James Joyce's stated intention to write 'two perfect sentences every day' was not the total of his daily output. He might have written thousands of words a day, but he wouldn't stop until two of the sentences which he had written that day were what he considered to be perfect sentences. i work as a Technical Author and write fiction as a recreation, they are two very different disciplines. Technical Authoring is all about being 'precise and concise', leaving nothing to the imagination of the reader, such an approach would see many fictional books reduced to fewer than ten pages and absolutely void of dialogue.
Instead of word count I like to subscribe to what John Updike did in his long and prolific career. He set a goal of 2 pages a day. Many days he could do more, but he never finished his work day without 2 solid pages of writing. A good goal to keep in mind if you don't want to count words.
I appreciate what you're saying, but after three decades of teaching writing, I'd say the "page" method doesn't work well for most people. What size paper are you using, American Letter size or UK A4? Or a little notepad? What are the margins of the page? When you're typing, is the text single or double spaced? Too many variables. Most successful writers set word count goals and I noted some examples in the video. Very few set page goals. Their publishers wanted books of a certain word count. Most were paid by the word. Thus, word count prevailed as a measure of progress. My advice is to pick a word count and write that many words each day. It's simple and effective.
I set a goal for myself, 500 words every day for my first novel. My outline is ready and I'm doing some research so I can start and fully commit from next week on. Your video's are very helpful to me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
How did it go? I just started writing myself, I have a goal of 225 words per day, why so low? I hope to build a habit of it. So far it's working, been at it since late november! :)
I have a different opinion on this topic. The daily word count is not important. The time committed is what matters. For fifteen years I wrote 5 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. I think Joyce and Wodehouse did the same in terms of routine, though perhaps longer that 5 hours. (Wodehouse actually wrote morning noon and night - remarkable.) Get into a habit of writing at the same time every day. Habits will develop quickly and the word count will take care of itself. I am reminded of James Joyce's answer when a friend asked him how much he had written that day. It had been a full day of writing and Joyce was noticeably happy. How much, his friend asked, did you write today. 5 pages? Nope. A page? Nope. A paragraph? Nope. The answer: A sentence, and it was actually the 4 words that made up the sound of a wave that took up his day. Here it is: "Listen: a four worded wave speech: sees, hrss, rsseeis, oos." Brilliant and well worth the time. This was anomalous to the level of output he achieved daily, but some things take time. Some days things come easily, so keep writing, because other days it might not be so easy. That said, never stare at a blank page. Move that hand with a pen or pencil in your hand and something is most likely to come out worth salvaging. TTFN
Thank you for your thoughtful insights. I have mentored many hundreds of aspiring writers over the decades and almost all will find excuses to not write during the time they set aside. Setting a measurable goal for a writing session (250, 500, 1,667 words or whatever) eliminates the excuse-making. ua-cam.com/video/_N58NrzAuRc/v-deo.html. They hit their number or not, and revision comes later. And James Joyce? His theatrical comments about the writing process are not useful. His output required long hours of diligence even though he wanted people to think otherwise.
@@VelocityWriting Yes, I imagine students require a word-count goal to eliminate excuses for not getting stuff done. I should keep this in mind when watching your videos that these are geared towards students of writing. Very practical advice you give. And yes, James Joyce's words, it's true, are not useful for the writer who has to make their living from the craft. His approach would leave the working writer starving for years at a time. The likes of Chekhov and Wodehouse, on the other hand - masters both - were capitally motivated, and this helped them, no doubt, to be so prolific and supremely skilled craftsman. TTFN
Thank you, very useful video. Years ago I read an interview to Hisham Matar (read his "The Return", a very powerful memoir book) that was a really push to set a writing routine. He said that he uses to write 500 words a day. At the end of the day those 500 words are polished and ready to print, but the message for me was that you don't need to write like 10'000 words per day to be a writer. So now I have my routine. Quite odd, because I write manually, on paper (for a bunch of reason it's easier for me than using my pc). A fluctuate around 1'150 words a day. This means 2 pages per day, each page of 35 lines of my lined notebook.
I write three thousand words a day. I found out that I write better when I do it fast, that allows me to enter into this kind of flow state. (I write in spanish) i want to upgrade it to five thousand a day soon. I use writing sprints in order to achieve my goal, that helps me a lot.
I agree totally. That flow state is very important. I achieve it by voice writing and often write 5,000 words before noon. See: velocitywriting.com/dictation-methods-to-empower-your-writing/
Count your minutes, not your words. "The important thing is that there should be a space of time, say four hours a day at the least, when a professional writer doesn’t do anything but write. He doesn’t have to write, and if he doesn’t feel like it, he shouldn’t try. He can look out the window or stand on his head or writhe on the floor. But he is not to do any other positive thing, not read, write letters, glance at magazines, or write checks. Either write or nothing…. I find it works. Two very simple rules, a: you don’t have to write. b: you can’t do anything else. The rest comes of itself." - Raymond Chandler.
