Setting targets?

Reilly616 · Jun 20, 2008

I was just wondering whether you guys had wordcount targets you wanted to meet or whether you just write for a certain amount of time each week. How do you work?

Currently my big goal is to finish my first draft by Setember. I set a target of 5,000 each week, because this is achievable and it will get it done in the time. I plan on increasing it soon since I just finished my work for the summer. I really find that these goals help.

tehuti88 · Jun 20, 2008

I never have wordcount targets, but this is probably because 1. I'm not writing for publication so a wordcount total doesn't really matter, and 2. I just make it all up as I go along and who knows where it will end! Instead, I write a set amount every day, around between 1700-2000 words.

On the one hand, I guess it's nice and liberating not to be constrained by wordcount targets. But on the other, it means I can't make use of those cool little gadgets people put on their sites saying how far they are through their current WIP! *sulk*

scope · Jun 20, 2008

I don't write to specific wordcounts, although I'm fully aware of what the eventual word count should be for the genre of the book that I'm working on. I just write -- with a conscious -- and when my manuscript is complete I go back in and edit (cut or add) to reach the desired wordcount, give or take a bit. Actually I do some light editing each day since a part of my writing process includes reading and editing what I wrote the day before.

ishtar'sgate · Jun 20, 2008

Reilly616 said:
I was just wondering whether you guys had wordcount targets you wanted to meet or whether you just whote for a certain amount of time each week. How do you work?

Nope, no word count targets. I revise as I go so some days are completely taken up with revisions. My only goal is to write every day, as little or as much as my other responsibilities allow. If I'm squeezed for time I'll get up well before the rest of the household and write for an hour or so in peace. I tell myself I'd like to finish my first draft within a certain period of time but 'myself' isn't listening.

Linnea

blacbird · Jun 20, 2008

tehuti88 said:
I'm not writing for publication so a wordcount total doesn't really matter,

So, what are you writing for?

caw

JustGo · Jun 20, 2008

Reilly616 said:
...or whether you just [wrote] for a certain amount of time each week.

Time! Time! I write for the time! Four hours a day, ahahaha, four hours a day! *cackles maniacally*

KTC · Jun 20, 2008

I used to do this, but continually found that I just ignored the targets or missed them. I don't need that kind of stress in my life. I just write until I get to the end.

nevada · Jun 20, 2008

i try to write a time-based period instead of a wordcount pace.

Justgo, I, even though I don't speak German (but i do speak dutch) would tranlate Ich will eure Blicke spuren to I want to feel your gaze as opposed to eyes. But i'm bossy like that.

Kalyke · Jun 20, 2008

There are a few areas when the work slows down to a crawl-- at about each 1/4th of the novel. I am at 1/2 right now. I am picking out the theme after working hard on it. I work with the 3 act plot, but I also use 1/4ths to indicate where particular targets are.

So I am picking the theme out now. It's heavy. You'll cry like a baby the final scene. If this ever becomes a movie (I hope not,) it will be a "no dry eyes" type event---

Once I have that done, I have 50K more words-- but with a little less wobbly beginner's stuff, now that I know more about the book. 1000 words per day is all I need. 50 days, then on to revisions.

Susan Breen · Jun 20, 2008

When I'm working on a first draft, I write five pages a day. It keeps me moving forward and that way I know I'm giving the same amount of attention to each part of the novel.

Don MacDonald · Jun 20, 2008

2 pages a week. I find that without setting weekly goals for myself, I lose track and suddenly look up and realize I haven't finished a page in a month. YMMV of course, some prefer a less structured schedule, some more. Experimenting and finding out what works best for you is a big part of the learning process. Your targets also have to be reasonable, otherwise you'll keep missing them and get depressed, discouraged, or otherwise stuck. I find, for example, that when I am working at peak efficiency, I can finish four pages a week, but that I can't maintain that pace for more than 3 weeks (if that.)

Indy Tarquinson · Jun 20, 2008

I'm starting to find that 2000 words a day is doable for me, but I at least try to get one hour's in. If I'm hooked and can't stop writing by the end, yay for more hours in. If I'm stumped and I can't think of a thing to say, oh well, at least I wrote. As long as my story's moving forward, that's what I'm concerned with.

RG570 · Jun 20, 2008

I'm fairly rigid with targets.

I have a bare minimum of 2000 per day. The ideal is 4000.

It may not seem "fun", but to get a 110k novel done in less than 30 days is pretty cool.

roseangel · Jun 20, 2008

I try to write 2 words a day.
Usually, once I get those 2 words down, I keep writing 'til I can't write any more.
But I always try to write 2 words a day, no matter what.

