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.jpg) I admit it. Sometimes I get lazy and may go a week or two between writing bouts. Usually it's because I don't feel good or I'm stressed about something in my real life, but excuses don't write books or articles. And the longer between writing bouts, the harder it is to remember where I left off. The harder it is to remember all the nitty-gritty details that make a great novel.
Fortunately for me, the last couple of days all the neurons in my brain have been firing. Yesterday, I wrote over 2,500 words and today, just over 1,500. That isn't counting the nonfiction stuff I've written for this website recently (or this article). As a result, I've resolved several plot dilemmas in the the first Soul Eclipse novel: Lakshmi Rising. Although in its second draft, I'm radically redoing the second half. New plot lines, new scenes, new scenarios--the whole works. At this pace, I should be able to whip out a chapter or two of new material before the frenzy fades.
I suspect my energy level has something to do with Spring. Sunshine. And the invigoration both those things give me.
Writing is a solitary task. Oh, I may discuss ideas with others, but then I go somewhere to be alone--usually down in the basement, to write. That takes self-motivation and clear goals. Being a highly self-motivated person, that usually isn't a problem for me...unless I've let my health go. You know what I mean: eating too much, exercising too little, and letting my mind go.
It's a simple truth. For me, the more I exercise, the more I write, which is why I get so disgusted with myself. If I know what I need to do in order to write, why don't I do it? Why do I let my health slide? (When you figure it out, would you tell me?) Next time I slack off, order me back on my bike or to take a walk or something. Will ya?
Which leads me back to the topic: the elusive word count.
Writers need attainable goals if they expect to eventually publish. It isn't enough to say, "I want to finish this book this year," we need daily goals. When I googled the subject, I saw daily word count goals averaging between 200-1,000 words a day. Extremely prolific writers like Sherrilyn Kenyon might produce up to 20,000 words in a sitting, but she's the exception. (I remember seeing this number on her website a few months ago, so if it's off, I apologize. You still get the gist.) Word counts give authors a daily goal. Something to which they must be accountable. Yeah, 200 words isn't much, but if an author sticks with it, s/he could finish a 65,000 word book in less than a year.
During my nonfiction heyday, I was easily writing 1,000 words a day or more, with a month or two vacation between books. Once I moved into fiction, I slacked off and let my daily word counts fall by the wayside. Instead of sitting down and doing 3 hours every morning, nonfail, I got out of the habit of writing and only wrote when the mood struck. Well, the mood stopped striking me as often, and before long, I would go weeks between efforts. Not only did I stop writing as much, I started forgetting plotlines (even though I had an outline), and character personalities. It was getting harder and harder to keep the book flow. And it all started because I dropped the habit of establishing a daily word count goal.
So, with a bit of gut-churning, I'm going to make a word count goal of 500 per day, minimum or 3,500 per week. It's not that high of an expectation for me. As seen by my output over the last few days, I'm more than capable of 500 words a day. What's important is re-establishing the habit. Getting into the groove. Daily writing will keep my creative juices flowing and ensure the kind of character development I initially anticipated when outlining the story.
At first look, it may seem like at daily word count would add stress to my already stressful life, but it actually has the opposite effect. By knowing what I have to do and doing it, it frees me to engage in other activities later, with a clear conscience. I can putter in the garden, take long walks, and manipulate photos without feeling guilty for not writing. There's no better stress-reducer than that.
Hmmm. So what would happen if I applied this same principle to other things? Like, a minimum of 10 minutes exercising, or 10 minutes cleaning house, or 10 minutes necking with my husband....Ooops. Did I just say that? Pretend you didn't notice. Thanks.
Wow. This concept could be life-changing. I'll let you know.
(BTW: This article is 802 words long.) |
