Hey #WritingCommunity, how many words do you shoot for a day? I used to be able to get at least 1000 without much issue. These days I'm struggling for 500.
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I don't. As in, I don't set a goal. I go days without writing anything. Then I'll pick up my story, and write just a few words. It depends. On where my head is. On where I'm at in the story.
I don’t have a goal either, and I go long stretches without writing too. Sometimes I just don’t have it in me to get the words out, and I need the space from trying to force it.
In the future, as I get more comfortable with my style, I might set a goal.
I don't know if I'll ever set a goal. Too much pressure. It is frustrating, because in April of 2023, I figured I'd write one story per month, which would mean I'd have 13 stories by the end of May of this year, so by now I'd probably have a book on shelves. Nope. I have THREE finished stories.
All of the stories in the book (Schoolyard Chronicles, which will include Schoolyard Bully and Aftermath, both linked on my website, as well as 11 more) have strong mental health undertones. I find it hard to get into my characters' heads when I'm struggling with my own mental health.
I’m doing a course on BBC Maestro with Isabel Allende. She said something similar in that when you’re going through certain struggles or intense emotions, the writing sometimes dries up.
It’s refreshing to hear it’s part of the process. I felt/feel less alone.
I gave up on daily word count goals earlier this year. They were stressing me out, and I’d often write a bunch of filler just to meet my goal. Now I prefer to have time spent on project goals, in which I strive for an hour a day. I can write 10 or 10,000 words in that hour, but with much less filler
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In the future, as I get more comfortable with my style, I might set a goal.
I get stuck easily, and I haven’t yet figured out the skills I need to strengthen to push past it.
Lately, I’ve been focused on analyzing more short stories. It seems like it’s helping.
I’m doing a course on BBC Maestro with Isabel Allende. She said something similar in that when you’re going through certain struggles or intense emotions, the writing sometimes dries up.
It’s refreshing to hear it’s part of the process. I felt/feel less alone.