There is no relationship between quantity and quality. In fact, in my long experience working one-on-one with many hundreds of writers, the slow ones usually produce the worst quality. They lose their focus and edge. Writing fast, quality content is a skill any creative person can learn. I'm a big advocate of the 1,667 words per day plan because any disciplined writer can write that much in a couple hours. These writers stay motivated because they know they can finish the first draft of a 50,000-word book in a month. Experienced writers want to get the content (fiction or nonfiction) down fast. Slow writers rarely have the motivation and momentum to finish their first draft. All books achieve their greatest potential in the revision phase--the second or third draft. Revision is the improvement of a first draft, not a complete rewrite. The faster you have a manuscript to revise, the better the end quality of your book. Generally, only rookies simultaneously revise their first draft as they write it.
I like the goal number he mentioned because it is a stretch for new novelists. It’s good when goals aren’t too easy. I also like what Hemingway: said write and stop when there is ‘still some water in the well.’ And when you have a leading sentence for you next days prompt. I highly recommend ‘Paris is a moveable feast’. This tip really helped me finish my first draft of my first novel
Yes, get back to it, Terrax. It is a joy to be a productive writer. Think of yourself as an athlete in training, trying to get to the finish line a little faster each time. Be sure to have some fun reaching your goals. Productivity and quality go hand-in-hand.
I really liked your video.A very good practical suggestion for all writers. I enjoyed it and I am going to try your method. Your examples in support of the suggestion is very convincing. Thank you.
I wonder whether difference between pantsers and those who outline their novels given how they approach the writing process. Stephen King is a pantser and the fact that he knocks out 2000 words per day (down from the word count earlier in his career) is impressive.
Pantsers like to highlight the rare exceptions. But anyone who writes daily can easily write far more, with quality, with an outline. I write at the rate of about 1,000 words per hour (I'm a slow typist) for three hours each day. Sometimes I hit 5,000 words in that timeframe. An outline is nothing more than road map, and I'm able to maintain a high consistent word count, and do work that needs less revision, because I know my destination each day. Do I occasionally take creative side trips? Absolutely! But I can easily return to my planned route. The human brain works is a particular way, and it's best to work in harmony with it, and against it.
An inspiring, but intimidating goal! I don't think I can reach it in my current situation, having a full time job. But I plan to up my word count gradually after I complete this first project. Starting off at 225 words/day. :)
Don't be intimidated. You have the right approach. Start at 225 and don't stop each day until you write them. Then, next week, increase your word count to 250, and so forth over months. Keep building on your success. You can do it!
Thanks for your video. My goal is to just write every single day from the first word until 1st draft is finished. No sundays, no holidays, no days off. I've set my deadline based on 500/day. Some days I can't manage more than 100 words due to life itself, yet some days I've smashed the 6000 words mark. So far my average for the current novel is at 800. 176 days on a row and counting.
Hello, VelocityWriting! How you doing? I was doing a research about how many words/pages you need per different genre. For example, Epic Fantasy is another "beast" and I've read that you can have between 180 000 and 250 000 words, which is a lot. I am writing my own book series regarding the same genre and I was wondering if you could give me an advise about that topic? Is it true or false information? Can you actually write more words and is that acceptable? Or you need to write way less than that? Thank you! Great video and I wish you both many professional and personal successes!
Some authors get a big kick out of writing epic-sized novels. Such books are passing out of fashion, however, both because of reader tastes and the economics of publishing. Reader's like 60,000-80,000 words today because of their time constrains. If you have a 180,000 word book, edit it into a three books series. Readers love series and will buy each one once they are hooked. Economically speaking, 180,000 words is not feasible except for outlier books, and they are exceedingly rare. In print, they are deadly because of the production costs and the market price for such book. Narrow margins make print impractical these days for almost all high word count books. If you only publish ebook editions, you can still get a decent financial return if you can find buyers. My best tip: Get the best professional editing you can afford. You know where to find me. Must big books, as you envision, are a big mess, but authors are blind to it. All the best.
Question: There is a writing stage, to complete the first draft. Then the word count per day is relevant, I set a minimum of 1500, and on a good day I allow myself 2000. But what about the editing stage, reviewing your earlier work?
