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Hey, everyone! Just thought I'd mention something that's been on my mind of late--setting an everyday word count to strive for. Much too often I find myself overwhelmed by the thought of writing day after day. No matter that I find pleasure in it; some days the thought of writing can be torture, at least for me.
So, sick and tired of feeling this way, I took the advice of Stephen King and other accomplished writers, and set a writing goal for each day: I write at least 200 words, or go to bed disgusted with myself. So far this method has proved extremely fruitful for me! It hasn't failed me yet--and when I go over that goal, pure ecstasy.
As I am curious, I thought I'd ask what word count you abide by--if one at all. Do you at least write 100 words a day? 500? 1,000???
Sate my curiousness by leaving a reply
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Joined: 3/4/2014
Posts: 19
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NaNo, of course, ramps up the word count goals. 1700 a day would be great all year round if I could manage it, but alas, life happens.
Generally for me, on days other than NaNo, I don't set a word count goal as much as a 'write something' goal. Some days I may be lucky to eke out a pair of sentences, and some days a whole short story comes pouring out.
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Good method, Russell. So long as it works for you, then by all means, use it! I find the 200 word a day thing to be the best method for me.
Come on, others! What have you to say on writing methods? Which ones do you use?
Sate my curiosity.
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Joined: 4/27/2011
Posts: 608
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My MDSQ (mandatory daily sentence quota) is currently two hundred. On a good writing day (sans the nine-to-five grind, which is no longer a distraction at present) I can hit a thousand sentences.
After that—brain mulch. Time to eat ice cream and pizza-burgers and watch old episodes of Kolchak: The Nightstalker and True Detective while knocking back a couple of frosty micro-brews.
--edited by Carl E. Reed on 11/10/2014, 3:05 AM--
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Wow, Carl. We share the same goal. Yay! I must cheer you on: Make that quota! Don't allow writer's block to chew at your creativity!
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Joined: 3/2/2015
Posts: 10
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Working on my first book. Started writing it out in a notebook (Awful idea I can barely read my own hand writing). I've worked as a cook\waiter\or bartender for twenty years and hadn't used my 11th grade keyboarding skills in that amount of time, but can bust out about 500 words an hour. My new years resolution had been to type ten hours a week. January I did pretty good, not so much in February, so here is to March.
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Joined: 7/18/2014
Posts: 121
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I do 3 to 5 pages a day. I don't know how many words that would be. Considering the amount of deleting and rewriting I do to get them to where I'm reasonably satisfied, I probably write twice that number of pages. Sometimes I'll finish a page, delete the entire thing and do it over.
When I worked on a typewriter, I was slower and more careful with my writing.
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@Carl E. Reed
Didn't read your post right--200 sentences!!! Oh my!
@A Lifetime in Aries
Good quota--type ten hours a week. Keep going.
@Charles J. Barone
Hey, I do the same thing--write a page, sometimes end up deleting and rewriting. Tweak as I go until it's as near perfect as I'm capable of getting it. Sometimes I get stuck and end up rereading what I've already written until I get my groove back 
Great goals, everyone. Keep 'em coming, if you please
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Joined: 10/7/2013
Posts: 65
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I've decided to try an experiment. Instead of wishing I could go on a writer's retreat, I'm going to pick one weekend out of each month and live as if I'm on a retreat. I will have to take care of groceries and laundry on Friday after work, but on Sat. and Sun., I'm going to try to live like this:
7:30-10 Wake, eat, bike/run
10-12 Write
12-1 Lunch
1-4 Library/bike/run
4-6 Write
6-7 Eat
7-10 Write
10-12 Read/watch DVD (I have no TV)
12 Go to bed
No people; no tv; no distractions.
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Hi, TeresaReel
That's a great idea you have! It might help your creative juices flow. I say go for it.
Amber
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