Diana W. · Jun 21, 2008

I try to write 3 times a week. I often go to Barnes and Noble and sit there for at least 2 hours and just write. Trouble is that gets expensive because I have to buy a drink and a snack and I always have to buy a book while I'm there. How can you spend so much time surrounded by so many books and not buy at least one?

sharpierae · Jun 21, 2008

I started setting targets with the first draft of this new WIP. Minimum of 1k a day, I also pull out my laptop cord and try to use battery power as a time limit for the goal too... otherwise I start doing "research". It started off really positive, but I think I underestimated my own Gandhi-like resistance to getting things done.

Now if I do 5k a week, my satisfaction just barely outweighs my disappointment in myself.

Prawn · Jun 21, 2008

1000 words a day.

a_sharp · Jun 21, 2008

Prawn said:
1000 words a day.

Now where have I heard that before?

tehuti88 · Jun 21, 2008

blacbird said:
So, what are you writing for?

caw

I think there are other reasons to write besides getting published...at least, if all the people who insist one should "Write for yourself!" are being honest. *is confused*

I write because I love to write, and to entertain people. I post it to the Web. That I guess can be considered a form of publication, but one which doesn't necessarily have a wordcount constraint.

Xyrventalagn · Jun 21, 2008

1,000 words a day, seven days a week works very well for me, though I may go over or under a bit depending upon where I'm at. Of course, when nearing the end of a book or beginning a brand new one I may do 2-3,000 (or 7,000 like I did one day and would really rather not do again).

I look at it realistically though--if the day's gone badly, my mind is scrambled and all I'm putting out is crap then I'll just save myself the trouble of deleting it the next day and give myself a one-day breather.

Do whatever works for you and stay true to it,
~X.

gypsyscarlett · Jun 21, 2008

I go by time. My min is 2 hours. I aim for at least 4 hrs a day.

I'm afraid if I went by word count that I would write crap just so I could hit my daily goal. Crap is great when you need to loosen your mind and stuff. But I wouldn't want to write utter nonsense just so I could hit 2,000 words or something.

Most of all, i agree with the people who said find a reasonable goal for yourself.

Libbie · Jun 21, 2008

Reilly616 said:
I was just wondering whether you guys had wordcount targets you wanted to meet or whether you just write for a certain amount of time each week. How do you work?

Currently my big goal is to finish my first draft by Setember. I set a target of 5,000 each week, because this is achievable and it will get it done in the time. I plan on increasing it soon since I just finished my work for the summer. I really find that these goals help.

I write for four hours per day. I typically get between 2,000 and 4,000 words done in that time, depending on how smoothly things are going. Sometimes I need to pause in my writing to fact-check or do a little bit of research to make sure I get a detail correct, so that can slow it down.

My estimation is that at this rate I'll have the first draft of my ms finished around the end of August or beginning of September.

David I · Jun 22, 2008

I hope for three polished pages per day.

Ther are times when I hit a story problem where all I do is sit and think. There are times when I write a polished page an hour for many hours.

Goals or guidelines are useful, but they shouldn't become a Procrustean bed for your story.

Jersey Chick · Jun 22, 2008

I have an end target word count of roughly 85k. I don't care how long it takes me to get there, since there are some days when I just don't write - either because time won't allow or I just don't feel like it.

Clarec · Jun 22, 2008

No targets whatsoever. I do try to write each day but - like everyone else, I'm sure - I'm pretty busy so it tends to be when my young daughter is napping or late at night. Sometimes I'm just too tired although if I'm in full swing or at an exciting part I do make the time. If I'm struggling for whatever reason, I procrastinate a lot.

I'm another who never wrote to be published. I had a wierd dream I couldn't forget so wrote it down to get it out of my head. Then I thought "that would be a good book idea" so I kept writing. It's only three years later I've started to think 'why not?'. So yeah, I totally write for myself because I (mostly) enjoy it.

Clare

Setting targets?

Reilly616

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

scope

Commonsensical Maverick

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

blacbird

JustGo

Digging through graves of giants

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

nevada

Kalyke

Susan Breen

Don MacDonald

Indy Tarquinson

RG570

roseangel

Crazy Young Cat Lady

Diana W.

I'm evolving

sharpierae

the UnID

Prawn

Writing is finite,revising infinite

a_sharp

Somebody give me an A

tehuti88

Mackinac Island Fanatic

Xyrventalagn

gypsyscarlett

Ma fin est mon commencement

Libbie

Worst song played on ugliest guitar

David I

Jersey Chick

Up all night to get Loki

Clarec