A lot of variation in writers. Some, many are methodical, X number of words a day and they either edit or don't edit that the rest of the day. Others are great procrastinators who suddenly burst forth with a prodigious inspiration and energy. Nietzsche wrote most of Zarathustra in ten days! Voltaire penned Candide in fewer. Thomas Mann wrote 500 words every day then spent the rest editing and editing. His friend, Hesse, was not so disciplined and edited far far LESS if at all! AND, please don't try to write more than one novel in a year, it will only be garbage. Perhaps not a novel, but sketches, thoughts, reflections? Start a conversation with yourself and write from there. If that becomes a novel, fine, if a poem, story or essay, that's good too. Too many aspiring novelists must walk before they can run. And there's enough trash in the world. Have patience, fail a little, fail a lot! Put away your ego and write as if no one will ever read you. If you can still write from that place perhaps you do have something to say, lol! Remember, writers write, EXCEPT WHEN THEY DON'T! And then they do again. Douglas Adams once asked friends to lock him in his room till he had met his deadline. There are a wealth of stories about many authors Wrestling with themselves in this way. And others who were so anal THEY NEVER missed a day. But even great writers wrote much that was not particularly memorable or worth reading.
I start my writing rhythm using the Pomodoro Technique; 25 min segments of focus at a time. Once the momentum starts, you'll be surprised how much flows out in the rough draft phase.
Hi. Thanks for the video I really enjoyed it - very informative. Would you advocate free, almost stream-of-conciousness, writing as part of one's daily word count? I believe they're sometimes known as 'morning pages'.
Good question. I'd say no. I believe the 1,667 words per day minimum should be productive writing. Yes, it will need to be revised later as is always the case, but it should not be random, stream-of-consciousness writing. I think students should do stream-of-consciousness writing to explore their creativity, but it is usually a distraction to someone trying to complete a manuscript. Personally, I get my writing mind in gear each morning by answering my email. I transfer that mindful activity to my current writing project.
Thank you again DL. Some really good advice here for any writer. I aim for a 1,000 words a day. By the way, any Welsh heritage at all with that surname??
True story. My friend writer Mike Davis and I walked into a pub in Y Gelli Gandryll. He said, "Hell, everyone in here looks like us." And he was right. We Americans had returned home.
I was reading where Sly gets up at 4:30 a.m. - writes for three hours before the World's even UP. I think that's the route - you're very strong upon waking. But exhausted when you're thru - albeit it's a great exhaust/fatigue.
Good question. As you may be aware, I am a big fan of voice writing, and I do it and offer an online course about how to do it. velocitywriting.com/dictation-methods-to-empower-your-writing/ There are some variations, but the basic method is the same. Good preparation for the writing writing session, and an understanding that you do your best work when you "gush out" your first draft, flaws and all. You then shape and refine it in the second draft. Can I research (prep), voice write my first draft, and revise my final draft at the rate of 5,000-8,000 words between 7:30 AM and noon? Yes. That is my daily writing routine. I get high productivity and quality. Anyone can learn to do it.
Great information and definitely useful at this time for me. Would you suggest that - writing becomes a quicker and much easier task, regarding word count as time moves along ?
Yes. When I first started it was a struggle to write 100 words an hour. Now it's easy to write 2,500 words per hour or far more. See my online course on "Voice Writing" here: velocitywriting.com/voice-write-book-writing-power-dictation/
I have about three decades as a professional writer. I started with pen and paper, then moved to a keyboard. However, I have abandoned this -- what I call "kinetic writing." No one should have to move their hands to tell a story. It is a learned behavior. These days, I have trained myself to "Voice write." I use dictation software (it works better than ever) and my writing goes directly from my mind to the page. This is the purest form of storytelling for humans. We have been trained in school to use our hands to tell fiction and nonfiction stories, but I think it is a barrier. I teach an online course on this Voice writing because I think it is an essential skill. www.velocitywriting.com/voice-write-book-writing-power-dictation/
There is a difference between the two according to research. You use different brain parts, I believe with that writing by hand being the superior one. I can't imagine writing on the laptop. I write better and faster on paper. It just flows so easily for me to write with a good old fashioned pen filled with ink. But I write short books, so this method is not as efficient perhaps if you write a novel, BUT you should be able to write better work by hand. I guess you will just have to experiment with this and decide yourself. If you hate one method, but love the other, stick with the one you love or prefer. Writing should be enjoyable.
Quick question...if today I write 500 words and tomorrow my goal is 500 again. When I start tomorrow, should I bothering trying to tweek, read over etc. yesterday's writing first or would you advise just to go right into the writing of the 500 words? (Basically ignoring yesterday's work).
I tell students I mentor to just keep writing. Write your entire first draft before going back and tweaking (revising) anything. I discuss the process in this video: ua-cam.com/video/o-g-VdiRwUU/v-deo.html
Ha! Write as many as you can. I'm at the place where I write 5,000 words starting at 7 AM until I hit the mark, which could be 9 AM, or sometimes as late as noon, 5 days per week. But most writers struggle with just 300-400 words per session. Hopefully 1,667 words is their first big milestone. Maybe you should think of 1,667 words as your daily minimum. :-)
Most of the books I write are nonfiction (52 so far). If you do proper research and outlining before you start, it is easy to write 2,500 words or more each day. Use 1,667 as your minimum. That means you can finish a 50,000 word book in 30-days. That's a good length for nonfiction. However, as you gain skill and experience, you can train yourself to write 5,000 words or more of quality material each day. "Plan your work and work your plan."
i usually do 500 through 600 a day and when i'm really slacking i barley do 300, and about 3 times a week (or 2) i get 1000 words don't one that day. its not assigned, i just noticed i do that. my goal is to get 1000-1500 or heck maybe even 2000, but how can i? i didn't the math and only 500 words a day would take forever and i don't want to quit. any advise??
