Using Word Counts To Achieve Your Writing Goals

I have a rocky relationship with word counts. They go down when I want them to go up, and soar out of control when I’d rather be concise. I’ve found word counts motivating, stifling, an uplifting measurement of progress and a way to disguise floundering as progress.

Word counts have been on my mind since starting my standalone novel, Against the Sun. I’d never bothered much with word counts in the past, preferring to focus on scenes completed than words written. Yet after spending years toiling on my first book I wanted to find out if I could write fast. Maybe setting a daily word count would help me reach my target faster? I had an idea for an urban fantasy gathering pace in my brain and wanted it out of my system. I set a goal of 80-90k words (anything shorter than the monster 110k+ book I’d just written was a win!), decided on a 2k daily word goal and September deadline, and jamp* to it.

Things went well. I started writing in May/June, comfortably meeting my daily word goal. More importantly, the story took on life before my eyes. I was excited to sit at the kitchen table and write every morning. A few weeks in though, stumbling blocks started to appear…

High word count = less productivity

I’d planned a week’s holiday in July. I’d been making my 2k word goal easily each morning so decided to up my daily word count to 3k for two weeks. That way I could take a rest and not “fall behind” on my project.

On my first 3k day I noticed an immediate mood change. I plestered around after breakfast, it suddenly became imperative to dust my shelves or do a wash. I procrastinated so much I found myself squeezing words into the evening to catch up. 2k felt manageable, but 3k was a mental slog.

I told myself there wasn’t time to stop and brainstorm a scene or double check my notes, so inevitably wrote off course several times. I would water, too, layering on the description to bump up my word count. All this has achieved is more work for myself in the long run as I fix these mistakes.

I’ve since returned to my daily 2k words. I can comfortably meet this target every morning with spare time to brainstorm the scene ahead, which means I know exactly what I’m going to write the next morning. I’m not chasing my tail or worrying about what comes next. I think setting a manageable word count helps with motivation too. Psychologically, setting the bar low means you get a rush from the quick win and are more likely to keep writing.

Word counts can distract from the bigger picture

My aim was to write an 80-90k novel by September.

It’s the end of July and my word count is sitting at 70k. Which sounds great, but I’m only at the Midpoint of my story. My word count is ridiculously high! Either this story is bigger than I thought or something’s amiss…

I’ve realised that my focus for each writing session has been to make it to 2k. While that’s great for accountability and focus, it misses the bigger picture.

I’m losing sight of why I’m writing this book. I’m skimming along the surface of the story without plumbing its depths. Obviously, this is a first draft, and I can add depth and cut fat later, but by slowing down now I’ll have a better handle on my characters and be less brain-frazzled come deadline day. My daily word count might drop, but I’ll be closer to my goal. The bigger picture isn’t about numbers, it’s to write a good book effectively.

Going forwards I’m going to focus on plot points reached and scenes completed. If my attention wanders I can always fall back on word counts to keep me in check, but they won’t be the only measurement of a good writing day. Word counts are a tool, not a stick to beat ourselves with.

You’re probably all shaking your heads at how obvious this sounds 😂 But in high school I’d say I was an underachiever. Then at university, I switched to being an overachiever. I’ve never found a balance between the two since.

The trouble with being an overachiever is that you always need a number to focus on. Degree classifications, grades, amount of books read, hours studied - it’s a never ending pursuit for validation disguised as a drive for “achievement” and “excellence”. It’s an easy mindset to fall into when educational institutions themselves pursue rankings and league tables.

But this definition of success is problematic when applied to creativity, which at it’s core is intuitive and rebellious. Being a writer isn’t about how many pages of a book your story can fill or how fast you can write, it’s about the story itself, and how well you tell it.

*hope you’ll indulge my local vernacular. I always think '‘jamp’ is more dynamic than ‘jumped’!