3 Reasons Why I Abandoned My Daily Word Count
And Why You Might Do the Same
I used to write 2,000 words every weekday. Why? Because Stephen King made me do it.
Well, not exactly. But he recommends this target in his classic writers’ guidebook, On Writing. In King’s words…
“Only under the dire circumstances do I allow myself to shut down before I get my 2,000 words.”
Being the shameless copycat that I am, I adopted this habit for several years (both for the practice and because it sounds impressive at parties).
However, I’ve recently ditched my daily writing goal. Here’s why—and why you might do the same.
You Have Limited Writing Time
Not only is “Time” a great song by Pink Floyd, it’s also the ultimate constraint on everyone’s productivity. We all have it—just not enough.
You can indeed commit your limited writing time to 2,000 words a day. I did so for many years. Problem was, that goal consumed all others.
For instance, I’d wake up and write the first 2,000 words of a short story. Good job, self. I’d return to complete the story the following morning, only to realize that if I re-read and edited yesterday’s 2,000 words, I wouldn’t have time to pen 2,000 new ones. The result: All writing and no editing made me a sloppy writer.
Furthermore, with limited time to achieve my goal, I often wrote filler. If I needed 500 more words for the day, I’d dump countless, trite, needless, uninteresting, redundant adjectives onto the page, whether they were necessary or not (mostly not).
You Thrive on Different Methods
Writing is art, not science. Despite what some claim, there is no formula for success. Therefore, though daily word targets help some writers, they might not benefit you.
Take other classic writing advice. “Kill your darlings” might be essential wisdom for writers who struggle with revision. Yet for those whose darlings are the most intriguing aspects of their work, this aphorism could dampen their creativity.
Or what about “write drunk, edit sober”? A great tip for mystery authors, whose stories must be logical yet unexpected. But for fantasy authors creating delirious worlds (i.e. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), shouldn’t much of the drunkenness remain after editing?
Point is, even foundational writing advice doesn’t work for all writers. Find what’s right for you, then commit to it.
You Need to Diversify Your Writing Practice
Allen Iverson may not have appreciated talk of practice, but I do. In fact, practice is one of King’s most persuasive arguments for a daily word count. He writes…
“If I don’t write every day…The tale’s narrative edge starts to rust and I begin to lose my hold on the story’s plot and pace.”
Agreed! Writers must write. But word counts vary from writer to writer. Hemingway aimed for 500 a day, Holly Black does 1,000, and James Joyce went for (a rather arbitrary) 90.
And though consistent output is important, it’s not everything. In honor of the aforementioned Allen Iverson, let’s use basketball as an analogy.
If you wished to become a legendary basketball player, where would you start? Most would begin with their shot (makes sense considering the modern NBA). Imagine you spent every hour of gym time practicing spot up three-pointers. You’d probably develop into a solid shooter.
However, by exclusively honing one skill, you’d lack in others. Your conditioning might suffer, making you a non-factor on the fast break. Your defensive instincts would be poor, so your points on offense would get negated on the other end. And without a floater, turnaround jumper, or post game, you’d become a predictable scorer.
The takeaway: If you solely focus on your shot, you might become an excellent shooter. Yet you won’t be much of a basketball player.
Writing is similar. It requires many skills, including (but not limited to) creativity, revision, self-promotion, organization, and perseverance. Achieving a daily word count is an important skill, but if you ignore all others, you’ll fall short of your full potential.
So, What Do You Think?
Maybe you need a word count. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you’re like me, and you use it for a while, then abandon it.
Whatever you choose, choose the right course for you. There’s only one way to discover it…
Kyle A. Massa is a comic fantasy author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife, their daughter, and three wild animals. His published works include three books and several short stories. When he’s not writing, he enjoys reading, running, and drinking coffee.