To increase productivity, you need to do one of two things: 1. Allocate more time to write. 2. Do what I do, and that is learning to voice-write. You can learn to easily write 1,000 words or more words per hour. I have created an online course to help people learn to do that. learn.velocitywriting.com/courses/voice-write-book-writing-power-dictation The other important thing is to have an outline. You can make the most of the time when you know exactly what you intend to write next. I discuss this idea in this free video: ua-cam.com/video/2UODvnezcfU/v-deo.html
Thank you for your comment. I take the opposite approach. I write a minimum 2,000 words per day before I stop. Usually I write far more than that before noon. Afternoons are for revision and for researching/planning for the next day. You are able to do a first draft of 36.000 words per year. I do first drafts of over 750,000 words year. In my experience, quality and productivity go hand-in-hand. Learning to write purposefully is a skill anyone can learn.
@@VelocityWriting I agree for the most part. I do admit I need to amp up my game as well. But say per day Larry writes 500 to 1000 words he mostly keeps and Bob writes 1,667 to 2,000 words he mostly deletes as nonsensical run-on rubbish, who's really being productive? Appreciate your great channel. God Bless.
A daily reading word count is not germane to the topic. However, there is no question that aspiring writers should read often and widely. A mix of books by both classic and contemporary authors is best. A writer can learn about the writing process from every book he or she reads. I'll stick with Francis Bacon, even though he wrote in the 1600s. He said, "Reading maketh a full man; conference [discussion with others] a ready man; and writing an exact man." They all fit together.
I wonder how this word count applies to languages that put more words together in one word... I guess I'll go with 1,500 words in German... 🤔 Yay, less words to achieve. 😄
Ha! Yes, it applies mostly to English. Germans love to use one word in place of an entire sentence, so word count is different. Hey, next time you're along the Danube, please wave to a Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän for me. :-)
To date, I have done about 50 videos. The number is growing. They all offer advice about being a good writer. That is purpose of this channel. You may wish to view all the videos in the various playlists I have created. That is a systematic approach to getting advice about particular types of writing. Beyond that, you must simply write. Some of what you write will be good, some will be bad. But experience is the best way to learn the craft of writing. You cannot just study writing or think about writing, you must actually write. Best wishes.
We all wish life worked like that. About everything! But sadly, it doesn't. Writing is a craft, not a romantic ideal fueled only by emotion. ua-cam.com/video/kqfa89CVuH4/v-deo.html It's like saying, "I feed my family by working as a carpenter, but I don't feel inspired to lift my hammer, so we'll go without food." Serious writers force themselves to write if they must, and they make second draft revisions if needed. Professionals don't sit around "waiting for the Muse."
I fluctuate between 500 to 1000 words a day. Trying to make the 1000 word habit stick.
Thanks for the video!
Did you succeed?
I write one thousand words per day without fail. It works for me. Is it okay?
James Joyce's stated intention to write 'two perfect sentences every day' was not the total of his daily output. He might have written thousands of words a day, but he wouldn't stop until two of the sentences which he had written that day were what he considered to be perfect sentences.
i work as a Technical Author and write fiction as a recreation, they are two very different disciplines. Technical Authoring is all about being 'precise and concise', leaving nothing to the imagination of the reader, such an approach would see many fictional books reduced to fewer than ten pages and absolutely void of dialogue.
1,000 words works for me. About 3 pages. Not too long to get irritated, but yet still substantial.
No matter how many words we write each day, writing itself should be a daily habit.Practice makes perfect.
Instead of word count I like to subscribe to what John Updike did in his long and prolific career. He set a goal of 2 pages a day. Many days he could do more, but he never finished his work day without 2 solid pages of writing. A good goal to keep in mind if you don't want to count words.
I appreciate what you're saying, but after three decades of teaching writing, I'd say the "page" method doesn't work well for most people.
What size paper are you using, American Letter size or UK A4? Or a little notepad? What are the margins of the page? When you're typing, is the text single or double spaced? Too many variables.
Most successful writers set word count goals and I noted some examples in the video. Very few set page goals. Their publishers wanted books of a certain word count. Most were paid by the word. Thus, word count prevailed as a measure of progress.
My advice is to pick a word count and write that many words each day. It's simple and effective.
