Counting Your Words: Tips on How to Get a Writing Habit Healthy

I’ve been told by many, that I write a lot of words. My record is 1.4k in 15 minutes, I’m not bragging but my fingers and wrists were killing me after, it was stream of consciousness and I’m not sure how it even happened, but it did.

Do you know that writing is actually quite easy when you set goals that start out small, then gradually you build on it? NaNoWriMo is starting soon (and by soon I mean November, you’ve got time Dreamers) and it means it’s time for the plotting to start, but the writing frenzy of a month is built around the simple truth to writing: you have a daily word count (1667) and you have to leave your internal editor at the door. Got it? Yeah, that seems easy, right?

Wrooooong.

But that’s okay, I’m here to help you get your sprinting fingers on.

Writing during NaNo is all about quantity. Who cares if your words are crap, just get to the word limit and try and exceed it, because there will be days where you won’t be able to write anything and those days are the hardest.

I was writing my e-book (that’s now stewing) and the chapter on getting a writing habit came up and it was by far one of the easiest chapters I had to write. Getting a writing habit up is easy, it’s keeping it going that makes it the hardest. You’re tempted to run away from, pick up excuses, get more snacks, go to the gym and so much more, but right now, sit your butt down. Get up Scrivener or Word doc and sit down and write. Aim for 500 words or better yet, let’s halve it, aim for 250. It doesn’t take me very long to pump out 250 words, but take your time, I’ll wait.

Okay you’ve done it, yeah? Fantastic. Now double it.

You heard me, double it.

Setting your word limit low gives you the option to go past it and feel the liberating ease that comes with it. I have struggled to reach my word limit, and I’ll let you in on a little secret. Sometimes I don’t even get there. I’m short, or I’m just flat out not present, and on those days it’s a struggled to write. Sometimes I beat myself up about it, lately I just turn to a book and read. The funk will pass if I’m not judging myself or getting frustrated at my ability not to write. I trust myself and knowing it’s not a good writing day, that’s okay too. Life goes on.

Did you double your work limit?

Yeah?

How does that feel?

Pretty. Damn. Good.

Writing a novel is easy when you set yourself goals that are achievable. Getting a writing habit isn’t even about getting up at the same time every day and sitting down and doing the writing (although it does help). It’s about showing up at all. Did you get to your desk late? That’s okay, just get cracking on your damn writing, right now. And don’t be scared to split up your writing time if you can’t make it all in one hit. You’re a writer, you make your own schedule.

So here’s what you’re going to do, for the next week you word count limit is going to be 500 words. 500 little words, it’s about a page, so if you write 500 words you will have 7 pages you didn’t have at the start of the week and you’ll be two weeks away from a writing habit. Once you get past the first week increase it to 750 and the week after? Try for 1000 words. Let me know how you go. I’d love to hear about it.

In novel news, I’ve just written my blurb! If you’re not signed up to my newsletter (which you can do below) you’ll miss out until I release it officially. Don’t you want to know about it before anyone else? I know I would.