a manageable monthly goal (rather than an ambitious daily goal) is that even if I miss a day (or ten), it’s relatively easy to catch up. And then the reward centers of my brain light up and I feel like a success.
Which makes me more likely to come back to my writing in a day (or ten).
Hitting this 10K word limit for the past three months has resulted in me being halfway through a brand-new novel that I hadn’t even dreamed up until August. Now I’m writing my way towards the climax!
If you’d like to try a monthly word count goal, get a copy of this writing log.
It’s set up so that you only have to open up this month’s tab and enter your ‘words today’. That’s all: the spreadsheet does the rest:
The log also keeps a running total of your Words This Month AND your Words This Year.
There’s an optional “Project List”, so you can keep track of how many words you’ve written on which project (if you’re that kind of person — I admit that’s a level of complexity I did not need the first couple of years I was using this).
You don’t have to stick to my 10,000 words-a-month goal. You can enter a different number in the first cell in the “Remaining” column. The spreadsheet will then recalculate all your targets for the month, no matter how many days are in the month. Clever, huh?
When you provide your email list I’ll send you a copy of the word count tracker and follow up with other writing tools and encouragement.
Unsubscribe at any time.
The only qualification to be a ‘Superstar” is a desire to write and support your fellow writers.
A supportive group of committed writers, who meet virtually, support each other’s efforts, and inspire each other.
Registration for 2024 open now-June 8, 2024
The only qualification to be a ‘Superstar” is a desire to write and support your fellow writers.
A supportive group of committed writers, who meet virtually, support each other’s efforts, and inspire each other.
Registration for 2024 open now-June 8, 2024