I set a goal for myself, 500 words every day for my first novel. My outline is ready and I'm doing some research so I can start and fully commit from next week on. Your video's are very helpful to me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Thank you, Armando. I wish you success.
How did it go? I just started writing myself, I have a goal of 225 words per day, why so low? I hope to build a habit of it. So far it's working, been at it since late november! :)
I have a different opinion on this topic. The daily word count is not important. The time committed is what matters. For fifteen years I wrote 5 hours a day, 5 or 6 days a week. I think Joyce and Wodehouse did the same in terms of routine, though perhaps longer that 5 hours. (Wodehouse actually wrote morning noon and night - remarkable.) Get into a habit of writing at the same time every day. Habits will develop quickly and the word count will take care of itself. I am reminded of James Joyce's answer when a friend asked him how much he had written that day. It had been a full day of writing and Joyce was noticeably happy. How much, his friend asked, did you write today. 5 pages? Nope. A page? Nope. A paragraph? Nope. The answer: A sentence, and it was actually the 4 words that made up the sound of a wave that took up his day. Here it is: "Listen: a four worded wave speech: sees, hrss, rsseeis, oos." Brilliant and well worth the time. This was anomalous to the level of output he achieved daily, but some things take time. Some days things come easily, so keep writing, because other days it might not be so easy. That said, never stare at a blank page. Move that hand with a pen or pencil in your hand and something is most likely to come out worth salvaging. TTFN
Thank you for your thoughtful insights. I have mentored many hundreds of aspiring writers over the decades and almost all will find excuses to not write during the time they set aside. Setting a measurable goal for a writing session (250, 500, 1,667 words or whatever) eliminates the excuse-making. ua-cam.com/video/_N58NrzAuRc/v-deo.html. They hit their number or not, and revision comes later.
And James Joyce? His theatrical comments about the writing process are not useful. His output required long hours of diligence even though he wanted people to think otherwise.
@@VelocityWriting Yes, I imagine students require a word-count goal to eliminate excuses for not getting stuff done. I should keep this in mind when watching your videos that these are geared towards students of writing. Very practical advice you give. And yes, James Joyce's words, it's true, are not useful for the writer who has to make their living from the craft. His approach would leave the working writer starving for years at a time. The likes of Chekhov and Wodehouse, on the other hand - masters both - were capitally motivated, and this helped them, no doubt, to be so prolific and supremely skilled craftsman. TTFN
Thank you, very useful video. Years ago I read an interview to Hisham Matar (read his "The Return", a very powerful memoir book) that was a really push to set a writing routine. He said that he uses to write 500 words a day. At the end of the day those 500 words are polished and ready to print, but the message for me was that you don't need to write like 10'000 words per day to be a writer. So now I have my routine. Quite odd, because I write manually, on paper (for a bunch of reason it's easier for me than using my pc). A fluctuate around 1'150 words a day. This means 2 pages per day, each page of 35 lines of my lined notebook.
I write three thousand words a day. I found out that I write better when I do it fast, that allows me to enter into this kind of flow state. (I write in spanish) i want to upgrade it to five thousand a day soon. I use writing sprints in order to achieve my goal, that helps me a lot.
I agree totally. That flow state is very important. I achieve it by voice writing and often write 5,000 words before noon. See: velocitywriting.com/dictation-methods-to-empower-your-writing/
This helped me a lot. Thank you and keep the good work.
Count your minutes, not your words.
"The important thing is that there should be a space of time, say four hours a day at the least, when a professional writer doesn’t do anything but write. He doesn’t have to write, and if he doesn’t feel like it, he shouldn’t try. He can look out the window or stand on his head or writhe on the floor. But he is not to do any other positive thing, not read, write letters, glance at magazines, or write checks. Either write or nothing…. I find it works. Two very simple rules, a: you don’t have to write. b: you can’t do anything else. The rest comes of itself."
- Raymond Chandler.
1000 words per day should be a breeze but It's all about quality not quantity. Someone we all know said "don't be boring" and I think they were right.
There is no relationship between quantity and quality. In fact, in my long experience working one-on-one with many hundreds of writers, the slow ones usually produce the worst quality. They lose their focus and edge. Writing fast, quality content is a skill any creative person can learn.
I'm a big advocate of the 1,667 words per day plan because any disciplined writer can write that much in a couple hours. These writers stay motivated because they know they can finish the first draft of a 50,000-word book in a month. Experienced writers want to get the content (fiction or nonfiction) down fast. Slow writers rarely have the motivation and momentum to finish their first draft.
All books achieve their greatest potential in the revision phase--the second or third draft. Revision is the improvement of a first draft, not a complete rewrite. The faster you have a manuscript to revise, the better the end quality of your book. Generally, only rookies simultaneously revise their first draft as they write it.
