Write Your Own Way: How Much Should You Write Each Day?

Chances are, if you’re a writer or an aspiring writer, you’ve seen your fair share of books and blogs giving writers advice. These well-meaning posters tell writers what they should do if they want to be a “real” writer. The thing is, there isn’t only one way to be a writer, and what works for me might not work for you! With that in mind, we’re starting a new blog series: Write Your Own Way. In this series, we’ll talk about common advice given to writers or expectations new writers may have about the industry, and ways you can shake off those expectations to find a rhythm that works for you.

This week we’ll be talking about daily word count. Is there a particular word count that you need to meet each day to be a real writer?

Nope! Thanks for reading! See you next week! 

Okay, okay, come back. We’ll elaborate on that a bit more. A lot of advice for aspiring authors will tell you to meet a particular word count each day. Although that can be helpful, writing a certain number of words each day isn’t going to be the key to success for every writer. There are always moments where you should feel inclined to meet a specific and strict daily word count, like if you’re participating in NaNoWriMo or a daily writing challenge. But outside specific challenges, you should feel free to decide on the writing goals and word count milestones that work for you. So let’s talk about how you can figure that out for your own writing life.

What Kind of Writer Do You Want to Be?

There isn’t a right or wrong answer to this question, but it’s one that you have to answer honestly. Take a look in that deep, dark, truthful mirror and ask yourself what kind of writer you want to be. If, for instance, you want to be a romance writer and you’ve heard that readers in that genre consume crazy amounts of content, you might be thinking that you want to be the kind of romance author who pumps out several new books in a year. And if that’s you, that’s amazing! 

Writing that much can be a bit taxing, however, and not everyone can or wants to pull off a schedule like that. Do you have the lifestyle and the brain capacity to churn out new, full-length romance novels? Maybe you do! In that case, you’re going to want to set your word count to something aggressive enough to match your publishing goals.

But maybe that’s not what you want or it’s not something that fits into your life. That’s great! In that case, decide what you do want. Do you have a goal to complete a draft of your book by a certain date? Are you planning on writing seasonal novels? Or are you interested in being the type of writer who writes when they are inspired and doesn’t when inspiration isn’t there? 

Create word count milestones to help you achieve those goals. Craft a writing schedule that gets you to the place you want to go as a writer, not where someone else says you need to be!

Do You Want to Self-Publish Or Traditionally Publish?

Your answer may evolve as you move through your writing career, but deciding if you want to self-publish or traditionally publish should also influence how much you write a day. If you’re self-publishing, you’re largely in charge of creating the timelines and deadlines. If, however, you want to traditionally publish, especially if you find yourself with a multiple-book deal, you’ll have to write with deadlines in mind. A publisher will work with you and your scheduling needs as they create their release dates for the year, but if you aren’t used to writing under deadlines, you might want to start practicing writing with some scheduling constraints before you’ve got a publishing contract to start getting comfortable with writing under a more strict schedule.

That doesn’t mean you should throw away schedules if you’re self-publishing. Instead, you get to create a timeline that works for your publishing plans. Just like a publisher maps out their publishing schedule for the year, you should also start mapping out your publishing plans over the next few years. We’ve even got a book that can help you make a business plan for your writing career. Once you’ve done that, you can craft a schedule that allows you to achieve those goals and meet those deadlines, even though they’re self-imposed!

Be Flexible

Ultimately, when you’re crafting your writing schedule, it’s important to be flexible. Remember that you aren’t setting a schedule in stone here. Don’t be afraid to try out a writing schedule for a bit, work under certain daily or weekly word count goals, and change things up if your schedule isn’t working for you. And don’t be afraid to make temporary changes if your schedule is changing for a short period of time (like writing over the holidays). It doesn’t matter how carefully planned or well-informed your writing schedule is, if you can’t reach your writing goals, it’s not a good schedule. 

Just because a writing schedule works for one person doesn’t mean it will work for another, and just because a particular writing schedule worked for you in one phase of your life doesn’t mean it will always work. Regularly checking in with yourself, your writing, and how you’re feeling about your writing overall, and being willing and quick to make a change for the better will be essential in sticking to a writing schedule that will help you meet your publishing goals.

Ask For Help!

If you just can’t figure out a schedule that works for you, it might be time to call in some reinforcements. Joining a writer’s group is a great way to not only get feedback on your actual writing, but also to bounce ideas and plans around. Maybe you can work out a better schedule for yourself with a new writing colleague, or maybe you find that working with other writers and having that accountability is the missing piece to keep you focused.

Hiring a writing coach is another great avenue to explore when you’re looking to build a writing schedule that works for you. Not only can a writing coach help strengthen your book, but they can also work with you to create a schedule that will work for both of you. And knowing you’ve got a meeting with your writing coach coming up might be the extra push you need to stick to a writing milestone.

It’s important to remember that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to writing books. Getting advice from other writers is great, but you’ve got to create a publishing plan and writing schedule that works for your unique needs. Deciding the type of writer you want to be, outlining your publishing plans, and being nimble enough to shift or ask for help will ensure that you can stick to your goals without burning yourself out. 

And don’t forget that we’re always here to pair you with one of our awesome writing coaches or editors to help you take your writing to that next level! If you want to talk to us about partnering on your next book, schedule a free consultation today!