My goal is 1000 words a week. With my hectic schedule, forgetfulness, and tenancy to blank out on research that would be a goal I can actually REACH!
I frequently do about 4k words per day (if I write that day).
I love writing!
Sagacious advice. Thank you.
I like the goal number he mentioned because it is a stretch for new novelists. It’s good when goals aren’t too easy.
I also like what Hemingway: said write and stop when there is ‘still some water in the well.’ And when you have a leading sentence for you next days prompt. I highly recommend ‘Paris is a moveable feast’. This tip really helped me finish my first draft of my first novel
Your channel is really interesting and very useful for writers.....Thanks and keep it up
Thank you for encouragement.
I did the 1,667 words per day last year. It really improved my speed. I should get back at that speed cause I'm going to do it again.
Yes, get back to it, Terrax. It is a joy to be a productive writer. Think of yourself as an athlete in training, trying to get to the finish line a little faster each time. Be sure to have some fun reaching your goals. Productivity and quality go hand-in-hand.
When I write I am usually tired after 1 500 aprox. words, so I would say that is my word count.
I really liked your video.A very good practical suggestion for all writers.
I enjoyed it and I am going to try your method.
Your examples in support of the suggestion is very convincing.
Thank you.
For me it's between 444 to 1000 words a day.
Very helpful advice.
I wonder whether difference between pantsers and those who outline their novels given how they approach the writing process. Stephen King is a pantser and the fact that he knocks out 2000 words per day (down from the word count earlier in his career) is impressive.
Pantsers like to highlight the rare exceptions. But anyone who writes daily can easily write far more, with quality, with an outline. I write at the rate of about 1,000 words per hour (I'm a slow typist) for three hours each day. Sometimes I hit 5,000 words in that timeframe. An outline is nothing more than road map, and I'm able to maintain a high consistent word count, and do work that needs less revision, because I know my destination each day. Do I occasionally take creative side trips? Absolutely! But I can easily return to my planned route. The human brain works is a particular way, and it's best to work in harmony with it, and against it.
An inspiring, but intimidating goal! I don't think I can reach it in my current situation, having a full time job. But I plan to up my word count gradually after I complete this first project. Starting off at 225 words/day. :)
Don't be intimidated. You have the right approach. Start at 225 and don't stop each day until you write them. Then, next week, increase your word count to 250, and so forth over months. Keep building on your success. You can do it!
P.S. I really enjoy what you have been posting. Thank you
Thanks for your video. My goal is to just write every single day from the first word until 1st draft is finished. No sundays, no holidays, no days off. I've set my deadline based on 500/day. Some days I can't manage more than 100 words due to life itself, yet some days I've smashed the 6000 words mark. So far my average for the current novel is at 800. 176 days on a row and counting.
Hey, you have daily goals. That puts you ahead of most writers. Congratulations!
Hello, VelocityWriting! How you doing? I was doing a research about how many words/pages you need per different genre. For example, Epic Fantasy is another "beast" and I've read that you can have between 180 000 and 250 000 words, which is a lot. I am writing my own book series regarding the same genre and I was wondering if you could give me an advise about that topic? Is it true or false information? Can you actually write more words and is that acceptable? Or you need to write way less than that? Thank you! Great video and I wish you both many professional and personal successes!
Some authors get a big kick out of writing epic-sized novels. Such books are passing out of fashion, however, both because of reader tastes and the economics of publishing. Reader's like 60,000-80,000 words today because of their time constrains.
If you have a 180,000 word book, edit it into a three books series. Readers love series and will buy each one once they are hooked. Economically speaking, 180,000 words is not feasible except for outlier books, and they are exceedingly rare. In print, they are deadly because of the production costs and the market price for such book. Narrow margins make print impractical these days for almost all high word count books. If you only publish ebook editions, you can still get a decent financial return if you can find buyers.
My best tip: Get the best professional editing you can afford. You know where to find me. Must big books, as you envision, are a big mess, but authors are blind to it. All the best.
You’re approach is disarming and easy to digest. Chill fun and unique writing education.
Question:
There is a writing stage, to complete the first draft. Then the word count per day is relevant, I set a minimum of 1500, and on a good day I allow myself 2000.
But what about the editing stage, reviewing your earlier work?
A lot of variation in writers. Some, many are methodical, X number of words a day and they either edit or don't edit that the rest of the day. Others are great procrastinators who suddenly burst forth with a prodigious inspiration and energy. Nietzsche wrote most of Zarathustra in ten days! Voltaire penned Candide in fewer. Thomas Mann wrote 500 words every day then spent the rest editing and editing. His friend, Hesse, was not so disciplined and edited far far LESS if at all! AND, please don't try to write more than one novel in a year, it will only be garbage. Perhaps not a novel, but sketches, thoughts, reflections? Start a conversation with yourself and write from there. If that becomes a novel, fine, if a poem, story or essay, that's good too. Too many aspiring novelists must walk before they can run. And there's enough trash in the world. Have patience, fail a little, fail a lot! Put away your ego and write as if no one will ever read you. If you can still write from that place perhaps you do have something to say, lol!
Remember, writers write, EXCEPT WHEN THEY DON'T! And then they do again. Douglas Adams once asked friends to lock him in his room till he had met his deadline. There are a wealth of stories about many authors Wrestling with themselves in this way. And others who were so anal THEY NEVER missed a day. But even great writers wrote much that was not particularly memorable or worth reading.
I barely get 100 down every day but when I get inspired I can write 2k in an hour :P
I start my writing rhythm using the Pomodoro Technique; 25 min segments of focus at a time. Once the momentum starts, you'll be surprised how much flows out in the rough draft phase.
Sounds good. I discuss the Pomodoro Technique here: ua-cam.com/video/hV9aP6dnzmY/v-deo.html
Hi. Thanks for the video I really enjoyed it - very informative. Would you advocate free, almost stream-of-conciousness, writing as part of one's daily word count? I believe they're sometimes known as 'morning pages'.
Good question. I'd say no. I believe the 1,667 words per day minimum should be productive writing. Yes, it will need to be revised later as is always the case, but it should not be random, stream-of-consciousness writing. I think students should do stream-of-consciousness writing to explore their creativity, but it is usually a distraction to someone trying to complete a manuscript. Personally, I get my writing mind in gear each morning by answering my email. I transfer that mindful activity to my current writing project.
Thank you! That was well spoken.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you again DL. Some really good advice here for any writer. I aim for a 1,000 words a day. By the way, any Welsh heritage at all with that surname??
True story. My friend writer Mike Davis and I walked into a pub in Y Gelli Gandryll. He said, "Hell, everyone in here looks like us." And he was right. We Americans had returned home.
@@VelocityWriting brilliant tale! Like the way you used the Welsh name for the town of books!
Thank you for this truly interesting advice!
Glad it was helpful!
I was reading where Sly gets up at 4:30 a.m. - writes for three hours
before the World's even UP. I think that's the route - you're very strong
upon waking. But exhausted when you're thru - albeit it's a great
exhaust/fatigue.
If that’s the primary source of income then that’s a great way to make a living!
Excellent ideas 👏👏👏👏👏
1966 is my word count!
Thanks for the great videos! Do you use these suggestions when writing with voice recognition software?
Good question. As you may be aware, I am a big fan of voice writing, and I do it and offer an online course about how to do it. velocitywriting.com/dictation-methods-to-empower-your-writing/
There are some variations, but the basic method is the same. Good preparation for the writing writing session, and an understanding that you do your best work when you "gush out" your first draft, flaws and all. You then shape and refine it in the second draft.
Can I research (prep), voice write my first draft, and revise my final draft at the rate of 5,000-8,000 words between 7:30 AM and noon? Yes. That is my daily writing routine. I get high productivity and quality. Anyone can learn to do it.
777 is the sweet number for me.
Great information and definitely useful at this time for me.
Would you suggest that - writing becomes a quicker and much easier task, regarding
word count as time moves along ?
Yes. When I first started it was a struggle to write 100 words an hour. Now it's easy to write 2,500 words per hour or far more. See my online course on "Voice Writing" here: velocitywriting.com/voice-write-book-writing-power-dictation/
1600... Ideally, of anything
Do you think there’s a difference between writing pencil on paper vs typing on a computer?
I have about three decades as a professional writer. I started with pen and paper, then moved to a keyboard. However, I have abandoned this -- what I call "kinetic writing." No one should have to move their hands to tell a story. It is a learned behavior.
These days, I have trained myself to "Voice write." I use dictation software (it works better than ever) and my writing goes directly from my mind to the page. This is the purest form of storytelling for humans. We have been trained in school to use our hands to tell fiction and nonfiction stories, but I think it is a barrier. I teach an online course on this Voice writing because I think it is an essential skill. www.velocitywriting.com/voice-write-book-writing-power-dictation/
There is a difference between the two according to research. You use different brain parts, I believe with that writing by hand being the superior one. I can't imagine writing on the laptop. I write better and faster on paper. It just flows so easily for me to write with a good old fashioned pen filled with ink. But I write short books, so this method is not as efficient perhaps if you write a novel, BUT you should be able to write better work by hand. I guess you will just have to experiment with this and decide yourself. If you hate one method, but love the other, stick with the one you love or prefer. Writing should be enjoyable.
I don’t agree about not writing more than the goal number if you are feeling specially inspired some days. But it’s good to have 1667 in mind.
I love the videos
I wrote 30 words per day on an average scince Feb 2016 till this day and it is 37000 words now...I'm depressed.
Quick question...if today I write 500 words and tomorrow my goal is 500 again. When I start tomorrow, should I bothering trying to tweek, read over etc. yesterday's writing first or would you advise just to go right into the writing of the 500 words? (Basically ignoring yesterday's work).
I tell students I mentor to just keep writing. Write your entire first draft before going back and tweaking (revising) anything. I discuss the process in this video: ua-cam.com/video/o-g-VdiRwUU/v-deo.html
Why shouldn't I write more than 1,667 if I'm having a good writing day?
Ha! Write as many as you can. I'm at the place where I write 5,000 words starting at 7 AM until I hit the mark, which could be 9 AM, or sometimes as late as noon, 5 days per week. But most writers struggle with just 300-400 words per session. Hopefully 1,667 words is their first big milestone. Maybe you should think of 1,667 words as your daily minimum. :-)
What if you are writing non-fiction?
Most of the books I write are nonfiction (52 so far). If you do proper research and outlining before you start, it is easy to write 2,500 words or more each day. Use 1,667 as your minimum. That means you can finish a 50,000 word book in 30-days. That's a good length for nonfiction.
However, as you gain skill and experience, you can train yourself to write 5,000 words or more of quality material each day. "Plan your work and work your plan."
i usually do 500 through 600 a day and when i'm really slacking i barley do 300, and about 3 times a week (or 2) i get 1000 words don't one that day. its not assigned, i just noticed i do that. my goal is to get 1000-1500 or heck maybe even 2000, but how can i? i didn't the math and only 500 words a day would take forever and i don't want to quit. any advise??
To increase productivity, you need to do one of two things:
1. Allocate more time to write.
2. Do what I do, and that is learning to voice-write. You can learn to easily write 1,000 words or more words per hour. I have created an online course to help people learn to do that. learn.velocitywriting.com/courses/voice-write-book-writing-power-dictation
The other important thing is to have an outline. You can make the most of the time when you know exactly what you intend to write next. I discuss this idea in this free video: ua-cam.com/video/2UODvnezcfU/v-deo.html
Thank you
You're welcome. My pleasure.
Thanks
I write as much as I want on any given day as long as it exceeds a hundred words.
Thank you for your comment. I take the opposite approach. I write a minimum 2,000 words per day before I stop. Usually I write far more than that before noon. Afternoons are for revision and for researching/planning for the next day.
You are able to do a first draft of 36.000 words per year. I do first drafts of over 750,000 words year. In my experience, quality and productivity go hand-in-hand. Learning to write purposefully is a skill anyone can learn.
@@VelocityWriting I agree.
@@VelocityWriting I agree for the most part. I do admit I need to amp up my game as well. But say per day Larry writes 500 to 1000 words he mostly keeps and Bob writes 1,667 to 2,000 words he mostly deletes as nonsensical run-on rubbish, who's really being productive? Appreciate your great channel. God Bless.
2,500+
Hi. And what number would you recommend for reading? Also, do you consider daily reading for aspiring writers necessary?
A daily reading word count is not germane to the topic. However, there is no question that aspiring writers should read often and widely. A mix of books by both classic and contemporary authors is best. A writer can learn about the writing process from every book he or she reads.
I'll stick with Francis Bacon, even though he wrote in the 1600s. He said, "Reading maketh a full man; conference [discussion with others] a ready man; and writing an exact man." They all fit together.
I wonder how this word count applies to languages that put more words together in one word... I guess I'll go with 1,500 words in German... 🤔
Yay, less words to achieve. 😄
Ha! Yes, it applies mostly to English. Germans love to use one word in place of an entire sentence, so word count is different. Hey, next time you're along the Danube, please wave to a Donaudampfschifffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän for me. :-)
@@VelocityWriting I will! 😄 Thank you for your very quick answer! 😊
how i can be good writer give me some advice
To date, I have done about 50 videos. The number is growing. They all offer advice about being a good writer. That is purpose of this channel.
You may wish to view all the videos in the various playlists I have created. That is a systematic approach to getting advice about particular types of writing.
Beyond that, you must simply write. Some of what you write will be good, some will be bad. But experience is the best way to learn the craft of writing. You cannot just study writing or think about writing, you must actually write. Best wishes.
Ok so I've learned ... 200 words is probably too little
If you are inspired, write.
If you are not inspired, don't write.
Inspired work and uninspired work are both recognizable.
Never force writing.
We all wish life worked like that. About everything! But sadly, it doesn't. Writing is a craft, not a romantic ideal fueled only by emotion. ua-cam.com/video/kqfa89CVuH4/v-deo.html
It's like saying, "I feed my family by working as a carpenter, but I don't feel inspired to lift my hammer, so we'll go without food."
Serious writers force themselves to write if they must, and they make second draft revisions if needed. Professionals don't sit around "waiting for the Muse."
Thanks